This morning I went back to visit with my new friends at The Falls Church Episcopal - a temporary community for me as I soujourn until my next ministry post begins. There were several visitors there today. Some were from local churches that had donated or loaned items for worship: a lectern, chalices, Bibles, Hymnals, Prayer Books, paschal candle, an Episcopal flag. Some were there because...well, just because they wanted to be supportive or see what was going on. Two guests were from as far away as Boston and Atlanta and one man, who is a member of a neighboring Episcopal church lived across the street!
Today was Trinity Sunday - a day that is always a challenge for preachers as we try to explain the unexplainable. The interim priest , Michael Pipkin, did a bang-up job though as he focused his sermon on how the Trinity is a way of understanding God - not intellectually, but experientially and relationally. I won't do it justice here so I won't try. Just suffice it to say that the sermon was apropo given the goings-on there today:
The donated and loaned items were blessed - prayed over by the congregation using words of thanks and gratitude. There continues to be a spirit of tremendous hospitality, warmth, and thanksgiving for this remnant church.
They had an indoor picnic (rained all day) after the service - yummy bar-b-que - which was shared with the visitors and members of the Falls Church Presbyterian, their hosts.
It's very Jesus-like, don't you think: where guest becomes host?
It feels to me like how church should feel.
My favorite moment: the man who stood up to read the first lesson (from Isaiah) was holding his bottle-toting toddler in his arms as he read the scripture.
My other favorite part: they aren't just keeping to themselves. They have reached out and established connections with so many other churches in the area and also had a table set up at their local Memorial Day Community celebration - with a picture in the local paper of elder-member Jesse Thackrey (scroll down the linked page to see the photo). BTW - Jesse has been a member of The Falls Church since 1941!
To read more about my sojourn with this group take a look at Episcopal Cafe - The Daily Episcopalian - where I tell about worshipping with them last Sunday on Pentecost.
Today was Trinity Sunday - a day that is always a challenge for preachers as we try to explain the unexplainable. The interim priest , Michael Pipkin, did a bang-up job though as he focused his sermon on how the Trinity is a way of understanding God - not intellectually, but experientially and relationally. I won't do it justice here so I won't try. Just suffice it to say that the sermon was apropo given the goings-on there today:
The donated and loaned items were blessed - prayed over by the congregation using words of thanks and gratitude. There continues to be a spirit of tremendous hospitality, warmth, and thanksgiving for this remnant church.
They had an indoor picnic (rained all day) after the service - yummy bar-b-que - which was shared with the visitors and members of the Falls Church Presbyterian, their hosts.
It's very Jesus-like, don't you think: where guest becomes host?
It feels to me like how church should feel.
My favorite moment: the man who stood up to read the first lesson (from Isaiah) was holding his bottle-toting toddler in his arms as he read the scripture.
My other favorite part: they aren't just keeping to themselves. They have reached out and established connections with so many other churches in the area and also had a table set up at their local Memorial Day Community celebration - with a picture in the local paper of elder-member Jesse Thackrey (scroll down the linked page to see the photo). BTW - Jesse has been a member of The Falls Church since 1941!
To read more about my sojourn with this group take a look at Episcopal Cafe - The Daily Episcopalian - where I tell about worshipping with them last Sunday on Pentecost.
1 comment:
It was great to have you with us for these weeks. God bless you in your new ministry!
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