Flashing lights and Smoke Machines: Life Church Yukon

    I'm really excited to share with you our first experience at a Life Church, but first, let me tell you about Car Church.

    Wait! First, let me tell you about why we were having Car Church in the first place:

      We woke up early Sunday morning knowing we weren't going to be able to attend church that morning. My oldest daughter's basketball team had signed up weeks before to take part in the High Five program for the Oklahoma Thunder basketball team's home game against the Chicago Bulls. It was a 12:00 game, we were required to be there an hour early, and being a couple hours from the city, we would be driving and arriving around the time most churches start. Several of us regular church attendees had some misgivings about missing church for a basketball game but decided that we were still part of the Body of Christ no matter where we gathered, so we gave God the praise for the opportunity and headed to OKC as the sun was coming up.

     My niece had stayed the night and was riding to the city with us to spend a few days with her aunt and uncle, and my daughter's bff was joining us for the game, so I headed east out of town with three happy eleven year olds in the back seat chattering along. A few minutes later, I declared that we would have church in the car this morning, and this is how it went:

                              Praise and Worship:  I cranked up the tunes and all four of us began to sing along. The tune was upbeat and we were rocking out, worshiping God together through music.

                              Prayer Concerns: I looked down at my speedometer that was pointing somewhere near 80, and up into the flashing lights of a flashing patrol car. The concern was obvious, and the prayers began.

                                Confession and Contrition: As the grim faced patrolman renounced my sin and asked for an explanation, I apologized profusely while frantically searching for my license and registration in a purse packed with junk, a console full of papers, and a glove compartment stacked with all manner of ridiculousness. After hours (or a couple of interminably long minutes) of really uncomfortable silence while I dug and shoveled and searched, I finally gave up and begged for mercy.

                                  Morning Message: While the officer returned to his patrol car to decide my fate, I proclaimed to the girls in back the importance of staying organized and following the rules and not allowing your life to get trashed out due to being overly busy. All this was said while continuing to search my purse for my illusive license and tossing not one but FIVE oranges out of my purse, over my shoulder, and into their laps as I spoke, until a distinct throat clearing at my left shoulder stopped me mid-toss and I turned to the officer even more humiliated than before while the girls behind me choked on giggles behind their hands.

                                  Absolution: "Mrs. White," the officer sternly stated, "You currently have no  record on your license, so I'm going to give you a warning this time. However, if you'd like to continue with no record, I recommend you get all of these offenses taken care of and set your cruise control."

                                 Praise, Adoration, and Prayers of Thanksgiving:  Praise the Lord!! Just as God offers us salvation through Jesus Christ and bids us to "go and sin no more," I had been given grace in the face of my failures, no record was kept of my wrongs, and I was allowed to continue on my journey praising God and thanking Him for a second chance today and always. However, as we drove away, I declared to the girls that I would be focusing on my driving for the rest of the trip, and I was sure we could find a Life Church to attend on the way home, which is exactly what happened!

We don't get a lot of time together without the sisters!
What a blessing this day turned out to be!

    
     It was close to 3:00 when we left the Thunder game, and a quick internet search revealed that LifeChurch.TV of Yukon had a service at 5:00 which was absolutely perfect.  It was on our way home and gave us time for a quick stop at the outlet mall for a little shopping. I had never been to a LifeChurch before, but I've had several friends recommend it. One of the main reasons for encouragement was that there are so many service times offered on both Saturday and Sunday that you can always find time to join a worship service even when you've got a busy, over-booked weekend schedule, as most of us do, at least from time to time.  In addition, I'd been told that the pastor was excellent, and the kids church had been highly suggested for my girls by my friend's son who is the same age as my oldest.

Actual feelings face.

Might be on Mom's blog face.

