Before going to this church I did not have any idea what "quakers" were. I had some vague idea of skilled furniture makers, or the guy with the funny hat on the oatmeal box...but that was about it.
Three major things stand out in my mind that I learned today. 1) Quakers do not pray out loud in church, 2) Quakers are anti-war and anti-military (I read this in one of the "all about Quakers" flyers in the pew) and 3) Quakers believe that each and every one of us is a minister, not just the guy standing up there on the stage.
We were greeted by a young guy with a big bushy ("jebediah") beard. There were a lot of displays in the lobby - like a ministry fair. Not sure if those are always up, or if they were just up for this Sunday. Would be a good idea for churches to have displays like this, with upcoming events for all of the different groups. Much more effective and interesting than a bulletin announcement.
There was a big cross behind the stage in the center of church (good) and two smallish bouquets of flowers, otherwise a very plain 1970's interior decor. The pews were unbelieveably uncomfortable - cloth covering springs over hard wood. Effective at keeping you awake, however.
I felt the minister kinda rushed through the three readings from the Bible, then he talked about his wedding day, and after the wedding was over, he thought, "now what?" he said Easter is kinda like that - all of the excitement leading up to Jesus being crucified then coming back to life - so this is what we believe as Christians but "now what?" that was the question he asked, but I did not hear a strong answer. Or it could be that my ears were closed to his answer because I already had my own answer in my head. I guess as long as everybody figures out what their answer to "now what?" is, we'll do okay.
One young guy played a beautiful guitar solo during the collection. They had a great idea - "shepherd cards" postcards stuck in the pews that you can write on - they want you to send notes of encouragement to people listed in the bulletin with prayer requests - and you put the postcard in the offering basket and the church will mail it for you. Very cool idea.
Was not crazy about the long long silence - one lady in a wheelchair spoke first, she said thank you for the prayers, the surgery went well - then another long long silence before another lady got up and rambled kinda aimlessly about something she read in the book of Revelations.
The overall impression I got from this service was "loose-y goose'y" there is no other word to describe it. No structure, kind of a free for all, anything goes. some people complain about the Catholic church and "all the ritual" but I guess I must like the ritual - at least I know EXACTLY what to expect every Sunday and every church I go to will be just about the same. There is some comfort in things being so consistent and predictable. I need things to be consistent and predictable now.
Other than the guy with the jebediah beard and one flashy old gal with a big red hat and bright purple gown, nobody really stood out. And nobody came up and overwhelmed us with phony friendliness so that was a plus.
A full calendar of events, but not one mention of any kind of communion service. I always understood communion to be something that Jesus commanded us to do. To remember what he did for us. I am starting to feel sorry for all of these people who are missing out on getting communion every Sunday. And the sad part of it is, they don't even know that they are missing out on something really fantastic.
No mochas here - some coffee urns in the lobby - the minister brought a cup up to the podium and drank from it while he was talking. No video or high tech displays.
All in all - not a bad place - Jesus is here too and if all these people are becoming friends and doing things together in His name then it cannot be a bad thing.
But this girl is looking forward to going back to a Catholic church next Sunday... and you can bet that we'll be sitting in the front there ;-)
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
April 17 - Reedwood Friends Church -T sez...
This week we went to a church that my sister had belonged to years ago. My niece still goes to this church. I had K drive to my house and drove from here and we were going to meet my niece there. K arrived right on time at my house - I am so proud of her. I think my strong hints have gotten through to her...
So, we headed out and of course we were there about half an hour early so we went and K got some coffee - I already had my quota for the day.
My niece called to say she would be late, and to go in and have a seat in the back so we would be easy to find. So that made the decision for us because as you know K likes the front and I like the back of the church.
When we entered the church it looked exactly how I remembered it. A little older, and a little more worn out. The first thing we did, oh, I mean K did, was use the restroom. She has now used the restroom at every church we have been at so now I am like, "how was it?" and she said, "nice and clean."
In the front area of the church (lobby?) they had a lot of display boards (you know, those boards we all have had to use for our kids' science projects). There were sign up sheets for camps, retreats, dinners, and all the events at the church coming up so looked at them to see what was up.
So we decided to go into the church and have a seat. We sat in the very last row. We both went kerplunk and sat down to realize that it was just a wooden pew with a little fabric covering (1970's orange). We fell hard onto the seat and we both just kinda looked at each other. Definitely not comfortable. I never thought anything could be more uncomfortable than a wooden bench, but a wooden bench with a little fabric covering was worse. I think Quakers belive Jesus suffered for us so we can suffer for Him.
The people started entering the church dressed casual - I just can't get over how casual people dress. In fact, this guy who must have been about twenty years old walked in barefoot. He ended up being part of the worship group - he played the bongos. The musicians were him, a guitar player and someone playing the piano. They sang about four songs.
For me it was really hard to focus on the service because the last time I was there it was for my sister's funeral, and then the time before that it was my mom's funeral so just sat there are remembered the funerals.
The minister got up and talked. The way he talked was simple and easy to understand. Later my niece texted me to say that she forgot to tell me that he was not the original minister but instead, he was the children's minister. I was like, great, no wonder I understood every word.
After the minister talks they have a time of silence, about 15 minutes or so, where if you feel the urge you can stand up and say whatever you have to say. About four people got up and spoke. You then continue to sit in silence. When I was younger and had attended this church that part made me uncomfortable. Now I really enjoyed it - just to sit and pray and medidate - it was great. I saw some people who had appeared to have fallen asleep, God knows how they could sleep on those lightly covered benches.
Then after they took up the offerings and then they had announcements. K pointed out to me that they did not pray out loud together, all of the other churches we had been to so far had done that.
So, to sum it all up, I can't say I really enjoyed it. It felt flat to me. I don't know any other way to explain it. It also probably didn't help that I felt a deep sadness when I was there. Nobody wants to relive their mom's and sister's funeral. They were two great women in my life and I miss them with every fiber in my body and soul.
So, we headed out and of course we were there about half an hour early so we went and K got some coffee - I already had my quota for the day.
My niece called to say she would be late, and to go in and have a seat in the back so we would be easy to find. So that made the decision for us because as you know K likes the front and I like the back of the church.
When we entered the church it looked exactly how I remembered it. A little older, and a little more worn out. The first thing we did, oh, I mean K did, was use the restroom. She has now used the restroom at every church we have been at so now I am like, "how was it?" and she said, "nice and clean."
In the front area of the church (lobby?) they had a lot of display boards (you know, those boards we all have had to use for our kids' science projects). There were sign up sheets for camps, retreats, dinners, and all the events at the church coming up so looked at them to see what was up.
So we decided to go into the church and have a seat. We sat in the very last row. We both went kerplunk and sat down to realize that it was just a wooden pew with a little fabric covering (1970's orange). We fell hard onto the seat and we both just kinda looked at each other. Definitely not comfortable. I never thought anything could be more uncomfortable than a wooden bench, but a wooden bench with a little fabric covering was worse. I think Quakers belive Jesus suffered for us so we can suffer for Him.
The people started entering the church dressed casual - I just can't get over how casual people dress. In fact, this guy who must have been about twenty years old walked in barefoot. He ended up being part of the worship group - he played the bongos. The musicians were him, a guitar player and someone playing the piano. They sang about four songs.
For me it was really hard to focus on the service because the last time I was there it was for my sister's funeral, and then the time before that it was my mom's funeral so just sat there are remembered the funerals.
The minister got up and talked. The way he talked was simple and easy to understand. Later my niece texted me to say that she forgot to tell me that he was not the original minister but instead, he was the children's minister. I was like, great, no wonder I understood every word.
After the minister talks they have a time of silence, about 15 minutes or so, where if you feel the urge you can stand up and say whatever you have to say. About four people got up and spoke. You then continue to sit in silence. When I was younger and had attended this church that part made me uncomfortable. Now I really enjoyed it - just to sit and pray and medidate - it was great. I saw some people who had appeared to have fallen asleep, God knows how they could sleep on those lightly covered benches.
Then after they took up the offerings and then they had announcements. K pointed out to me that they did not pray out loud together, all of the other churches we had been to so far had done that.
So, to sum it all up, I can't say I really enjoyed it. It felt flat to me. I don't know any other way to explain it. It also probably didn't help that I felt a deep sadness when I was there. Nobody wants to relive their mom's and sister's funeral. They were two great women in my life and I miss them with every fiber in my body and soul.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Easter!!!!
T sez -
well, we did Easter the Catholic way - we went to St. John the Apostle. K said to prove that there are Catholics out there who can sing, but I think she had other motives, like communion, also she knows every word of the whole Mass and says it along with them. I think the thought of purgatory entered her head (lol).
Even with all that it was pretty cool. I was there early, shocking, me? no! And I watched all the parishioners enter the church. Everybody on this day seemed to have a joyful heart. Lots of families because after all it is the one day you can guilt the family into all going (wel, some of us can and some of us can't!)
Everybody had their Easter Best on, it was fun to watch. It brought me back to when I was a little girl. I would get the cool Easter dress and I always had to have white gloves and a shiny patent leather purse.
Well, when K arrived we entered the church and I really loved it. It was probably not the most beautiful church but had lots of natural light and was open and airy. Of course I noticed this wall. It was just a wall with little square cut outs and had stained glass windows. I definitely have a thing for stained glass windows.
So as you know about us by now K likes to sit in the front seat and I like to sit in the back. Well, we sat this time in the front. I hope I was not taking somebody's pew because you Catholics out there and maybe other Christians too, you don't mess with somebody's pew.
Then all of a sudden it happened - something I never thought i would hear, but this woman started to sing and I had to check to see where I was. When I saw the cross hanging behind the altar it snapped me back to reality and to where I was. She sang so good I felt the presence of God in every word she sang. It was wonderful! I loved it. THERE ARE CATHOLICS OUT THERE WHO CAN SING - HALLELUJAH!
The Mass was a Mass, everything the same but in all honesty I cannot remember what the homily was unless they speak to me. I cannot remember but all was not lost because the music did speak to me.
The church was really crowded and we were sitting shoulder to shoulder but unfortunately the woman next to me had some bad energy. It was strong and bad. Then the funny thing was, when it came time to hold hands and say the "Our Father" she shoved her daughter next to me to hold my hand. Little did she know I was thinking "Thank you Lord." I did not want her bad energy to go through me. Those are times you know there is a God lol.
