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.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
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.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
March 14 - Good Shepherd Community Church, Boring, Oregon
T sez:
The church was very modern and very well maintained. It was comfortable - the chairs in the worship area were very comfortable - you forgot you were even at church (I am used to hard wooden pews and the older I get the harder they get!)
They had a little coffee shop where before the service you could get coffee and bring it into the service (bonus!) and if you are visiting for the first time it's free coffee for you - anything you want - I had a mocha - it was really good.
Their music and singers were really good. They have two screens up with the words of the songs so you can sing along. They had people playing guitars, drums, horns, piano and great singers - it was very moving. For me, I could have done with a little less music and more preaching.
The people of the church are very friendly but not over the top friendly - I felt very comfortable there - their attire is casual which I love.
The sermon was great - he really helped you understand what is written in the passage of that day and was very interesting- he gave you another way to think about it. The passage was about Slaves and Masters and that we should treat everybody like they are Jesus. That is a good way to live!
Really liked the minister - he was young and had a lot of good energy. I had been there before and the other minister was the same but he was funnier and we laughed a lot.
Ethnic mix? not much.
Overall I really liked the church and felt very comfortable and that is important to me. I don't want to feel like I came to someone's house uninvited and they are like, "what are you doing here?" and making me feel out of place. So, for me, this was a very good experience.
K sez:
The free mocha for visitors is definitely a plus. I can live without being able to drink coffee during church, though, that should not be such a big deal.
I missed the concrete things that we get at a Catholic church - holy water at the entrance, communion (which I consider my dosage of "vitamin J"), participating in the service more (with the prayers we recite together).
I was surprised to see that the words of their songs matched a lot of the songs we sing every Sunday at a Catholic church. And they were really promoting a Sunday evening "communion" which sure sounded a lot like Adoration to me. Hmm....
I do not like reading words off of a screen - I need a book with musical notes so I know how the song is supposed to sound. So it was hard for me to sing along. And the volume of the guitars, drums, trumpets, trombones and synthesizers kinda drowned out the sound of people's voices.
The people dressed well - and the parking lot was packed although the hall was not - we wondered where all those people were. The church seems to have a lot of extra programs to offer people - not just Bible studies but groups for grieving people, groups for separated and divorce people, basketball games for the guys. It seemed to give people a lot more ways to connect than just go to church on Sunday.
I was VERY surprised to find that this church only read five verses from the Bible. Non-Catholics always criticize our church by saying that we don't read the Bible but every Sunday we read a big chunk of the Old Testament, another big chunk out of one of Paul's letters, then a third big passage from the Gospel. How can it be that there is more Bible reading going on at the Catholic church than a "bible-based church?"
The things I liked best about this church were, hands down, the delicious mocha and the super comfortable padded chairs instead of pews. Catholic churches take note! Would it kill us to cushion the seats a little? There is one church in Central Oregon, LaPine, maybe? can't remember. Anyway - they had padded pews and it was awesome.
The church was very modern and very well maintained. It was comfortable - the chairs in the worship area were very comfortable - you forgot you were even at church (I am used to hard wooden pews and the older I get the harder they get!)
They had a little coffee shop where before the service you could get coffee and bring it into the service (bonus!) and if you are visiting for the first time it's free coffee for you - anything you want - I had a mocha - it was really good.
Their music and singers were really good. They have two screens up with the words of the songs so you can sing along. They had people playing guitars, drums, horns, piano and great singers - it was very moving. For me, I could have done with a little less music and more preaching.
The people of the church are very friendly but not over the top friendly - I felt very comfortable there - their attire is casual which I love.
The sermon was great - he really helped you understand what is written in the passage of that day and was very interesting- he gave you another way to think about it. The passage was about Slaves and Masters and that we should treat everybody like they are Jesus. That is a good way to live!
Really liked the minister - he was young and had a lot of good energy. I had been there before and the other minister was the same but he was funnier and we laughed a lot.
Ethnic mix? not much.
Overall I really liked the church and felt very comfortable and that is important to me. I don't want to feel like I came to someone's house uninvited and they are like, "what are you doing here?" and making me feel out of place. So, for me, this was a very good experience.