     I really had no idea what to expect, and my daughter (who is not quite as friendly and adventurous as her younger siblings) had no desire whatsoever to attend kids church, but with some encouragement from her friend, and a demand from her mother, she poutingly deigned to attend. We followed the signs to registration and got the girls signed up. They each received a name tag with a number that corresponded to a sticker given to me that would have to be presented in order to retrieve them. We were welcomed by some very friendly volunteers and shown to a special classroom for 5th grade students that looked like a pretty good time to me. There were several games including basketball and foosball and a comfy looking couch area in front of a big screen television. The girls were told they would get the VIP treatment and were offered snacks and drinks and were headed in that direction when I left them and followed the signs to the auditorium.

        Before passing into the auditorium (I wonder why it's not called a sanctuary?), I encountered a large coffee, tea, and water bar. There was a variety of snack and drink options, and church members were eagerly filling cups and carrying them into the auditorium with them. Feeling a bit sacrilegious, I filled a cup of ice water and found a seat near the center back.

      So far, I had not been spoken to by anyone in the lobby or the greeters by the door, and I felt a little awkward as I sat alone in the congregation as others entered in groups of family and friends. I noticed a few other singles in the congregation and was a little surprised that like myself, they continued to remain alone, with several seats separating them from the others as the auditorium began to fill up. I wondered if this was common in all churches and if I had simply never noticed because I'm usually surrounded by family of my own.

    The church itself was unlike any I'd ever been in before. The closest I  think I've been to would be Jr. High Church Camp or a Women of Faith Conference. The stage itself was backed and flanked by a trio of huge tv screens counting down the time until service began, and music was blaring as laser beams flashed off of the machine made smoke hovering above. It was definitely a festive, fun-filled atmosphere, and as the booming bass vibrated up the floor causing my pant legs to shake in time to the music and tickle my stubbly legs, I realized that I was probably a little past due for a shave. (Too much information again? Sorry, again!)

     As the countdown came to a close, a live praise band took their places on stage, and we joined in as the words to songs that were new to me but easy to catch on to flashed across the screens. The musicians and vocalist were excellent and the words to the songs meaningful and touching. People across the room lifted their hands in praise and danced in their seats as they sang along in praise to our God. I was surprised by the continued feeling of isolation I was experiencing. I think perhaps the fact that I couldn't hear myself or any of the people surrounding me singing over the volume of the band kept me feeling like I was in a bubble of my own, there but separate. (Once again, this could very well have been due to the newness of attending church alone, and I in no way mean it as a ridicule against this particular church family. Its simply how I was feeling at the time. )

     As the praise band left the stage, the local pastor stepped up to welcome, encourage, and pray for the congregation. He also introduced the senior pastor of Life Church who soon appeared on the large screens to greet his congregations. Pastor Craig Groeschel  and a handful of others launched LifeChurch in 1996 with a vision of creating a different kind of church. Nearly 20 years later, there are Life Churches throughout  the US and their services can be viewed live throughout the world through the power of Internet. Pastor Groeschel can be found leading in person at his church in Edmond, Oklahoma, but he provides leadership to all his churches behind the scenes and on the big screen. He often provides the morning message for all of his church families while various local pastors provide the messages around four times each year, but this particular morning, Pastor Groeschel introduced an upcoming sermon series entitled "I Deserve It" and a guest speaker to present the morning's message on Chasing Light: Part 2: Greed. Paster Peirre Du Plessis from The Father's House in Rochester, New York presented the morning's message, and as I nodded in agreement and chuckled with the other members of the Body, I finally found myself feeling a part of the congregation as a whole. (If you're interested in hearing a really great sermon for yourself, you can find it at http://www.lifechurch.tv/watch/chasing-light/.)  By the time we'd all received the message, the offering had been taken, and we were dismissed with an invitation and a prayer, I was feeling much more at home with this body of Christ. I took a few minutes before we left to ask some questions, meet some very kind people, and learn a bit about Life Church as a whole.

      I find myself intrigued by this relatively new style of church, and would definitely encourage anyone seeking a modern, contemporary worship style to seek out a Life Church near you. In addition, I highly recommend anyone who finds themselves unable for whatever reason at this time to join a church family, to experience and learn from the messages by tuning in at www.lifechurch.tv.  You can view live services several times a week or view messages on demand from their archives anytime. There are several sermon series that I'm really excited about seeing as soon as possible.

