Week 2: The Miracle on 5th Street

Where I Went and Why:
I went to Caldwell Presbyterian Church .  I had read about the church's miraculous turnaround in 2006 and have seen their vibrancy and community activism, attending several community meetings on school desegregation there.

Things to know if you want to go:
Caldwell is located near Presbyterian Hospital in the Elizabeth neighborhood at 1609 E. 5th St. near Elizabeth Traditional Elementary School (another church is also meeting in the school).  The church parking lot is very small, but there is parking at the school and on the street. Dress was "church casual".  I attended the 11 am. service, which was a blend of   traditional with some gospel and contemporary music. 

Reflections on Worship

Mood:  Greeting and Atmosphere

I arrived about 10 minutes early and folks were gathering in the Sanctuary.  The usher greeted me and between the Narthex and my seat, a woman gave me a political post card advocating voting for District Judge. This surprised me and caught me off guard. (I don't know that this was sanctioned by the church, but it was definitely condoned.)   The sanctuary was fairly noisy with many neighborly greetings and chatter.   My first impression was that Martin Luther King would have loved this church because it contradicted his comment that "11:00 is the most segregated hour in America."  The congregation was racially diverse.  

The Gospel Choir quieted the crowd  with a capella processional to We are Marching in the Light of God, both in African and English accompanied by a drum. During announcements, visitors were asked to stand and say where they were from.  I found this a little awkward, but liked the way that the whole congregation responded to each with a resounding "Welcome!" in unison.

The chattiness of the congregation returned during the Passing of the Peace.  The man in the pew behind me shook my hand and said, "Get ready, this goes on for a while!"  And another woman said, "We are a raucous bunch."  While this tradition has become quite popular in recent decades, I have never really embraced it.  To me it seems anything, but peaceful.  My understanding is that it originated as a way for folks to literally "make peace" or offer forgiveness and peacefulness to individuals in the community and leave any differences behind.  However it has been my experience that it breaks the reverence of the service and while most greetings are heartfelt, they  can sometimes seemed forced or superficial and are rarely used to offer forgiveness or reconciliation. 

The bulletin was easy to follow and there was a nursery, children's sermon and children's church. Directions to the nursery and bathrooms were printed on the back of the bulletin. Lemonade and cookies were served on the lawn after the service.

Music
Several references were made to the small choir and how their ranks were thin this morning. I was impressed with their processional and anthem, which they sang from memory without music in front of them and often without accompaniment.   They must really be amazing when at full strength!  The hymns except for the last one, were very traditional and the choir moved to face the congregation, truly leading us with their singing.  A piano and single drum were used throughout the service and the musicians were talented without being showy.

Message 
Rev. Cleghorn preached from the reading from Hebrews on faith.  I noticed that he began away from the pulpit when telling a story from his childhood and then used the pulpit when referring to the lesson and its message.  He had challenged the congregation in his weekly blog to say what faith meant to them in 6 words or less and used several of their responses.  A nugget that stood out to me that faith is a way of knowing we won't ever know it all.  The congregation clapped at the end of his sermon!  

Observations and Outreach:

• The Mood and Music were definitely the strength of this congregation for me.
• The Charlotte Pride Interfaith Service next week was highlighted in the bulletin along with  organizing a booth and march in the Gay Pride Parade and Festival
• The congregation has a coffee house called The Third Place and an Educate to Engage opportunity was highlighted in the bulletin there.  A group is reading The New Jim Crow about the incarceration industry, discussing a section or chapter each week.
• The parking lot also contained a community garden.
• This is a clapping congregation - at the end of each choir selection, the sermon, etc. In some congregations this can feel forced,  but this congregation seemed genuinely exuberant.
• The front of the bulletin said, "Caldwell Presbyterian Church Where crying babies are welcome".  I wondered if this was a political statement from last week, or just a welcoming phrase.  LOL
• I forgot to bring a check or cash for an offering, but they had flyer in the Narthex about giving on line and a skew in the bulletin.  I thought this was great for keeping track. 

Bulletin: