#53 CELEBRATING THE 500TH ANNIVERSARY OF REFORMATION IN THE MOUNTAINS

The window forms a natural reardos at Abiding Savior Lutheran Church

WHERE I WENT AND WHY
Reformation is always a special day in the Lutheran Church.  We wear red to symbolize the Holy Spirit among us and remember our special forefather, Martin Luther (who wanted to reform the Catholic Church not start a special denomination named for him!).  This year was extra special as we marked the 500th anniversary of the nailing of the 95 Thesis on the church door!  Dave and I found ourselves in the mountains (our new vacation home named Park's Peak near Bat Cave) and we decided to worship at Abiding Savior Lutheran Church in Fairview, NC.  I chose it because it is a member of the Reconciled in Christ Network, and its pastor, Rev. David Eck is a singer, songwriter.  I needed some good old and new Lutheran hymns to help me celebrate!

WHAT TO KNOW IF YOU WANT TO GO
Abiding Savior Lutheran Church is "just down the mountain" from Park's Peak and Bat Cave and on the east side of Asheville on 74-A at 801 Charlotte Highway.  It sits off the road with a lovely creek and garden in front of it, so look for the sign. There is plenty of parking and dress was "mountain casual" with 90% of the congregation in red for Reformation! 

You can't see it, but I promise, Dave had on a red tie!

REFLECTIONS ON WORSHIP

MOOD

This is a very small congregation.  Less than 50 people were present on Sunday and everyone welcomed us warmly, with the Pastor recognizing us as visitors immediately and coming over to chat before the service started. One thing we found a little different was the congregation only stood for the first hymn (A Might Fortress of course for Reformation!).  Dave and I are so used to the "Lutheran exercise" of stand-sit-stand, that we kept starting to stand, and then looked around for the cue that wasn't there. The Prayer of the Day was based on Luther's "Here I Stand" speech from the Diet of Worms and I really wanted to stand up for it!  We guessed that the practice was in respect for the predominately older congregation.

MUSIC

The music was provided by a very accomplished pianist, Anne Schwabaland.  Her prelude based on A Mighty Fortress was breath taking, and settled the congregation quickly.  Pastor Dave played the guitar from the pulpit and had a pre-recorded keyboard for the 2 original hymns.  It was a nice blend of traditional and contemporary.  We ended with "Lift High the Cross" (again, we wanted to stand!).

MESSAGE

During the children's sermon, Pastor Dave helped the children differentiate between Martin Luther King and Martin Luther.  I have read that Dr. King, Sr. added Luther to Martin Jr.'s name when he became ordained and took up the mantle to "reform" our civil rights and racial justice practices.

His sermon was based on the word Reformation and Luther's "Here I Stand" speech.  He challenged us to continue to reform the church and to contemplate what are the "non-negotiables" that we adopt as Luther did at the Diet of Worms when he declared "Here I stand!".  He suggested we start with Luther's Small Catechism as the basis of our beliefs (Luther's commentary on the Creed, Lord's Prayer, and Sacraments). He also suggested that the church's (and this congregation's) becoming a welcoming congregation by joining the Reconciled in Christ Network to welcome all regardless of gender, ethnicity, or ability was our most recent "reformation" and where this congregation took its stand.

OUTREACH AND OBSERVATIONS

• An outreach by the youth to the homeless population was highlighted during the announcements:  they are serving snacks and helping folks choose coats from a Community Coat Drive.
• In celebrating All Saints Sunday next week, folks are asked to bring pictures of loved ones for the Altar of Remembrance.  He outlined a unique home tradition for All Saints Day in the newsletter. Read about it by clicking here: October newsletter.
• I thought this was a great idea.  They put their prayer list on a book mark so that you could use it that week in your Bible or Devotional materials and think and pray for those in need in the congregation.  
  
• When Dave and I were in high school, we brought an "unchurched" friend to church with us.  In those days we stood for all the hymns except the Sermon Hymn and for many parts of the liturgy.  After church he said, "Church was ok, but y'all sure do stand and sit a lot!  And why did you sit down for "Stand up, Stand up, for Jesus!?"  Since then we've laughed about  "Lutheran exercise" and thought it should make more sense!
• I'll have to admit I was jealous of my sister and brother in law who were in Wittenburg for the Reformation!  We took our kids there in the 90's on a trip to Germany.  At that time East Germany only provided very basic maps with no named streets just drawings.  David was searching on the "map" for the Castle Church where Luther pinned the 95 Thesis and Emily said, "Look up, Dad.  There's one BIG church as you enter the town.  I'm guessing that's it!"
• We expected to be anonymous and not know anyone at this church.  Instead it became "old home week".  The Montepertos tapped us on the shoulder before the service.  They are fellow members of Advent who have been "out" for the last 6 years "full-timing" in their RV.  The last time we had seen them was when we were in our RV at Mount Rushmore!  They are considering retiring (again!) in Asheville.  Then as we were chatting in the vestibule after church we connected with the Probsts, the parents of a theatre classmate of our daughter's at Lenoir Rhyne!  Lutherans truly are a family!