No coffee but there was a gift - a book on Catholics.
Well all in all I like St. John the Apostle a lot. I felt the presence of God there and that's what I look for if I can feel it. Next week there might be a break, K and I will not be together. That has been the one wonderful thing - she and I spend one day a week together doing something we love then have have sharing time together in one or the other's car. That's what I call fun. God bless.
well, we did Easter the Catholic way - we went to St. John the Apostle. K said to prove that there are Catholics out there who can sing, but I think she had other motives, like communion, also she knows every word of the whole Mass and says it along with them. I think the thought of purgatory entered her head (lol).
Even with all that it was pretty cool. I was there early, shocking, me? no! And I watched all the parishioners enter the church. Everybody on this day seemed to have a joyful heart. Lots of families because after all it is the one day you can guilt the family into all going (wel, some of us can and some of us can't!)
Everybody had their Easter Best on, it was fun to watch. It brought me back to when I was a little girl. I would get the cool Easter dress and I always had to have white gloves and a shiny patent leather purse.
Well, when K arrived we entered the church and I really loved it. It was probably not the most beautiful church but had lots of natural light and was open and airy. Of course I noticed this wall. It was just a wall with little square cut outs and had stained glass windows. I definitely have a thing for stained glass windows.
So as you know about us by now K likes to sit in the front seat and I like to sit in the back. Well, we sat this time in the front. I hope I was not taking somebody's pew because you Catholics out there and maybe other Christians too, you don't mess with somebody's pew.
Then all of a sudden it happened - something I never thought i would hear, but this woman started to sing and I had to check to see where I was. When I saw the cross hanging behind the altar it snapped me back to reality and to where I was. She sang so good I felt the presence of God in every word she sang. It was wonderful! I loved it. THERE ARE CATHOLICS OUT THERE WHO CAN SING - HALLELUJAH!
The Mass was a Mass, everything the same but in all honesty I cannot remember what the homily was unless they speak to me. I cannot remember but all was not lost because the music did speak to me.
The church was really crowded and we were sitting shoulder to shoulder but unfortunately the woman next to me had some bad energy. It was strong and bad. Then the funny thing was, when it came time to hold hands and say the "Our Father" she shoved her daughter next to me to hold my hand. Little did she know I was thinking "Thank you Lord." I did not want her bad energy to go through me. Those are times you know there is a God lol.
No coffee but there was a gift - a book on Catholics.
Well all in all I like St. John the Apostle a lot. I felt the presence of God there and that's what I look for if I can feel it. Next week there might be a break, K and I will not be together. That has been the one wonderful thing - she and I spend one day a week together doing something we love then have have sharing time together in one or the other's car. That's what I call fun. God bless.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Easter Sunday at St. John the Apostle, Oregon City
K sez -
It is hard to write about St. John the Apostle because it is so familiar to me. There are a lot of wonderful things happening there - they are the first Catholic church I have heard of to have a "sister church." Theirs is in Honduras. They send groups down there and host groups here and do as many exchanges as possible.
They also have a concert this Sunday, April 11, at 3pm featuring Donna Cori Gibson. I guess she is a pretty famous Catholic singer. The concert is free. I will go to check it out if anyone wants to come along...
They will have Matthew Kelly, famous author, speaking on May 15th at 7pm on "how to be the best possible you." I will try to go to that for sure.
So for a Catholic church, lots going on!
One of the best things about St. John the Apostle is Krisi Christensen - she has an amazing voice - especially when she sings "wade in the water" or any other old-time gospel hymns. Krisi has the rare ability to smile and sing at the same time - how do they do that? You have to check this church out, if only to hear her sing.
And since I am getting a reputation for using the bathrooms everywhere I go, I will report on the bathrooms at SJA. Well, nothing really to report. Everything in good working order.
The church was packed - not surprising, since Easter is the only time some people show up at church...everybody was decked out in their best. But I will tell you that this is usually a pretty well dressed crowd. Oregon City folk tend to all know each other, so if you are new there, you will have to be outgoing if you want to meet anybody.
Another cool thing about SJA is that they have a singles club. That's right - a Catholic church with a singles club! Who knew? It is called "parishioners without partners" and they have a full schedule of lunch parties, field trips, concerts to attend as group. They say that membership is open to all people, ages 40 and over, divorced, separated, widowed, widowers. My mom is going to go to some of their events, so we'll see who really shows up. She is worried that it will actually be only "70 and over." Promise to give a report on that once I hear back from her!
Father Hunegar, the priest at SJA, is a great shepherd of his flock. All priests have different gifts (just like all people...hmmm) some are good confessors, some are great homilists. Father Hunegar is really good at showing up at every parish event and many parish meetings and making sure everybody knows he cares. He has said some things in his homilies that have stuck with me for years. but this weekend being Easter, and he likely had a very very long night Saturday with the Easter vigil and all the baptisms, I think he may have been a little tired on Sunday.
Not a lot of ethnic mix here - it is Oregon City after all! LOTS of kids- being a parish with a school is probably the reason for that. But on the other hand,when I go to Saint Therese, which also has a school, not so many kids at church there...
SJA has an active youth group for middle and high school students (led by Krisi).