    From sirens to smoke machines, this week's Steeple Chase was definitely a unique experience.  We were reminded that whether in a car, at a ballgame, or viewing a Biblical message on a giant tv screen: Where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am with them. (Matthew 18:20)  After all, even without a steeple, if the message points upwards, the journey is headed in the right direction. Thanks so much for being a part of this journey with us. Stop in next week for our next Steeple Chase adventure!

 ***Just a little side-note here: As I was completing this week's blog post, Tara from Life Church Yukon called to welcome us to their church and see if we had any questions or comments about their church. She volunteers her time to make contact with all new visitors to make sure they feel connected and welcome in their congregation. What a great way to make a newbie feel at home! Well done, Tara at Life Church! Thanks for your call and your encouragement!

    

Comfortable. Caring. Loving. Real. : Central Christain Church

    As I sit down to blog this evening about our journey to Central Christian Church this past Sunday, my heart is heavy and my thoughts are clouded with news of a loved one who went on to be with Jesus just a short hour ago. She was a woman of strength and character, a leader in her church, and pillar of her community. She led the singing in her church for as long as I can remember, and she did so as she did everything: with fierceness and enthusiasm and a will that urged others to sing out, do better, reach higher, achieve more. Whenever and wherever we came in contact, she made me feel at home; comfortable and cared for and loved. She was real. She was Joy. (And she will be desperately missed by her family and friends until that day we join her in glory!)

     Comfortable. Caring. Loving. Real. These are the same words that come to mind when I think back on our visit to Central Christian Church in Fairview.

      Running a few minutes late (Oh, when will I learn?), we rushed in just as the acolytes were returning down the aisle. We slipped into a pew near the back, and when I finally got everyone situated and sat back with a sigh of relief my first thought was, "Oh, my word! What a beautiful sanctuary!" (I remember because that's exactly what I wrote in my notebook.) I had no idea that such a gorgeous, awe-inspiring, sacred place was behind the walls of this church that I've driven past a kajillion times and never taken the opportunity to enter. From the outside, the building is beautiful if a bit unusual with an a-frame and interestingly different "bell" tower and steeple, but the inside is just simply lovely. As we settled back and looked upwards at the crossing wooden braces, my youngest whispered in awe, "How'd they do that?" And I wondered the same.

Sadly, this picture doesn't do the room justice. I guess I need to take up photography to really show the beauty of the churches we visit. I wish you could see the glory of the stained glassed windows, but, alas, it cannot be.




 

        Fortunately, we arrived in time for the opening hymn and enjoyed the old fashioned comfort of holding a hymnal as we sang along. The service ran very similarly to the Methodist services we had grown up with, and we felt very much at ease as we joined in on the Lord's Prayer, Gloria Patri, and The Doxology. Unlike many churches, the Christian Church (aka Disciples of Christ) partake of Holy Communion on a weekly basis and invite all who believe in Jesus Christ as the resurrected Son of God to take part. This particular church does so (at least on this particular Sunday)
 by passing the plate of sacraments from pew to pew rather than having believers come forward to the alter.

      Soon, the children were called forward for the Children's Sermon; a time in which parents everywhere hold there breath and pray like crazy that their child doesn't say or do anything embarrassing in front of the entire congregation. (Does everyone feel this way or just those of us with loud mouthed children who are entirely lacking in shyness....and filters?) Fortunately my girls were on pretty good behavior this Sunday, and we were able to continue through the rest of the service without sneaking out with our faces covered before the service ended. After the children's service, the little ones were dismissed for Children's Church, and Reverend Ronnie Hopkins began the sermon.

 

Oldest daughter is not pictured as she is  now 11 and thinks she no longer qualifies as a child. (Insert eye roll here.)

