Hidden behind curtains of green foliage is a historic stone church with stained glass windows and two large wooden doors on each end of its front side. Inside the church is mainly congruent with the preconceived western idea of what a church should look like - rows of pews each containing hymnals and bibles and which lead up to an altar with a raised pulpit, behind which sits an organ. Additionally there was a grand piano to the front left side of the altar, and in the back corners of each side an American flag and a flag with the symbol of a cross in its top left corner.
I came a little early and took a seat near the front, feeling a little underdressed with my simple button down shirt and khakis while many there were in suit and tie. I was wished good morning by two people who, unknown to me at the time, would be the people who I would later talk to about the beliefs of the Presbyterians after the service. The service seemed somewhat empty, although I was informed that the contemporary and later traditional service at 11 were always better attended.
After some announcements, the service officially began with a morning greeting, or the "Passing of the Peace" between members of the congregation in which everyone stood up and went around to the people nearest them to wish them peace and a good morning. There was then organ music and a reading out of the bulletin which affirmed the congregations thanksgiving to God and their willingness to worship.
This was followed by the hymn "This is My Father's World" which I was unfamiliar with but which carried me away with its simple but powerful melody. It has many references to the beauty of God's creation, our place in it, and His relationship with it as exemplified by some of the following lyrics: "He trusts us with this world, to keep it fair and clean - all earth and trees and skies and seas, all creatures everywhere," and "in the rustling grass I hear him pass, he speaks to me everywhere."
After the hymn was the "Prayer of Confession and Silent Prayer" in which the congregation confesses their limitations and asks for God's forgiveness, which is followed by an assurance of pardon. This is somewhat different from my experience in the Catholic tradition where, although an act of contrition is recited during the mass, the sacrament of reconciliation in which one's sins are spoken to a priest is also expected of the parishioners to be performed, preferably at the frequency of one time per month.
After a reading from Micah 6:8 was the Gloria which was a sung "Glory Be" followed by the Apostle's Creed, common to most all Christians. After this were readings from Job 2 and 1 Samuel 24:80. Matthew 5: 38-48, a part of the sermon on the mount, was also read and then referred to during the homily. The pastor giving the homily focused on Jesus' calling to become disciples by "manning up" and having courage to do what we are called to do, even at our own expense. This related to Job's continued faith, even in the presence of great loss, and David's choice to spare Saul's life, even though Saul was after David's own life. The preacher also mentioned that as Presbyterians there is a belief in original sin and that that and all sin and evil is a separation from God.
After was an offeratory with music performed by the organist on the piano and a young music major who accompanied with the trumpet. It was a beautifully done rendition of "Be Thou My Vision/My Shepherd Will Supply My Need."
After this were more announcements, another hymn, a recitation of the Our Father (I had to remember to say debts and debtors instead of trespasses and trespassers) and a benediction.
The service ended and I was able to talk to a friendly man named Don who then introduced me to the interim pastor, Rev. Mark Medina, who had not participated in the liturgy that day but who, with Don, was one of the men who had wished me a good morning prior to the service. I explained my project of visiting different places of worship each week and asked if he could describe what sets the Presbyterians apart from other denominations.
He began by pointing out that the most important beliefs of the Presbyterian Church was also that which other Christians held to be true - a belief in scripture, in the Trinity, and in a church and a coming together to worship. A major difference was that each congregation elects their own people to serve, the basis of this thinking coming from the Book of Acts. This means that the church is a polity and includes everyone in the congregation. This was true throughout the service as three different people lead the beginning, middle, and end of the service.
There are also only 2 sacraments - baptism and communion. Baptism can be performed on infants - in other words Presbyterians are not Anabaptists who wait until one is old enough to decide if they want baptism or not. Thus, they honor parents wishes to have their children be inducted into the church community through this sacrament.
Communion is performed once a month with bread and grape juice. It is also performed unanimously among Presbyterians on World Communion Sunday, which is always the first Sunday of October. During the traditional service there many also be intinction, which is the dipping of the bread into the juice before serving.
Another bit of interesting historical information was that the namesake of Chambersburg, Colonel Benjamin Chambers, was buried with his wife Jane Chambers in the cemetery behind the church and had donated the land on which the church had been built.
The Presbyterian Church traces its roots back to the Reformation and to the geographical locations of Scotland and Ireland - perhaps that is why I heard the song "Be Thou My Vision" which, although a popular hymn among many Christian circles, is in fact an ancient Irish hymn, during the service. Being Irish myself I am now more interested to learn more of its history and how the Presbyterians formed and came to America. The following sign outside the church gives some rudimentary information concerning this.
Overall, I had a fulfilling time at this church. The minister I talked to was kind and knowledgeable and later in our talk asked me to come to the contemporary service. Although I declined for today, I will definitely be going back at a later time to learn more and experience the liturgy performed with a different and modern take. It was also fun to find out that he knew all about Lend a Hand and the Stony Point Retreat Center and its directors, not to mention the college where he directed me to seek out the college minister there, which I also plan to do.
Before ending this post I'd like to point out a reminder that my experiences will only scratch the tip of the iceberg in looking at different beliefs and, although I have done my best to reproduce what I have learned and have been told, that if you seek the truth you must go to its source. Additionally I will generally only have time to visit one place of worship per the type of religion or denomination that I am exploring and so remind myself and any readers that these experiences are just one look at much more complex and intricate structures in which there is room for fluctuation of beliefs down to the level of the individual. It is my hope and belief, however, that this posting is a genuine look and partial introduction to the Presbyterian Church.
Next I will be visiting a Jewish temple in town that describes itself as "honoring the ideals of a Liberal Judaism" on Friday evening for a Shabbat service. Please check back for an interesting look at Jewish faith and tradition!
This will be a very interesting blog! I look forward to reading future entries. I didn't know you were such a good writer.
ReplyDeleteAs a Presbyterian, many of what you mentioned is very familiar to me. "This is My Father's World" has always seemed like a major hymn to me. It always seemed to me like a song that most Christians would know, but perhaps it is more specific to my denomination than I thought. Do you know if this church was Presbyterian Church USA or Presbyterian Church of America? They are actually two different denominations. My church is PCUSA, the more liberal of the two branches. In recent years, my church has moved away from using gender to describe God (ex. saying "Parent" instead of "Father," but we still say "Father" except in established recitations, like the Lord's Prayer and this hymn).
-Jordan
It was Presbyterian of U.S.A, which is also what the Stony Point Retreat Center is affiliated with. That is very interesting that PCUSA is moving away from using gender. I have also heard of churches starting to use feminine pronouns to describe God. I know that one of the words used in the Old Testament to describe God was a word that is also used to describe Eve and that it was used when Israel was in times of crisis and needed God to be their hero to rescue them. I have also always thought of the term "Mother Earth" as encompassing the feminine aspects of God, like fertility and a nurturing demeanor. And I have never heard "This is My Father's World" in a Catholic mass but maybe it is more prevalent in Protestant services. I really enjoyed it though. Thanks for the comments!
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