K sez:
The free mocha for visitors is definitely a plus. I can live without being able to drink coffee during church, though, that should not be such a big deal.
I missed the concrete things that we get at a Catholic church - holy water at the entrance, communion (which I consider my dosage of "vitamin J"), participating in the service more (with the prayers we recite together).
I was surprised to see that the words of their songs matched a lot of the songs we sing every Sunday at a Catholic church. And they were really promoting a Sunday evening "communion" which sure sounded a lot like Adoration to me. Hmm....
I do not like reading words off of a screen - I need a book with musical notes so I know how the song is supposed to sound. So it was hard for me to sing along. And the volume of the guitars, drums, trumpets, trombones and synthesizers kinda drowned out the sound of people's voices.
The people dressed well - and the parking lot was packed although the hall was not - we wondered where all those people were. The church seems to have a lot of extra programs to offer people - not just Bible studies but groups for grieving people, groups for separated and divorce people, basketball games for the guys. It seemed to give people a lot more ways to connect than just go to church on Sunday.
I was VERY surprised to find that this church only read five verses from the Bible. Non-Catholics always criticize our church by saying that we don't read the Bible but every Sunday we read a big chunk of the Old Testament, another big chunk out of one of Paul's letters, then a third big passage from the Gospel. How can it be that there is more Bible reading going on at the Catholic church than a "bible-based church?"
The things I liked best about this church were, hands down, the delicious mocha and the super comfortable padded chairs instead of pews. Catholic churches take note! Would it kill us to cushion the seats a little? There is one church in Central Oregon, LaPine, maybe? can't remember. Anyway - they had padded pews and it was awesome.
Monday, March 15, 2010
How K became a PDX Church Hopper
I grew up going to Presbyterian Church. My fond memories of those days included my father making us shine our shoes before we left, enjoying pink and white animal cookies at Sunday School, and always a trip to Dunkin Donuts for my favorite, chocolate honey glazed! Good times.
My parents broke up when I was thirteen and we did not attend church as a family. When I went to high school, some of my girlfriends went to a church called Trinity Covenant so I started going with them. I have good memories there too, the youth group was really active and we enjoyed campouts, dressing up to go have dinner together, and just generally goofing off as a group. The boys were kinda dorky but nice.
Did not go to church at all when I was in college. Lived overseas for a while then came home and stayed with my mom in Portland. She was attending mostly Black churches in North Portland at the time so I went along with her. They all had really long names, like Alberta Street Filled with the Holy Spirit Church of God in Christ. But the music was PHENOMENAL! And you could not fall asleep, there was too much jumping up and down, fat ladies with fancy hats fanning themselves and yelling out "hallelujah!" all the time. And the BEST fried chicken you ever tasted down in the basement afterwards. It was a lot of fun, but I definitely felt like a foreigner. I mean, my mom and I are tan, but we felt pretty light skinned in that crowd.
Fast forward to about ten years later, I am now married with a two year old son and although I have not been inside a church for years, I knew that it was my duty to get him baptized. But where? Nobody in my family was going to church at the time. My husband had never gone to church in his life. I guess the options were wide open, but that also made it hard to choose.
The deciding factor was that one day my husband announced that he wanted our son to attend Catholic school. What the heck?!! was my first reaction. But he told me that he had lived with a foster family for one year of his life and had attended Regis High School (in Stayton). He said it was a really good experience, and he wanted an education like that for our son. Way to wait until our child is two years old before sharing that important piece of information with me!
I wasn't about to turn my poor son loose in some goofy Catholic school until I learned more about what those Catholics were all about. I didn't know anything about Catholicism, my mom had one friend who was Catholic and that was about it. So I went down to the Catholic church in our neighborhood and said that I wanted to learn more about the Catholic church. Can you believe they signed me up for RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults)?! I had just told them that I wanted to learn more about their church, not that I wanted to become Catholic myself! But after attending the weekly classes, I soon learned that Catholic was not that different than the other churches I went to. In fact, Catholic was like Christian times ten. So I stayed, and got confirmed at the Easter Vigil. I was so grateful that my dad had the good sense to baptize me as a baby, so I didn't have to suffer the full body dunk in front of everybody!!
So, unlike my dear friend T, I CHOSE the Catholic Church and I LOVE it! I have enjoyed so many blessings because of being Catholic and have met so many wonderful faith-filled people. Heck, I met T at the Catholic Church for crying out loud! So when T told me she wanted to explore churches, I said, sure, I'll come along. Even the Pope says that all Christians belong to Jesus, NOT just Catholics. But let me make my position 100% clear - I love the Catholic Church and have no complaints about it at all. My prayer is that this journey will bring my dear friend T right back home and she will see that Catholics are doing it right.
My parents broke up when I was thirteen and we did not attend church as a family. When I went to high school, some of my girlfriends went to a church called Trinity Covenant so I started going with them. I have good memories there too, the youth group was really active and we enjoyed campouts, dressing up to go have dinner together, and just generally goofing off as a group. The boys were kinda dorky but nice.
Did not go to church at all when I was in college. Lived overseas for a while then came home and stayed with my mom in Portland. She was attending mostly Black churches in North Portland at the time so I went along with her. They all had really long names, like Alberta Street Filled with the Holy Spirit Church of God in Christ. But the music was PHENOMENAL! And you could not fall asleep, there was too much jumping up and down, fat ladies with fancy hats fanning themselves and yelling out "hallelujah!" all the time. And the BEST fried chicken you ever tasted down in the basement afterwards. It was a lot of fun, but I definitely felt like a foreigner. I mean, my mom and I are tan, but we felt pretty light skinned in that crowd.
Fast forward to about ten years later, I am now married with a two year old son and although I have not been inside a church for years, I knew that it was my duty to get him baptized. But where? Nobody in my family was going to church at the time. My husband had never gone to church in his life. I guess the options were wide open, but that also made it hard to choose.
The deciding factor was that one day my husband announced that he wanted our son to attend Catholic school. What the heck?!! was my first reaction. But he told me that he had lived with a foster family for one year of his life and had attended Regis High School (in Stayton). He said it was a really good experience, and he wanted an education like that for our son. Way to wait until our child is two years old before sharing that important piece of information with me!
I wasn't about to turn my poor son loose in some goofy Catholic school until I learned more about what those Catholics were all about. I didn't know anything about Catholicism, my mom had one friend who was Catholic and that was about it. So I went down to the Catholic church in our neighborhood and said that I wanted to learn more about the Catholic church. Can you believe they signed me up for RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults)?! I had just told them that I wanted to learn more about their church, not that I wanted to become Catholic myself! But after attending the weekly classes, I soon learned that Catholic was not that different than the other churches I went to. In fact, Catholic was like Christian times ten. So I stayed, and got confirmed at the Easter Vigil. I was so grateful that my dad had the good sense to baptize me as a baby, so I didn't have to suffer the full body dunk in front of everybody!!
So, unlike my dear friend T, I CHOSE the Catholic Church and I LOVE it! I have enjoyed so many blessings because of being Catholic and have met so many wonderful faith-filled people. Heck, I met T at the Catholic Church for crying out loud! So when T told me she wanted to explore churches, I said, sure, I'll come along. Even the Pope says that all Christians belong to Jesus, NOT just Catholics. But let me make my position 100% clear - I love the Catholic Church and have no complaints about it at all. My prayer is that this journey will bring my dear friend T right back home and she will see that Catholics are doing it right.
Where will the PDX Church Hoppers go next Sunday?
We will be at Ascension Catholic Church, which is located at 7507 SE Yamhill Street in Portland.
Mass times are Saturday at 5pm, Saturday at 7pm in Spanish, Sunday at 8:30am, Sunday at 10:30am and Sunday at 12:30pm in Spanish.
Interesting fact - the last name of the parochical vicar at Ascension is Gosselin - not a very common name. Is he a distant relative of the famous Jon and Kate Gosselin? We will find out!
Mass times are Saturday at 5pm, Saturday at 7pm in Spanish, Sunday at 8:30am, Sunday at 10:30am and Sunday at 12:30pm in Spanish.
Interesting fact - the last name of the parochical vicar at Ascension is Gosselin - not a very common name. Is he a distant relative of the famous Jon and Kate Gosselin? We will find out!
Where did the name PDX Church Whores come from?
T paddles with a Dragon Boat Team. In order to compete - each boat must have a minimum number of paddlers. If a boat is short a paddler or two they borrow paddlers from the other teams. These volunteer replacement paddlers are jokingly referred to as "paddle whores."
T also pointed out that one of Jesus' most devoted followers was a former whore, Mary Magdalene (who is now a Saint).
And you thought it was going to be a blog about sexual escapades at church! You can read the newspaper any day of the week for that kind of crap...
T also pointed out that one of Jesus' most devoted followers was a former whore, Mary Magdalene (who is now a Saint).
And you thought it was going to be a blog about sexual escapades at church! You can read the newspaper any day of the week for that kind of crap...
How T Became a PDX Church Hopper
It all started about 50 years ago, give or take a few months.
I was baptized in the Catholic faith. That is when I officially became a Cradle Catholic.
I did all the sacraments, not ever really understanding why and what they meant. I was content with the Catholic faith and didn't know any different - so I stayed.
I was married in the Church and then had two children - two girls. I raised them in the church like I was and they attended Catholic grade school and high school. When my oldest was making her first Reconcilliation I began to question why we did all the things we did - all the rituals, communion, confession. At this point pretty much everything was done. So I headed off to the Grotto to find a book that answered these questions. I always wanted a deeper relationship with Jesus and felt something was missing.
Then, in 2005, I became ill, and for the next 5 years I was on a healing journey, not only physically but spiritually. My physical journey has been a long one, but fulfilling. I seek out every kind of physical healing I can, with naturopathic doctors, chiropractors, acupuncturists, support groups. I have done cleanses, I have juiced, I have pretty much changed my whole diet and exercise and now feel very strong and healthy physically.
So now I am on my spiritual journey which has been going on for my entire life. I just felt like something was missing, so I want to experience other Christian churches to see what they have to offer me in my healing journey, and to help fill that void, or in the end, will it take me back home to my Catholic faith with a deeper understanding?
I was baptized in the Catholic faith. That is when I officially became a Cradle Catholic.
I did all the sacraments, not ever really understanding why and what they meant. I was content with the Catholic faith and didn't know any different - so I stayed.
I was married in the Church and then had two children - two girls. I raised them in the church like I was and they attended Catholic grade school and high school. When my oldest was making her first Reconcilliation I began to question why we did all the things we did - all the rituals, communion, confession. At this point pretty much everything was done. So I headed off to the Grotto to find a book that answered these questions. I always wanted a deeper relationship with Jesus and felt something was missing.
Then, in 2005, I became ill, and for the next 5 years I was on a healing journey, not only physically but spiritually. My physical journey has been a long one, but fulfilling. I seek out every kind of physical healing I can, with naturopathic doctors, chiropractors, acupuncturists, support groups. I have done cleanses, I have juiced, I have pretty much changed my whole diet and exercise and now feel very strong and healthy physically.
So now I am on my spiritual journey which has been going on for my entire life. I just felt like something was missing, so I want to experience other Christian churches to see what they have to offer me in my healing journey, and to help fill that void, or in the end, will it take me back home to my Catholic faith with a deeper understanding?
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Introduction
Welcome to PDX Church Whores!
This is the story of two women who live in Metro area Portland, Oregon.
T is a cradle Catholic, KC converted to Catholicism 13 years ago.
T has been married to the same man for twenty years. K is currently married to her second husband. T is the mother of two girls - KC is the mother of two boys.
Join them on their journey exploring a different church each Sunday - you can recommend churches for them to visit as well!
Our first post will be to share with you our reasons for taking our tour of churches and starting our blog. Thanks for riding along with us!
This is the story of two women who live in Metro area Portland, Oregon.
T is a cradle Catholic, KC converted to Catholicism 13 years ago.
T has been married to the same man for twenty years. K is currently married to her second husband. T is the mother of two girls - KC is the mother of two boys.
Join them on their journey exploring a different church each Sunday - you can recommend churches for them to visit as well!
Our first post will be to share with you our reasons for taking our tour of churches and starting our blog. Thanks for riding along with us!
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