 

      Moments into the scripture reading (done by three youth members who did a fantastic job), I was wishing that our middle daughter was still sitting beside me because once again I was in the midst of a God- moment, and I wanted her to be a part of it too. Just that morning as I was curling her hair, she was prattling on, as only an 8 year old girl can do, about the Veggie Tales movie she had been watching while waiting for her turn to get her hair fixed. It was a video we'd seen several times, but she felt the need to give me a scene by scene synopsis, and honestly, for the most part, I was just nodding and uh-huh-ing along and not really paying attention. It was the one, she informed me, where King George (But she new it was really King David) wanted all the rubber duckies in the Kingdom, and he wants another boy's duck (But she new in the Bible he really slept with another man's wife....wait, had we talked about this?! Now I was paying attention!), and not in this movie, but in the Bible, he has a son and his name is Solomon and when he grows up God gives him anything he wants and he asks for wisdom, and because he made a good choice, God gave him riches and fame too. (I was really listening now because I had forgotten about the riches and fame part and I was really impressed with all she knew.) So, when the scripture reading that morning came from 1 Kings and was the exact story of Solomon my 8 year old had told me that morning, I couldn't help but smile up at God and think, "Yes, Lord, I'm listening now. I'm really listening." (I just love when He does that!)

 

 

      Following the sermon entitled, "The King Who Had It All," the service ended with a hymn and  an invitation to come forward to accept Jesus or join the church and a recessional which was sung to the tune of a song from The Sound of Music (Which was another God-incidence, as I'd been singing Sound of Music songs all morning while getting ready.), and we gathered in the adjoining fellowship hall for snacks and a chance to visit with friends old and new. The congregation members were all so welcoming, and we really enjoyed visiting and learning more about the church and it's members before departing.

 

Our oldest daughter with our friend Rev. Ronnie Hopkins (aka Mayor Shinn).

 

 

      It came to me during this week's Steeple Chase, that as different as our experiences have been, they have also been so very similar as well. I realized how truly fortunate we are to have so many different congregations in so many different places in so many parts of the world who essentially are doing the same thing week after week, day after day. They are worshiping God and caring for one another, praying for each other, and extending friendship and love. Our churches are here to support and challenge and fight for God's people with strength and compassion and encouragement and Joy! I praise God tonight for the lessons He's teaching me through this Steeple Chase and through the life of a beautiful woman of God who will continue to be my role model as we each continue our journeys....mine into the body of Christ and hers into the home of the Bridegroom.  God bless you, my friends, and thank you for being a part of this journey as well. 

fairviewcentralchristianchurch.weebly.com
 

Chasing in Our Own Backyard

       In my head the story went something like this:
     
       Once upon a time a long time ago, a large group of Mennonites homesteaded on the fertile plains of Northwestern Oklahoma and established a little town called Fairview. As the years went by, some of the Mennonites became disgruntled with the strict rules of the Mennonite faith and decided to split off and form their own church and call it Mennonite Brethren (Because obviously they were brothers to the Mennonites). Eventually, more and more Mennonite families decided they didn't want to wear little black hats over their hair and make all their own dresses and wanted to send their children to public school, so they too joined the MB church along with a lot of people who had never even been Mennonite before, until it became the largest congregation in town, and a huge church was built with a beautiful steeple that I can look out my office window and see every day of my life.

       I was wrong. Really, very wrong. (Except for the beautiful steeple outside my window part.)

     The really short version of the true story goes something more like this:

      Once upon a time a really, really, really, really long time ago (like 1500's long ago), a man named Menno Simons decided that the Catholic church was no longer following Biblical principals in the way that he felt was right, so he formed a group of believers that eventually became known as Mennonites. Then in the mid-1800s, in a country known as Russia, a group of German-speaking Mennonite believers decided that the church had become too "cold and formal" and also had some complaints having to do with believer's communion (according to Wikipedia) and formed what is now known as Mennonite Brethren. In the meantime, between the 1500's and today, a variety of other Mennonite offspring were established, including Amish, Old Colony, and Holdeman, just to name a few. All of which, like Mennonite Brethren have their origins in Menno Simons followers, but have established beliefs and "rules" of their own throughout the years.