I was very pleased to see that T enjoyed SJA, even though it is Catholic. There are other great Catholic churches out there - I plan to take her to every single one of them! Stay tuned.
It is hard to write about St. John the Apostle because it is so familiar to me. There are a lot of wonderful things happening there - they are the first Catholic church I have heard of to have a "sister church." Theirs is in Honduras. They send groups down there and host groups here and do as many exchanges as possible.
They also have a concert this Sunday, April 11, at 3pm featuring Donna Cori Gibson. I guess she is a pretty famous Catholic singer. The concert is free. I will go to check it out if anyone wants to come along...
They will have Matthew Kelly, famous author, speaking on May 15th at 7pm on "how to be the best possible you." I will try to go to that for sure.
So for a Catholic church, lots going on!
One of the best things about St. John the Apostle is Krisi Christensen - she has an amazing voice - especially when she sings "wade in the water" or any other old-time gospel hymns. Krisi has the rare ability to smile and sing at the same time - how do they do that? You have to check this church out, if only to hear her sing.
And since I am getting a reputation for using the bathrooms everywhere I go, I will report on the bathrooms at SJA. Well, nothing really to report. Everything in good working order.
The church was packed - not surprising, since Easter is the only time some people show up at church...everybody was decked out in their best. But I will tell you that this is usually a pretty well dressed crowd. Oregon City folk tend to all know each other, so if you are new there, you will have to be outgoing if you want to meet anybody.
Another cool thing about SJA is that they have a singles club. That's right - a Catholic church with a singles club! Who knew? It is called "parishioners without partners" and they have a full schedule of lunch parties, field trips, concerts to attend as group. They say that membership is open to all people, ages 40 and over, divorced, separated, widowed, widowers. My mom is going to go to some of their events, so we'll see who really shows up. She is worried that it will actually be only "70 and over." Promise to give a report on that once I hear back from her!
Father Hunegar, the priest at SJA, is a great shepherd of his flock. All priests have different gifts (just like all people...hmmm) some are good confessors, some are great homilists. Father Hunegar is really good at showing up at every parish event and many parish meetings and making sure everybody knows he cares. He has said some things in his homilies that have stuck with me for years. but this weekend being Easter, and he likely had a very very long night Saturday with the Easter vigil and all the baptisms, I think he may have been a little tired on Sunday.
Not a lot of ethnic mix here - it is Oregon City after all! LOTS of kids- being a parish with a school is probably the reason for that. But on the other hand,when I go to Saint Therese, which also has a school, not so many kids at church there...
SJA has an active youth group for middle and high school students (led by Krisi).
I was very pleased to see that T enjoyed SJA, even though it is Catholic. There are other great Catholic churches out there - I plan to take her to every single one of them! Stay tuned.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Palm Sunday - True Life Fellowship - Beaverton
T sez:
OK so this week we went to a church in Beaverton called "True Life Fellowship." It was pretty easy to find if you knew what you were looking for - we drove past it the first time because lo and behold it was in an office building.
That was a first for me. So, we entered the church (that's hard for me to say because it was in an office building) and there were these two women with white suits on (a little John Travolta white suit!) - they were at the door to greet us and they said "welcome!"
Then, I don't know how she knew it, but she said "You guys are new to the church," and we were like, "Yes," and she said "We are so happy to have you. Let us show you where the bathrooms are."
I was like, did I have a look on my face that said I have to pee? but I went along, she brought us through a room where they gather after the service and there was a table with FREE BREAD and KC was like, GOOD! free bread! wow,free coffee, free bread and a bathroom tour YEAH!
As we continued she showed us a room where people went to pray before the service she said that they had music and it was just a time to pray. I thought that was pretty cool, but was not really ready to do that. So we continued to the bathroom where a man was fixing the door because it had fallen off the hinge. We later learned that the maintenance man was also the pastor. So KC decided, what the heck -I will use the bathroom.
After the bathroom (I should have asked K how it compared to the other church bathrooms because she had used them all. Maybe it was K that had the look on her face that the women at the door recognized...)
Anyway on the way back we went through the room with the free bread...the temptation was too much for KC it was calling her name but we did go back for that later.
So we entered the church and had a seat. I like to sit in the way back, and K likes the front. So we sat in the back. The church held maybe a hundred people - a couple of people came up and welcomed us - they were very nice. The chairs were comfortable. But let's remember I always compare them to the hard wooden pews.
They started out with songs and music and we all stood up and sang. I have never really sang in church, but on this journey I have done more singing than I ever have. The big screens showing the lyrics might be the reason. Still, so far, Good Shepherd has the best music.
They did a play about the Passion of Christ, which was very good except for me, when they sang. I never did like musicals (weird, I know). But it was very moving, one thing I really liked - in the end, all the disciples lined up and told what they did with their lives after Jesus was crucified, and how they died. It was interesting.
Before the play they handed out palms - not just one leaf but a whole branch. I loved it - the little things that make me happy - the free bread for K and the palm branch for me.
Everybody was dressed very casual, sometimes I think a little too casual. I can't believe I just said that. I know, that it is not what we wear that matters. And God would not care.
After the play and after the last prayer they asked if there was anybody new - they had a gift for visitors. We got a package - it had a pen, some candy, some coffee, a CD, a magnet. Gifts are always a good thing and a free mocha to all new visitors.
Over all not so much my type of church but we felt very welcomed and comfortable. We left right after the service but not before KC got the free bread. Until next week...God bless.
OK so this week we went to a church in Beaverton called "True Life Fellowship." It was pretty easy to find if you knew what you were looking for - we drove past it the first time because lo and behold it was in an office building.
That was a first for me. So, we entered the church (that's hard for me to say because it was in an office building) and there were these two women with white suits on (a little John Travolta white suit!) - they were at the door to greet us and they said "welcome!"
Then, I don't know how she knew it, but she said "You guys are new to the church," and we were like, "Yes," and she said "We are so happy to have you. Let us show you where the bathrooms are."
I was like, did I have a look on my face that said I have to pee? but I went along, she brought us through a room where they gather after the service and there was a table with FREE BREAD and KC was like, GOOD! free bread! wow,free coffee, free bread and a bathroom tour YEAH!
As we continued she showed us a room where people went to pray before the service she said that they had music and it was just a time to pray. I thought that was pretty cool, but was not really ready to do that. So we continued to the bathroom where a man was fixing the door because it had fallen off the hinge. We later learned that the maintenance man was also the pastor. So KC decided, what the heck -I will use the bathroom.
After the bathroom (I should have asked K how it compared to the other church bathrooms because she had used them all. Maybe it was K that had the look on her face that the women at the door recognized...)
Anyway on the way back we went through the room with the free bread...the temptation was too much for KC it was calling her name but we did go back for that later.
So we entered the church and had a seat. I like to sit in the way back, and K likes the front. So we sat in the back. The church held maybe a hundred people - a couple of people came up and welcomed us - they were very nice. The chairs were comfortable. But let's remember I always compare them to the hard wooden pews.
They started out with songs and music and we all stood up and sang. I have never really sang in church, but on this journey I have done more singing than I ever have. The big screens showing the lyrics might be the reason. Still, so far, Good Shepherd has the best music.
They did a play about the Passion of Christ, which was very good except for me, when they sang. I never did like musicals (weird, I know). But it was very moving, one thing I really liked - in the end, all the disciples lined up and told what they did with their lives after Jesus was crucified, and how they died. It was interesting.
Before the play they handed out palms - not just one leaf but a whole branch. I loved it - the little things that make me happy - the free bread for K and the palm branch for me.
Everybody was dressed very casual, sometimes I think a little too casual. I can't believe I just said that. I know, that it is not what we wear that matters. And God would not care.
After the play and after the last prayer they asked if there was anybody new - they had a gift for visitors. We got a package - it had a pen, some candy, some coffee, a CD, a magnet. Gifts are always a good thing and a free mocha to all new visitors.
Over all not so much my type of church but we felt very welcomed and comfortable. We left right after the service but not before KC got the free bread. Until next week...God bless.
True Life Fellowship, Beaverton, Palm Sunday - March 28
K sez -
if you blink you will drive right past the church, well, they don't even call it a church, they call it a "fellowship." I guess that is why there is no cross outside. And it is in an office building.
Lovin' the free Christian mochas for visitors - Catholic churches take note! how much do espresso machines cost anyway? There has to be some wonderful energetic volunteer minded person who wants to be the barista for their parish...I know that Resurrection Catholic Church in Tualatin has one - they made me a mean sugar free vanilla double tall latte once - Hallelujah!
This church had free bread too - you know, like Jesus says "I am the bread of life, those who come to me shall not hunger." Well, it works! Now, for the Catholic side, you can get TONS of free bread every Sunday at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Aloha. Yeah, K gets around to a lot of churches, doesn't she? That is why T picked me for this blog job.
K was a little freaked out with way too many people coming up to shake her hand and say welcome - she prefers the "Catholic Welcome" - total indifference... Very good ethnic mix at this church - lots of Asians (in fact they have a special service just for Asian Americans...) the two pastors leading the service were Black (one had an amazing voice, the other was very good looking...and possibly single).
Very un-churchy exterior and interior - purple walls, NO photos, flowers, nothing except some ficus plants and a simple cross, over to the side, out of the way. The pastors don't wear anything special, so when we saw one of them fixing the bathroom door we were surprised to see him up in front of church praying during the service. A big trend I am noticing among non-Catholic Christians is a great love for all things audio-visual-technical. This church actually had a whole tech station- like you would find at the Rose Garden for coordinating all the video, sound, mic feeds.
We got presents for being first time visitors (Father John at St. Joseph the Worker welcomes visitors and the one who came the greatest distance gets a candy bar...) They took a collection - very surprised to see hardly any money at all in the basket. They called Easter "Resurrection Sunday," that was new.
The "Living Last Supper" was pretty interesting - a lot of focus on Jesus' miracles, Jesus himself was pretty hot - awesome flowing hair. they totally skipped over the passion though, that was a let down. but they made it up with the end - where each disciple introduced himself and told the story of how he died. My boys would have enjoyed that. Was glad to hear them say the words we hear at Mass every single day of the week, when Jesus says "This is my body, given up for you - take this and eat it in memory of me" but strangely...the audience was not invited to get any bread.
Score one for the Catholics - we get Jesus at every single Mass and we can go to Mass every day of the week - what a luxury that is!!
As they went through their performance I found myself missing Father John and the extreme reverence he shows for the cross during Holy Week - he brings in a HUGE rough wooden cross, carries it in on his back, then lies down completely on his face in front of it for a long time, then afterwards we are invited to touch the cross and pray. It is very powerful. K likes CONCRETE TANGIBLE ways to practice faith.K also misses Stations of the Cross, practised by Catholics every Friday before Easter - they really make a BIG DEAL about every single detail of Jesus' time on earth. OK I am supposed to be talking about True Life Fellowship - sorry...
K submitted a prayer to their prayer team on their website - that is a cool thing. All churches should offer a way for people to submit their prayer needs via internet.
They would all be hearing from K! She has a lot of things to pray about these days.
K was also happy to hear a familiar song played at the end - Holy, Holy, Holy. That reminds us that whether we are Catholic, Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, Episcopalian, whatever - we are all united in our love for Jesus and we are all brothers and sisters in God's family. That is a wonderful feeling!
but for celebrations about the Last Supper, washing feet, and getting nails on Good Friday, you'll have to go to a Catholic Church.
EASTER Sunday we will be at St. John the Apostle in Oregon City. T says Catholic can't sing but she hasn't heard Krisi Christensen - she has a beautiful voice and an even more beautiful personality. Very much looking forward to being "home" for Easter. bye for now!
if you blink you will drive right past the church, well, they don't even call it a church, they call it a "fellowship." I guess that is why there is no cross outside. And it is in an office building.
Lovin' the free Christian mochas for visitors - Catholic churches take note! how much do espresso machines cost anyway? There has to be some wonderful energetic volunteer minded person who wants to be the barista for their parish...I know that Resurrection Catholic Church in Tualatin has one - they made me a mean sugar free vanilla double tall latte once - Hallelujah!
This church had free bread too - you know, like Jesus says "I am the bread of life, those who come to me shall not hunger." Well, it works! Now, for the Catholic side, you can get TONS of free bread every Sunday at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Aloha. Yeah, K gets around to a lot of churches, doesn't she? That is why T picked me for this blog job.
K was a little freaked out with way too many people coming up to shake her hand and say welcome - she prefers the "Catholic Welcome" - total indifference... Very good ethnic mix at this church - lots of Asians (in fact they have a special service just for Asian Americans...) the two pastors leading the service were Black (one had an amazing voice, the other was very good looking...and possibly single).
Very un-churchy exterior and interior - purple walls, NO photos, flowers, nothing except some ficus plants and a simple cross, over to the side, out of the way. The pastors don't wear anything special, so when we saw one of them fixing the bathroom door we were surprised to see him up in front of church praying during the service. A big trend I am noticing among non-Catholic Christians is a great love for all things audio-visual-technical. This church actually had a whole tech station- like you would find at the Rose Garden for coordinating all the video, sound, mic feeds.
We got presents for being first time visitors (Father John at St. Joseph the Worker welcomes visitors and the one who came the greatest distance gets a candy bar...) They took a collection - very surprised to see hardly any money at all in the basket. They called Easter "Resurrection Sunday," that was new.
The "Living Last Supper" was pretty interesting - a lot of focus on Jesus' miracles, Jesus himself was pretty hot - awesome flowing hair. they totally skipped over the passion though, that was a let down. but they made it up with the end - where each disciple introduced himself and told the story of how he died. My boys would have enjoyed that. Was glad to hear them say the words we hear at Mass every single day of the week, when Jesus says "This is my body, given up for you - take this and eat it in memory of me" but strangely...the audience was not invited to get any bread.
Score one for the Catholics - we get Jesus at every single Mass and we can go to Mass every day of the week - what a luxury that is!!
As they went through their performance I found myself missing Father John and the extreme reverence he shows for the cross during Holy Week - he brings in a HUGE rough wooden cross, carries it in on his back, then lies down completely on his face in front of it for a long time, then afterwards we are invited to touch the cross and pray. It is very powerful. K likes CONCRETE TANGIBLE ways to practice faith.K also misses Stations of the Cross, practised by Catholics every Friday before Easter - they really make a BIG DEAL about every single detail of Jesus' time on earth. OK I am supposed to be talking about True Life Fellowship - sorry...
K submitted a prayer to their prayer team on their website - that is a cool thing. All churches should offer a way for people to submit their prayer needs via internet.
They would all be hearing from K! She has a lot of things to pray about these days.
K was also happy to hear a familiar song played at the end - Holy, Holy, Holy. That reminds us that whether we are Catholic, Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, Episcopalian, whatever - we are all united in our love for Jesus and we are all brothers and sisters in God's family. That is a wonderful feeling!
but for celebrations about the Last Supper, washing feet, and getting nails on Good Friday, you'll have to go to a Catholic Church.
EASTER Sunday we will be at St. John the Apostle in Oregon City. T says Catholic can't sing but she hasn't heard Krisi Christensen - she has a beautiful voice and an even more beautiful personality. Very much looking forward to being "home" for Easter. bye for now!
