If you are visiting for the first time, what can you expect when you come to a service of worship on Sunday morning?
There is no parking lot, so you will need to park on the street. You can either park on Euclid Avenue or Poplar Street (which is a one way street). Please observe all signs, especially if there is snow. In the event of snow, unfortunately, it may be necessary to park a block away or around the corner.
You will come in the front door on Euclid Avenue and enter the “narthex.” The church has an old but beautiful interior. You will see a large Celtic cross on the far wall. Pick up a bulletin on your way in— you will need it— and sit anywhere you please. You may sit in the back if you would like, but do not be afraid to sit in the front either. If you are late, do not hesitate to come and sit down. You will notice that others are also late. As people gather, you will see that this is not a large congregation. We are also streaming on Facebook Live and zoom. You will also notice that the people who come are of different ages, genders, cultures, and backgrounds. Though the service is structured, the atmosphere is intimate and informal, relaxed and not pushy. Just be yourself. If it is uncomfortable to stand when others are standing, feel free to sit. If you need to leave early, feel free to do so, but if possible stay so everyone can at least greet you.
The bathrooms are downstairs. You have to walk through the large school room underneath the sanctuary and go through the door to the right of the fireplace. There you will find the men’s and women’s bathrooms.
During the service you will need to follow the bulletin. Someone can help you, but if you have trouble, don’t worry. You may miss the responses, but the hymns will be announced and you can just follow what everyone else is doing. If you come a few times, you will get used to using the bulletin.
Do not expect a big band. Every other week we have the blessing of the accompaniment of a piano and flute. The pastor plays on his guitar every week. We sing a mixture of traditional hymns and new music as well. Some may be unfamiliar to you, but this is how we learn new tunes. You will find that usually the tunes are simple. Sometimes someone will make a special offering of music, but otherwise the singing is congregational. We do not have a choir. Singing is offered to the Lord. Some songs are meditative and spoken to oneself. Pay attention to the words. If you are moved to tears, let the tears flow. Hymns and songs are meant to connect us to God as we praise and give thanks.
Be prepared for an expository (teaching) sermon that explains and applies the text from the Gospel. Some people would say that the pastor does not “preach,” he teaches. In any case, the messages are not moralistic nor spoken from the moral high ground but are meant to bring forth the living Christ so that He can be apprehended spiritually. If you do not understand some things, you are in good company. Struggle; let your mind be challenged; be patient; but most of all, let your heart be open to Christ. Let God speak to your innermost being, not just your mind. If on that level you are touched, that is enough.
Money is collected following the preaching. If you are a visitor, do not feel obligated to put anything in the plate when it is passed around! The collection of money is an offering; that is, it is an act of worship in which we offer to God ourselves first and our possessions second. Our money represents our labor and the time it took for us to earn it. We give it back to God. It thus symbolizes the offering of ourselves and our whole week to the Lord. It encourages us to plan ahead and to offer to God a specific proportion of our income, something we have thought and prayed about, and not something that we end up doing on the last moment.
We have the Lord’s Supper the first Sunday of the month. If you are a baptized Christian, no matter what your denomination (if you have one)— Baptist, Episcopalian, Methodist, Pentecostal, Roman Catholic, you name it—if you believe in Christ and your faith is sincere, you may partake of the Lord’s Supper with us. Normally we signify our seriousness about Christ by being baptized, but this step is not to be undertaken lightly. If for the first time, after you hear the Gospel, you believe in Christ and want Him to be your Savior and to commit to Him as your Lord, please speak to the pastor afterwards. In any case, the bread and the wine (it is actually grape juice) are distributed to you in your seat, unless the pastor calls everyone to gather around the table. Hold onto your piece of bread and your little cup and eat and drink when the pastor gives the signal (when he eats his bread and drinks from the chalice). If you forget, don’t worry.
If there is an open time of prayer in which everyone may offer prayers, you too may participate. During this time we pray as one person: therefore our prayers should be directed towards God and not others; they do not need a special introduction or conclusion; and do not abuse your prayer as an opportunity to preach to others or criticize the preaching (there is another time for that) or to complain about your life or the world. Also, keep your prayer relatively short. It is not a repetition of your personal prayer at home but a time to share special prayer requests with others. Matters that are pressing or weighing on you and matters concerning your family or loved ones are matters of common interest, but not the whole “laundry list.”
We end the service by receiving the commission and the blessing from the pastor. People greet one another in different ways. So just be yourself. Time of refreshments and fellowship is suspended for now because of the pandemic.
We exist to serve our neighborhood by opening our doors to provide spiritual, moral, and emotional support so that our community will become a place of safety, friendship, peace, and healing.