    So, in the late 1800's when Oklahoma was opening up for settlement, a large group of German-speaking Mennonites, did settle in the area now known as Fairview, but these groups came already divided by the Mennonite beliefs of their forefathers.  Therefore, in approximately 1895 two Mennonite Brethren churches were established: one north of Fairview, and the other south. They were known appropriately as South MB Church and North MB Church. Eventually, the two churches decided to join together in town as the Fairview Mennonite Brethren Church, and in the early 1980's the beautiful church I see from my window was built. The Fairview Mennonite Brethren, as we know it today, is an evangelical church whose mission is to "Reach Up and Reach Out.  It is a church whose presence in the community is far-reaching and who are never to busy to lend a helping hand.

    Which leads us to this past Sunday morning.....

     It was cold and yucky and snow was starting to come in, so we decided it might be best to keep our Steeple Chase close to home. What could be closer than the church outside our window?

      Another plus, was that not only is it close in proximity, but this particular church is close to our hearts as well. As a baby living in this town, my parents and I attended the Fairview MB Church (although at it's original location). They made many lifelong friends there, who I grew up hearing about and meeting long after our family moved from Fairview. Additionally, when our immediate family moved to Fairview 10 years ago, this is the church we began attending, and we continue to send our children there for AWANA on Wednesday and participate in various church activities and community projects. We love this body of believers, and it felt so good to worship again with them on a Sunday morning.

       We arrived between Sunday School and Worship Service, in time to participate in half-time donuts and juice. My girls were extremely excited about the donuts and seeing their friends... and the donuts. Afterwards, we found seats in the large and lovely sanctuary in time for welcome and announcements followed by congregational singing. I appreciate greatly the use of so many different lay people within the worship service. Some introduced upcoming events with a fun little skit, while others played and sang in a worship band, and another led the congregation in prayer. Two of my past students did an amazing job playing Amazing Grace on their trumpets during the offering. It was so great to see so many members of the body participating in Sunday morning Worship.

     The message was delivered by youth pastor Travis Schmidt who was continuing with a series focused on the book of Revelation.  I've mentioned before how much I'm intrigued by this particular book, but by this time, our youngest was more than ready to go to Children's Church (She always is.), so I took her to her class and then made my way back. When I returned, the congregations was laughing hysterically at a story from Travis' childhood, and I wished I'd have sent our little one on her own...like she wanted me to. The good news is, I returned in time for the real meat of the message, and really learned a lot about the Dragon, Seabeast, and Earthbeast who Satan has created to imitate The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit...all in an attempt to deceive us into following him instead of our creator. The morning's lesson was very well delivered and well received, and I was especially appreciative of the reminder that regardless of what is to come, we do not have to worry because we have already been covered by the blood and sealed as a child of God.

      The service ended with some beautiful praise songs, and we ventured out into the foyer to smiles and handshakes and hello theres from friends and acquaintances alike. As we said our goodbyes and loaded up to face the two minute drive home, we felt blessed to know that there's a Steeple to Chase in our own backyard that houses a body who's making a difference and supporting a community of those who love the Lord.

    

Cowboy Up!

  

     A couple of times since beginning our Steeple Chase, my dad had mentioned that we should try the "cowboy church at the Woodward Sale Barn," so when my in-laws agreed to keep our kids at Vici overnight on Valentine's, we decided it was the perfect opportunity to meet them in Woodward the next morning and check it out. We got there a little early and sat in the parking lot for a while waiting for our girls to arrive, which gave us an interesting insite into what we might expect.

    We watched as vehicles arrived. Flatbeds loaded with haybales parked next to convertible cars as pickups and trailers lined up a little farther out of the way. There were lots of four-door pickups in the parking lots and it seemed that most had a couple kid-laden carseats in the back seat. A sign stated that front row parking was available for guests, but no one (Including us....although I totally would have if I'd been driving. It was COLD and my husband parked in the VERY farthest spot.) felt the need to park there.