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Ascension Church - March 20
T sez:
First I have to tell you that I had a long day - I paddled for one and a half hours, then went on a nine mile walk. Hopefully that will tell you my state of mind and my physical state.
I arrived at Ascension early because that's what I do - I am always early. It goes back to when I was a kid and we were going somewhere and my dad would be in the car half an hour early waiting for us...or maybe the 30 years of doing hair and when someone was late the whole day went to %^&*(#$%% !! (NOTE: She is talking about K here- ouch!!!)
So as I was sitting in my car waiting to go in I watched the parishioners arrive. Nobody seemed to be entering the church with a sense of joy and happiness to be there, it was more like "ho humnnnmm...."
When I entered the church the first thing I noticed was this beautiful glass window. It was on the south side of the church, so the sun was shining through and making the colors even more vibrant.
As I came in there were lots of parishioners standing around waiting to go into the church as I stood there waiting for K. Nobody greeted me or addressed me so I felt a bit awkward. Then all of a sudden this big presence of a man walked in - it was the priest. With the voice of a Shakespearean actor - very theatrical- he shoo-shooed the parishioners to go into the church, and then he prayed with the altar servers.
The priest was very theatrical to say the least. I felt as if I was at a play (like Tony and Tina's wedding) he was very interactive with the audience. He would ask questions and they would yell the answers back out loud. He looked a lot like Friar Tuck - I was waiting for Robin Hood and his Merry Men to enter the room at any time. To say the least it was entertaining.
About two rows in front of us sat a man who came in late - it was Freddie Mercury. He is alive! Looking a bit fuller than I remembered but healthy and looking good.
There were lots of characters at this Mass. A Vietnamese man sat next to us with his wife who dragged him around by the collar of his shirt and I mean she really dragged him around. It was kind of shocking at first glance but then I realized there was something not quite right about him. He would stare at K and me for a long time without taking his eyes off us (do you think he knew we were the Church Whores?) we just smiled back.
Oh yeah, back to the Mass. I have one question - is there not a Catholic out there who can sing?! I have been to a lot of Catholic churches in my time and never has anyone been able to sing. So any of you Catholics out there if your church has a great singer let me know.
The homily was a little confusing to me but the parishioners loved their priest and laughed at everything he said. So I felt a little empty I did not leave with any inspiring words.
OK back to the state of mind I was in and my physical state when I got there. The up - down on your knees - then up - then down on your knees again and again was a little too much for me. Then when you were down it was those hard pews that should be a sin within itself.
Well, no coffee, but the priest's entertaining way during the Mass kept me awake and waiting to see what would happen next. Don't know if I felt full for the week but there is always next week. Left there with a smile on my face because it was so entertaining - everything - the people, the priest. Remember God works in mysterious ways. God bless! and until next time...
K sez:
Ascension Church's number one feature is the priest, Father Ben Innes. He is a big man with a delightfully theatrical voice. I had to check my surroundings a few times, to make sure I was not at a Shakespeare play, or watching the opera Don Giovanni. I could totally picture Father Ben in tights and velvet, with a big regal cape. The congregation really responded to him - laughing a lot during his homily. I liked the fact that he told us he spent his recent week in San Diego smoking cigars and reading Sports Illustrated. He looks like a guy that might be fun to have dinner with.
Another interesting and unique person in attendance was Freddie Mercury's twin brother - buff, with full arm tattoes and black moustache. He really stood out in a parish of mostly elderly people. Very few children.
Alas, no mochas were offered to help us stay awake...but the Catholic church does offer a lot of sitting, standing, kneeling, and audience participation, not just singing but all the prayers we have memorized after attending Mass for years. These prayers, which are NOT written down anywhere, were very intimidating to me when I first started attending Catholic Mass. Now I can recite them along with the cradle Catholics, so I can "blend in" ha ha!
Ascension has a great cross on the altar, not the usual suffering Jesus but a happy, welcoming Jesus. The church is straight out of the 60's, minimalist lines, no embellishments. The wagon wheel design lights on the ceiling were interesting...very cushy kneelers - that was a plus!
The church offers two Spanish language Masses, and is the first church that I have seen to put "Flor y Canto" in the pews (spanish language hymnal).
Another thing I like about Catholic churches is that they often name individual people in the prayers of the faithful, so everybody knows everybody else's business (who is sick, who just died, who is having surgery). They shared names again at the end of the service, as people who took Communion to the sick and homebound announced to the entire parish who they were going to visit. I guess you could say that builds community.
T said something at the beginning of Mass that was absolutely brilliant. She said, "Why do non-Catholics come into church smiling, and Catholics always look gloomy?"
Then her very next sentence revealed the answer, although I don't think she realized it at the time. She said "do you believe when you die you go to Purgatory or staight to Heaven?"
That, my friends, is one of the big difference between Catholic Christians and other Christians.
I have actually heard priests say that salvation is not guaranteed, that we are always earning it.
Although I do prefer Catholic church, I do not agree with that philosophy. I believe it says in the Bible that if you believe in Jesus Christ you are saved. period. It also says that you cannot earn Heaven. It is given freely.
Very curious to see what other epiphanies come out of this adventure. We will be in Pacific City next weekend, Palm Sunday. Give us your ideas for a church to visit there!
thanks for reading our little blog.