THERE IS NO END TO COMICS ABOUT THE REFORMATION!!

Katie Luther was a force in her own right!!!

 

#52 Loving not Judging

WHERE I WENT AND WHY
Old habits die hard.  After a year of writing this blog, it seems almost automatic to sit down and write it on Sunday afternoons.  Last week we were entertaining friends in the mountains and I did not go to church.  That just didn't feel right,  After 2 Sundays in my home congregation, today I decided to go to Holy Trinity Lutheran.  I have not been there since their 100th Anniversary celebration when our national bishop gave the sermon and since my friend, Rev. Nancy Kraft left for Maryland.  The new pastor has had time to settle in, so I thought it would be a nice Sunday to visit.  Also it was close by and I wanted to see the Pride Parade at 1 o'clock.

WHAT TO KNOW IF YOU WANT TO GO
Holy Trinity is at 1900 The Plaza in the Plaza/Midwood neighborhood.  Parking was not a problem and dress is church casual. Worship is at 11 am.  It is "Reconciled in Christ" community which means it has gone through a process within the ELCA to actively welcome the LGBT community in their congregation. (While the LGBT community is welcome in many congregations, only 7 congregations in the NC Synod have intentionally gone through the process.)  

REFLECTIONS ON WORSHIP

MOOD

Several people welcomed us as we entered the sanctuary and the pastor made a point to stop by our pew and welcome us.  Later it was good to see old friends, Roy and Diana Johnson, a colleague of David's from the Odell days, and Mark Hoffa with whom we've served on various Lutheran committees.

MUSIC

The music was a nice blend of traditional and somewhat contemporary music.  They use one of the modern settings of the Lutheran liturgy and we sang a mixture of traditional (Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise) and contemporary (My Life Flows) hymns, all from the "red book". The music leader adeptly used both the organ and piano.  It was a tad slow for David's taste and while I'm not sure if any organist is ever fast enough for him, I agreed this time.  A young man nervously, but beautifully sang a solo (Aaron Copland's At the River) for the offertory. A mic would have helped his offering. 

MESSAGE

Pastor Emily's message was centered around the reading from Isaiah 51 and the Gospel, Matthew 16 where Jesus asks "Who do people say that I am?" and names Peter as the rock on which the new church will be built.  During the children's sermon, she emphasized rocks and had the children analyze the verse in Isaiah "Look to the rock from which you were hewn and the quarry from which you were dug."  It took a little meandering (children are great for that!) but I think she got her point across that the children come from Christian parents and their foundations are in Christ's love.  

During the regular sermon, she began with her own question about identity and related it to all of the silly quizzes we take on the internet (What breed of dog would you be?).  In asking the question "Who do people say that I am" Jesus was not wondering about his identity but helping the disciples clarify and acknowledge theirs.  We are who we are, because Jesus is who He is.  By recognizing the Messiah we become children of God though His love (and grace).  This must be how we present ourselves to the world, a good message for Pride Sunday and the LGBT Pride Parade in which many of the congregation participated after the service.   

OUTREACH AND OBSERVATIONS

• It was nice to be in a congregation (besides Advent) that holds hands during the Lord's Prayer.  I truly like this tradition and missed it in other congregations.
• This congregation volunteers at Merry Oaks School and has several groups assembling  things for the children:  a fiber arts group making hats and scarves and others planting plants on the school grounds and making hygiene kits.
• As stated above, this congregation has a history of being open to the LBGT community and have marched in the Pride Parade since it began I think.  It was so nice to see SO MANY churches marching today!!  What a loving enactment of the today's Gospel   The paper said that the Pride Parade has now surpassed the Thanksgiving Parade in the number of entrants!  What a great celebration of diversity and acceptance.  I think this makes us the "world class city" many hope that we will become!!
• I remember worshiping at Holy Trinity one Christmas when my children were very small.  Emily wiggled through the crowd and got away from us.  We found her at the front door, beside the pastor, shaking hands with each congregant (and the pastor, keeping her from going onto The Plaza!).  He said, "she will either be a politician or a pastor"... Neither has come true, but she is still my outgoing child and I think about this each time I see HTLC's front door, right on the street.

A Cartoon about Peter... before he became "Peter, The Rock"... 

#51 COMPLETING THE CIRCLE

WHERE I WENT AND WHY
I have no intention of revisiting all 50 of the churches I went to last year, but today I was at Isle of Palms and close to the first church, First United Methodist in Isle of Palms, SC.   I thought it would be fun to revisit it and let Pastor Smith know that I had actually completed my 50 church journey.  







WHAT TO KNOW IF YOU WANT TO GO
First United Methodist is on Palm Blvd where it makes its first turn toward Wild Dunes.  Traditional services are at 8:30 and 11.  A Praise service is at 9:15.  There was plenty of parking and dress is casual.  They also have a food drop off on Saturdays so that vacationers can donate unopened packages to the local food pantry.  For my Lutheran friends, it is just to the left of the Lutheran Retreat Center.