   People climbed out in boots and jeans, hoodies and sweatpants, rhinestones and conchos, cowboy hats and gimme caps. Kids in camo and carharts were cuddled close in the cold February wind as they were hustled inside; mom and dad and siblings all together on this frigid Sunday morning heading into a livestock sale barn with the purpose of worshiping God. Men on horseback braved the weather to ride near the entrances to parking lot and barn and wave greetings to arriving church-goers. Several stopped to visit for a minute and let the kids give the horse a pat before passing on inside. So, of course, when our girls arrived, we had to stop for a visit with the horse as well. (Don't worry, we spoke to the cowboy too. He was very friendly and told the girls where to go for children's church....the cowboy, that is, not the horse. Although, he was friendly too. He just didn't say much.)



           I was surprised by how crazy-crowded it was when we tried to enter the building. People were coming in and out and milling around in the entry way, and we even had to wait outside in line for a few minutes until it cleared out a little and it was our turn. As we walked through the doors, we immediately came in contact with an information station equipped with friendly faces who welcomed us and gave us directions to children's church (which is in the café) and the sanctuary (which is in the sale arena). They also pointed out their name tags (shaped like those little round thing-a-ma-bobs that are on the ends of spurs) and explained to look for people wearing them if we had any questions at all. It was kind of a relief in the midst of the chaos to know exactly who to look for in case of a stampede or something such as that.

      The younger girls and I peeled off to the right and got in another line for children's church while Jason and our oldest made their way down the hall a bit to get out of the way. Inside the café, kids were encouraged to take a seat at the table and get started on a coloring sheet, while parents signed them in and received a numbered ear tag to present on return. I tried to convince the little one that we needed to put her tag in for her to stay, but she was having none of it, and both girls went right on in and made themselves at home.
     Inside the arena, we met up with another smiling friend with  rowel-shaped (Ah-ha! I remembered!) name badge, asked how many seats we needed, threaded her way through the rows until she found a place, and escorted us to our seats. That, too, was a huge relief that took away the whole "where should we sit" question and definitely made us feel more at ease.
      Soon after we were seated the house band started up and we were pleased and surprised to see our friend, Marsha Barr as lead vocals. The music was definitely country to it's core with Christ as its center. It was upbeat and twangy and heartfelt and just really well done. I definitely felt a joyful noise was being made. The arena took on a country music concert feel as everyone rose to their feet, tapped their toes, clapped their hands, and sang along with the occasional yip and yell thrown in for good measure. After several congregational hymns,  one of the song leaders provided special music with a song he had written for his wife. We were very impressed with both the song and the vocals, and my daughter was especially intrigued by the ten year old boy who provided beautiful harmony during the song.

     Afterwards Pastor Beau and his wife Heather stepped forward to share the morning's message. The pastor started out explaining that he was in the midst of a three part series on the Victorious Secrets of Biblical Dating, Marriage, and Sex. I'm pretty sure Jason and I were thinking about the same thing as our eyes cut uncomfortably towards the eleven year old sitting between us, and I know I breathed a quick "Thank you, Jesus!" when he went on to say that we would be focusing on marriage this Sunday. (Yeah, yeah. I know she's growing up, and we've had some "talks", but you can't tell me you'd be excited about it in the same situation. I mean seriously, it's still uncomfortable, right?)

   Anyway, the message was excellent: Biblically based and directly spoken with plenty of humor and real life applications thrown in to really make you feel you were taking something important away with you that could benefit your everyday living. I highly recommend visiting their website at http://1000hillsranchchurch.com/#/sunday-preachin and listening to what this Godly couple had to say. I promise you won't be bored. (Really! I never once had to elbow my husband to keep him from snoring! AND I have every intention of finding out what they have to say about sex too....just without any children around.)
   
   When the preacher finished preaching, the service came to an end with a prayer and an invitation to accept Jesus as your personal Savior. The newly saved were encouraged to fill out their information on a guest card, but were also given an alternative method of simply texting their name to the number on the screen in order to receive a phone call from the ministry team. I thought this was a wonderful way to use technology to reach out in a really nonthreatening way to those in need of counsel, advice, or just a partner on the trail. Guests were invited to visit a welcome desk to receive a gift, but we were headed in another direction to get the girls and really felt like we'd received all the gifts we needed that morning within the service itself. (Although, our oldest really did want to see what it was.)

        After swapping ear tag for children that at least resembled our own, we headed out the door and to the back 40 where we'd parked. The girls told us all about children's church and showed us their popsicle stick 10 commandment craft and said they had an "AWESOME" time. (Middle child's only complaint was that she REALLY wanted to tell them the WHOLE story of Moses, but because she had to raise her hand, she only got to tell about the last plague. Poor, poor dear.)  I attempted to take a few more pictures in the parking lot, but my kids were getting a little uncooperative in that department.  However, I couldn't help but snap one last shot as we drove away. Our Steeple Chase is certainly taking us in a variety of directions, but we're very happy to say that the 1000 Hills Ranch Church is an amazing Body of Christ who will welcome you.....crap and all!

     

 

 

  I

  

And We're Off!

    I grew up attending a tiny little country church in the ghost town of Lenora, Oklahoma. The pews numbered 12-ish and were seldom completely full. The congregation teetered on the edge of 35 on a good day, and the people were family- both literally and figuratively. So you can imagine my awe as we approached Boston Avenue United Methodist Church, and found ourselves gazing up into this:

  Built in the 1920's when Tulsa oil was king and Art Deco was the modern design of choice, the 14 story bell tower alone is a massive departure from the church of my childhood, whose entirety could fit in the front entryway! We sat in the parking lot for a few minutes feeling overwhelmed and watching to see where other parishoners were choosing to enter. We noticed most were walking past the gracious front steps and entering a less strenuous doorway beneath the stairs, but we decided to brave the climb and enter the gorgeous arched doorways as surely God and the architect must have intended. Above the doors carved stone statues of Charles, John, and Susanna Wesley looked at us solemnly, and I have to admit that I felt a little out of my league and was very relieved to have my stalwart husband by my side.

     Fortunately, the church was prepared for members and visitors alike with strategically placed beribboned volunteers to welcome and help us along the way. We were given directions to the restrooms and library, where a tour would begin after the service, offered coffee and snacks, handed an impressively thick bulletin, and shown into a magnificent round sanctuary.

                                                             It. Was. Incredible.


     Pinks and mauves and purples and whimsical, cheerful stained glass windows and a high vaulted ceiling that made me want to throw back my head and arms and do full spinning circles in the center of the room. I didn't. I wanted to, but I didn't. I might have, but fortunately, before I lost complete control of myself, I realized there was a BALCONY! I definitely wanted to sit in the balcony, so we climbed the steps with their lovely old fashioned iron handrails, and chose seats in the very front and center where we could take it all in.

   













     We took our places in the decades old, theatre-style seats and then giggled and adjusted, leaving a seat between us, as the chairs groaned and we realized they were created in a different time, for a people who were likely much smaller than my husband's 6'2", 280 pound frame.

      His knees settled against the balcony railing as an invisible choir began to sing from somewhere beneath us. Moments later they came into view, robed regally in a heathery kind of purple, and led by boys and girls in white, carrying a pair of crosses and the acolyte wands (sticks? candle lighting thingies?). The music was sweet and harmonies and echoed beautifully around us. They sang so lovely in fact, that my husband wanted to ask for a pillow and blanket and for them to please not stop singing for at least an hour. I wouldn't let him; although, to be honest, I did catch him snoozing a couple times even without a pillow. (In his defense, we did have a very late night prior to our visit, and they were oh, so soothing.)

     The service that followed was traditional Methodism at it's finest. Choral calls to prayer, congregational responses, hymns dating back to the 16th century, and something new to us, a Psalter, where a gray-bearded man with a majestic sounding voice would sing a pair of  verses from Psalm 29 and we would sing the next few verses in response.  All seemed to connect me with believers of the past as I'd never experienced before. I could almost picture them filling the surprising number of empty seats around us in their pin-striped suits and fancy Sunday hats. I can't claim to have had a major encounter with the Holy Spirit during the service (perhaps because I was so busy taking in all the sights and sounds), but I definitely felt blessed to be part of such a long line of believers and to worship God in the same method as so many before us.

