#1 THE CLAPBOARD CHURCH WITH THE RED DOORS

   Week 1:
  The Clapboard Church with the Red Doors

Deb in front of the first church she visited.  The beautiful red doors are open.

Where I Went and Why:

This week we are on vacation on Isle of Palms near Charleston, SC.  I've always admired this church as we drive by it, so I thought it would be a great first stop.  Truthfully, I thought about putting off my "quest" for a week since we were on vacation, but since I was up for the sunrise (one of my favorite parts of the beach),  and my family wasn't! It was an easy decision.

Things to know, if you want to go:

Its on the "main drag" (Palm Blvd.) as you drive through IOP from the bridge  toward Wild Dunes. Parking was plentiful and easy.  You can enter the front door or a side door where there are both steps and an elevator.  Dress is beach casual.  The guy in front of me and an usher had on shorts.  Sundresses were dominant among the women.  I went to the 8:30 am Traditional Worship.  There is a contemporary service at 9:15 and another traditional service at 11 am.

Reflections on Worship

Mood:  Greeting and Atmosphere

I was greeted several times before I found my seat with pleasant hellos and the Pastor spoke about welcoming visitors and vacationers during the morning announcements.  The bulletin was easy to follow.  There were several things especially for children:  wiggle bags, a nursery, and a children's message, though no children were there at 8:30 am to attend the prepared message.  They also advertised a SoundMate Personal Listening System for folks who have trouble hearing.

After the service, a parishioner noticed my note taking and she told me about the beautiful Pentecost banner.  She also took the picture of me in front of the church.

The banner and stain glass windows were beautiful.  

Music:

This was a very traditional service.  The music leader used both an organ and piano and sang a solo during the anthem.  The hymns were either familiar to me (Holy, Holy, Holy!  and O Spirit of the Living God) or sung to a familiar tune.  The prelude was beautiful and served to quiet the congregation.  The small, 5 member choir attempted an Anthem.  I was glad that the words were printed in the bulletin to help me focus.

Message:

I thought I was in for "fire and brimstone" when the reading was from Galatians 5 and emphasized acts of the flesh and fruits of the spirit!  But instead of preaching from the reading the pastor continued a themed set of sermons on the Trinity, specifically the Holy Spirit.  A fact he gave that stuck out to me was that the word "trinity" is not in the Bible.  But the nugget that has caused the most reflection for me was that the Holy Spirit is described as wind, or breath empowering you to do things you could not do on your own.  Often he described it as a "nudge" or "click" pointing you subtly or pointedly in a certain direction.  His personal stories intermingled with theology kept my attention.   

Outreach and Other Interesting things:

• During morning announcements, the Pastor asked everyone to get out their smart phones and "like" the church on Facebook, or tweet that they were at church!
• He also had his sermon on his tablet and used it for notes, not using the pulpit.
• The church had some interesting outreaches and activities:  a school supply/backpack appeal, ongoing operation Christmas Child, and the pastor is organizing a trip to the Holy Land. Two dancing opportunities were offered as activities:  line dancing on Monday and the Shag on Tuesday.  I was trying to figure out how he would juxtapose these with the Bible reading of the day!  A Loaves and Fishes appeal was directed specifically at  vacationers with a drop off point for food on Saturday when beach houses "flip".
• Visitors were given a gift:  a sand dollar with the religious interpretation printed on one side of a small insert and the church's information on the other.

The bulletin:

Can you tell I'm at the beach?  Bare feet under the table!!