First I have to tell you that I had a long day - I paddled for one and a half hours, then went on a nine mile walk. Hopefully that will tell you my state of mind and my physical state.
I arrived at Ascension early because that's what I do - I am always early. It goes back to when I was a kid and we were going somewhere and my dad would be in the car half an hour early waiting for us...or maybe the 30 years of doing hair and when someone was late the whole day went to %^&*(#$%% !! (NOTE: She is talking about K here- ouch!!!)
So as I was sitting in my car waiting to go in I watched the parishioners arrive. Nobody seemed to be entering the church with a sense of joy and happiness to be there, it was more like "ho humnnnmm...."
When I entered the church the first thing I noticed was this beautiful glass window. It was on the south side of the church, so the sun was shining through and making the colors even more vibrant.
As I came in there were lots of parishioners standing around waiting to go into the church as I stood there waiting for K. Nobody greeted me or addressed me so I felt a bit awkward. Then all of a sudden this big presence of a man walked in - it was the priest. With the voice of a Shakespearean actor - very theatrical- he shoo-shooed the parishioners to go into the church, and then he prayed with the altar servers.
The priest was very theatrical to say the least. I felt as if I was at a play (like Tony and Tina's wedding) he was very interactive with the audience. He would ask questions and they would yell the answers back out loud. He looked a lot like Friar Tuck - I was waiting for Robin Hood and his Merry Men to enter the room at any time. To say the least it was entertaining.
About two rows in front of us sat a man who came in late - it was Freddie Mercury. He is alive! Looking a bit fuller than I remembered but healthy and looking good.
There were lots of characters at this Mass. A Vietnamese man sat next to us with his wife who dragged him around by the collar of his shirt and I mean she really dragged him around. It was kind of shocking at first glance but then I realized there was something not quite right about him. He would stare at K and me for a long time without taking his eyes off us (do you think he knew we were the Church Whores?) we just smiled back.
Oh yeah, back to the Mass. I have one question - is there not a Catholic out there who can sing?! I have been to a lot of Catholic churches in my time and never has anyone been able to sing. So any of you Catholics out there if your church has a great singer let me know.
The homily was a little confusing to me but the parishioners loved their priest and laughed at everything he said. So I felt a little empty I did not leave with any inspiring words.
OK back to the state of mind I was in and my physical state when I got there. The up - down on your knees - then up - then down on your knees again and again was a little too much for me. Then when you were down it was those hard pews that should be a sin within itself.
Well, no coffee, but the priest's entertaining way during the Mass kept me awake and waiting to see what would happen next. Don't know if I felt full for the week but there is always next week. Left there with a smile on my face because it was so entertaining - everything - the people, the priest. Remember God works in mysterious ways. God bless! and until next time...
K sez:
Ascension Church's number one feature is the priest, Father Ben Innes. He is a big man with a delightfully theatrical voice. I had to check my surroundings a few times, to make sure I was not at a Shakespeare play, or watching the opera Don Giovanni. I could totally picture Father Ben in tights and velvet, with a big regal cape. The congregation really responded to him - laughing a lot during his homily. I liked the fact that he told us he spent his recent week in San Diego smoking cigars and reading Sports Illustrated. He looks like a guy that might be fun to have dinner with.
Another interesting and unique person in attendance was Freddie Mercury's twin brother - buff, with full arm tattoes and black moustache. He really stood out in a parish of mostly elderly people. Very few children.
Alas, no mochas were offered to help us stay awake...but the Catholic church does offer a lot of sitting, standing, kneeling, and audience participation, not just singing but all the prayers we have memorized after attending Mass for years. These prayers, which are NOT written down anywhere, were very intimidating to me when I first started attending Catholic Mass. Now I can recite them along with the cradle Catholics, so I can "blend in" ha ha!
Ascension has a great cross on the altar, not the usual suffering Jesus but a happy, welcoming Jesus. The church is straight out of the 60's, minimalist lines, no embellishments. The wagon wheel design lights on the ceiling were interesting...very cushy kneelers - that was a plus!
The church offers two Spanish language Masses, and is the first church that I have seen to put "Flor y Canto" in the pews (spanish language hymnal).
Another thing I like about Catholic churches is that they often name individual people in the prayers of the faithful, so everybody knows everybody else's business (who is sick, who just died, who is having surgery). They shared names again at the end of the service, as people who took Communion to the sick and homebound announced to the entire parish who they were going to visit. I guess you could say that builds community.
T said something at the beginning of Mass that was absolutely brilliant. She said, "Why do non-Catholics come into church smiling, and Catholics always look gloomy?"
Then her very next sentence revealed the answer, although I don't think she realized it at the time. She said "do you believe when you die you go to Purgatory or staight to Heaven?"
That, my friends, is one of the big difference between Catholic Christians and other Christians.
I have actually heard priests say that salvation is not guaranteed, that we are always earning it.
Although I do prefer Catholic church, I do not agree with that philosophy. I believe it says in the Bible that if you believe in Jesus Christ you are saved. period. It also says that you cannot earn Heaven. It is given freely.
Very curious to see what other epiphanies come out of this adventure. We will be in Pacific City next weekend, Palm Sunday. Give us your ideas for a church to visit there!
thanks for reading our little blog.
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