     After an enjoyable and thought-provoking sermon by Senior Minister Reverend David Wiggs and one final choral response, we made our way to the library for the promised tour. Our tour guide was lovely and very knowledgeable, and I'm kicking myself right now for not getting her name. She walked us throughout the building, pointing out fascinating tidbits such as the repetition of angled arches throughout the church which symbolize God's blessing on all who pass through and the incredible 3,000 pound art deco style mosaics which were added in 1993 when the congregation celebrated their 100th anniversary. Every window, every statue, every color, shape, and light had spiritual and/or historical significance, which is exactly as architectural designer and art teacher, Dr. Adah Robinson had planned. (Personally, I think it's very cool that the structure was designed by a woman in the 1920's. More research on her is definitely in my future! And if you're interested in finding out more about Boston Ave UMC take a look at http://www.bostonavenue.org/ for more information.)

    All in all, our awe did not diminish in the least from our first glimpse to our final farewells. The building alone made me want to praise God for the glory of His house of worship and the creativity of His creation, and the sweet congregational members, lovely, distinguished worship service and friendly, well-spoken pastor were just icing on the cake. We would happily return and bring our daughters along, but our next visit will have to wait, as we continue Chasing Steeples in the Sundays to come.

Steeple Chase 2015: Where do you want to go to church tomorrow?

     It started with a question, "Where do you want to go to church tomorrow?" It was a question I didn't want to ask, but after weeks (months? years?) of feeling restless in our current church home, I found myself asking it weekly as we settled into bed on Saturday nights. It wasn't as if our church family had done anything wrong, and the service was basically what we'd experienced our entire lives, but we just couldn't shake the feeling that God was pushing us to ....Something else? Someplace different? Something more? We just didn't know.
    We'd discussed changing churches but weren't sure where to go, and we had no desire to hurt those we would leave behind. It was a conundrum we prayed about often, and as I lay down each Saturday night, I hoped God had revealed an answer to my husband that I had not been privy to, but each Sunday morning, we would return to our home church, or attend our childhood churches with our parents, or even occasionally conduct our own service at home with our children in leadership positions, and we continued to wonder what God had in mind for us, until recently.
     As the new year made it's debut, an idea began to tickle the back of my mind. I began to think of all the beautiful, historic churches I've noticed through the years and how I've always said that someday I'd like to go to church there. I thought about the architecture and historical significance, and I wondered about the congregations within. Who are they and how do they worship? Can you feel the presence of the Lord within those walls? What kind of service is held, and would the people welcome a visiting family into their fold?
     At first, I thought it would be an interesting research project that I could do during the week while my kids were in school. I could visit the churches, take pictures and study them, and maybe even end up with a nice Shutterfly book in the end, but the night before the first Sunday of the year, as I asked the same old question as I climbed into bed, my sweet husband gave his patented, oh-so-informational answer of, "I don't know. Where ever you want, " and the words began to tumble out.
     "I think I want to go EVERYWHERE," I spilled excitedly, "I have this idea to research churches and I think we should go to a different church every Sunday for a year. I want to see and experience worship in all different ways and see what God has to show us through the body of Christ."
     As I spoke words I hadn't even realized I was thinking, I felt a spark of excitement and fear arise, and as a plan took shape in my mind, I felt God's presence in my heart and truly felt that at long last, our weekly question had been answered, only to be asked again and again and again (but in a completely different way) as the year progresses.
     So the next morning, our family said farewell for now to our home church in order to set out on an adventure, a journey into the body of Christ, and an answer to that weekly query, "Where do you want to go to church tomorrow?"
     The possibilities are endless and our expectations are high. We're looking for a place to worship, a place full of believers, a place different from where we've been, or a place of comfortable familiarity. We're looking to belong to the extended body of Christ and learn more about the who, where, whys and hows of our fellow believers, and we're willing to go on a crazy sort of Steeple Chase to find it.