Monday, September 29, 2008

First Unitarian Universalist

September 28, 2008 10:30 am
First Unitarian Universalist, 608 Wellington Cresc. Winnipeg
Reverend Frances Dearman

Hokay, so third church in and I'm already branching away from the mainstream Christian churches. For those of you who don't know, Unitarian Universalists are a liberal, 'non-credal' (nobody is expected to follow any particular creed) religion that is open to basically anyone. There are Christian Unitarians just as there are atheist Unitarians. They believe that every person has inherent worth and dignity and has the freedom to search for their own personal truth in whatever manner they chose.

I was welcomed on my way in by a greeter who invited me to sign the guest book and gave me a name-tag, which hasn't happened before. I said 'hi' to a few more people on my way in. The sanctuary is smaller in terms of floor space but big on ceiling, which does their extremely capable choir well. There are stackable (yet comfortable) chairs in lieu of pews. The church is built onto the side of a period home, which is used for offices, youth rooms, meeting rooms and lounges.

An African-sounding tune was played through the speakers to signify the beginning of the service, after which there were announcements. One particularly tall youth made a cheerful, funny announcement about an upcoming young adult group. There was a bit of confusion between the choir, chalice-lighter and Reverend but it all got sorted out lightheartedly. The service was fairly traditional; I would liken it heavily to worship in my home United Church except for the fact that I don't remember hearing the word "God" once. The service was heavily themed on togetherness, peace and harmony with life.

I found Reverend Fran Dearman's sermon a bit confusing. She spoke very well, but basically it was the story of arctic birds and their migratory patterns (every time she said "migratory birds" the Monty Python crew started dancing in my head). She attempted a few times to tie the story of the birds into our own personal migrations but I didn't really get where she was going. She ended with a heartfelt plea to aid in the restoration of wetland ecosystems. A nicely spoken sermon, but I think I somehow missed the point.

After the service a fair portion of the chairs were cleared away and coffee (fair trade) and snacks were served. By my estimate about two-thirds of the 200-some congretation present stayed for coffee. I managed to speak to quite a few people (though I personally know a number of people at this church). I definitely enjoyed myself at the Unitarian Universalist Church, and I certainly agree with the vast majority of their beliefs. It wouldn't meet my Christian worship needs as a regular church, but I would certainly go back if I'm ever in the mood for an uplifting, supportive service.

http://uuwinnipeg.mb.ca/index.shtml

Sunday, September 21, 2008

St. James Lutheran

September 21, 2008 11:00 am
St. James Lutheran, 871 Cavalier Dr. Winnipeg
Reverend Rod Buck

This one was literally a pick out of a hat. I wanted to go to a church in St. James, and this one looked neat. I'd never been to a Lutheran church before and wasn't quite sure what to expect.

The building is situated nicely in a picturesque residential area, with a nice big parking lot. It's fairly small inside, capacity at around 300 people. I'd estimate there was just under half that in attendance. The sanctuary had candles already burning, the names of the apostles hanging from the rafters and standard-issue wooden pews. There was a pair of greeters at the door who introduced themselves, which was nice. A small (primarily elderly) choir was singing in the rear loft prior to the service, accompanied by a proficient organist.

The service followed a setting in the hymnal, with lots of songs and call/response readings. Reverend Rod Buck was a large, jolly-looking man with a most excellent mustache and a big, friendly smile. His voice projected great, however there were lots (about 6) of really, really noisy kids who seemed intent on drowning him and the scripture readers out with crinkling, squealing and screaming. If there was a single thing I had to complain about, it was the kids. Sure, kids are great in a church service. But when it gets to the point where I can't hear the Reverend who is speaking into a MICROPHONE, it's a sign that things are a bit out of hand.

Reverend Buck delivered one of the best sermons I've ever heard. He's an animated, engaging and passionate speaker. The sermon was about the concept of fairness in the Bible, particularly as taught by Jesus in Matthew 20:1-16. He spoke about how God isn't necessarily "fair," but is rather just and loving and above all, gracious. Many people in our society feel that God "owes them," but in fact the opposite is true, says Rev. Buck. Everyone is equal in God's eyes, whether they've been going to church for decades or turn to God minutes before death. As Rev. Buck put it, "there's room in heaven for everyone. Everyone!" It was the first sermon in a while where I actually found myself hanging off of the speaker's words.

There was communion during the service, and a note in the bulletin requesting that those who aren't Lutheran or aren't sure if they agree with the beliefs of the church should not come forwards for communion. Not a situation I'm familiar with (the United Church allows anybody to take communion), but each to their own. I took no offense, especially since it seemed like a very solemn ritual in this Lutheran church.

After the service there was a glut getting out of the church, because it seemed like it was expected that you greet Rev. Buck and share a few words. I thought this was great and chatted with the Rev. (he asked me to come back anytime, I thanked him for the great service), but it made mulling about and chatting in the lobby rather difficult because that meant waiting for everybody to get out of the sanctuary.

All in all I had an extremely positive experience at St. James Lutheran Church, and I wouldn't hesitate to go back and worship there again. Whether you're Lutheran or not, if you're looking for a great sermon-speaker head on over and check Rev. Buck out.

Till next time,
-Brock
http://members.shaw.ca/sjlc/

Sunday, September 7, 2008

Bethesda Church

September 7 2008 10:00 a.m.
Bethesda Chuch 1350 Grant Ave. Winnipeg
"Nondenominational Evangelical"
Pastor Mark Wilcoxson

So my little project is off and running with this first (rather successful) church visit! Bethesda is a little Church in River Heights, known for the often quirky messages on its sign. What was remarkable from the get-go was how friendly everybody was! I literally had three introductions before I was through the (tiny) lobby, and once inside the sanctuary I found myself embroiled in a number of full-fledged conversations. I have never experienced such a warm welcome to a church, and I certainly hope to go back sometime.

The service itself was quite nice. The sanctuary was about 3/4 full with a pleasant mix of older and younger people. Their musical offering consisted of a pianist, guitarist and two singers, all aided by lyrics projected onto the front of the sanctuary. The music certainly wasn't traditional hymns but was still meaningful and beautifully done. There was a presentation in the middle about an "Experiencing God" study which flew completely over my head, but soon afterward Pastor Mark took the stage and brought things back on track.

Pastor Mark was an engaging, active speaker. The sermon was about knowing a "real and personal" God, and how the God of the Old Testament can be connected to Jesus. Pastor Mark spoke for quite awhile but he kept it very interesting and the pace was breakneck. He had a way with his inflection that drew you in and really brought you to a happy, warm conclusion as he finished a point.

After the service I met many more people, had a conversation about other churches to visit (and tennis) and was invited by three different people to join them for lunch downstairs (I really wanted to, but I had to go). Pastor Mark cordially shook my hand as I left and implored me to come back sometime - what a friendly guy!

All in all this was a wonderful "first church" experience. I was particularly excited because of the contrast between this and my old church: the point of my little experiment is, after all, to have new church experiences. I would certainly go back to Bethesda church, if not simply because the people there are fantastic.

Hope you tune in next time!
Best,
-Brock

LINK: http://www.bethesdachurch.ca/