REFLECTIONS ON WORSHIP

MOOD

The mood continued to be very friendly.  We were easily identified as visitors and made to feel welcome.   The acolyte was a very young girl who made everyone smile as she brought in the light of Christ (helped by Pastor Smith's bic!).  Children were made to feel welcome with fidget bags and a Children's Message.

MUSIC

The choir sang a much improved offertory this time:  "Lamb of God".  The hymns were very traditional, and the tempo a little uneven.

MESSAGE
The Children's message delivered by the director of Spiritual Development, Kristen Lesesne, had the children salivating over snacks only to be given a bag of flour, raw eggs, oil, etc.  Her point about combining the ingredients to make a cake was immediately guessed by the children.  Then she made the point about how God can take each of us and transform us through combining our talents with others into something wonderful.

Pastor Smith was again in the middle of a sermon series, this one entitled Broken - Good News for Tough Times.  This time the reading coordinated with the sermon, Romans 8: 26 - 39.  In this familiar passage Paul tells that "God works all things for good." And "If God is for us, who can be against us?"  Rev. Smith began by asking the difference between being and doing; and characteristics and essence.  We may change our outward appearance, but we are still the same person inside.  However God's love changes our essential being.  For though we may turn away from him or have bad things happen to us, his love will never fail us and we are His though our faith and Baptism.  He related a great story of watching a Braves game with his children and getting into a faith discussion as a result.  His son asked if he would always be a Braves fan.  Yes!  Just like God always loves you, and just as he with all of his brokenness he as a father will always love his children.

OBSERVATIONS AND OUTREACH

• In "in-reach" they put a rose in the chancel for a newborn, a custom I know about but haven't seen in quite a long time.
• The women of the church are also exploring racism and Christian discipleship.
• They are also sponsoring a Mother/Daughter with a national speaker  and collecting items for a youth room and adopting college students to keep them connected to their home church while they are away.
• Outreach included the food collection for Loaves and Fishes and school supplies.
• My daughter accompanied me  this time, and we commented how when you worship at the beach, you get a sense of what the permanent community is like (vs. vacationers).
• Somehow at the beach, it seemed appropriate for the acolyte to be in flip flops. (Though I'm sure Emily was thinking Mrs. Noel (Petrea) would be turning over in her grave, as she ran a tight ship with acolytes in the 80's when she and her brother worked so hard to please her!)
• This is still one of the most social media savvy places I've encountered.  Today the pastor asked us to post our presence on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter!

A "BEACHY" EXTRA

#50 And the 50th Church Is....

This concludes my blog entries of 50 churches.  I may continue to visit new (to me!) churches on a more "occasional" schedule.  Should I continue to write about them?  Let me know.  I know that I intend to worship in my "home" church for the next several weeks.  I do plan at least one more blog post that will be a summary of what I have seen and learned.  I'm not sure when I will post it.  I need some time to think about it and let it all "come together."  This has been one of the most rewarding projects I've tackled and I thank everyone who encouraged me, especially my husband, David.

Deb at her first church on Isle of  Palms, August, 2016

Deb in front of Steel Creek Presbyterian, her 50th church visit
July 16, 2017

WHERE I WENT AND WHY
Deciding on church #50 was a hard exercise.  Several folks thought it should be my "home" church, but I had already  written about Advent twice (once un-numbered).  There were truly about 50 possibilities, but I settled on Steele Creek Presbyterian.  As the second oldest church in the county, (Sugaw Creek Presbyterian is the oldest, both older than First Presbyterian.) Steele Creek is facing a merger with another congregation within the next three years.  Soon to be surrounded by a business park and the airport, they are losing their neighborhood to "progress".  The sanctuary and cemetery are on the historic registry so the original historic building will be preserved, though it may be re-purposed.  It will be bought by the Airport Authority and the city.  I felt that the window on visiting this church  may be closing.

WHAT TO KNOW IF YOU WANT TO GO
Steele Creek Presbyterian is located at 7407 Steele Creek Road.  From the center city, it is easy to reach via West Blvd.  Worship is at 10:30 am.  Dress was church casual, and there is plenty of parking. 

Give yourself some time before or after the service to walk through the historic grave yard. Most or all of the graves have been cataloged and there is a map on 2 different kiosks. Bob Freeman, a member of the cemetery committee saw us wandering around before the service and greeted us. The church dates back to 1760 and the oldest "resident" of the graveyard was actually not a member of the church but an unlucky chap who fell off his horse while riding by and was buried there.  Billy Graham's parents are buried there along with many folks from the Revolutionary and Civil Wars.  I asked Mr. Freeman if there was a slave graveyard and he did not know of one (and had obviously researched much of the history.).  He said that because of the airport expansion, the church has had to purchase a separate sound system to use outside during funerals to combat the airplane noise.  

Airplanes fly low over the cemetery.  We could read stones from the 1840's, but those in the 1700 were not legible.

MOOD
Meeting Mr. Freeman first, definitely set a friendly tone.  The bulletin was easy to follow and this church had solved the architectural dilemma of incorporating power point technology into the chancel area well.  They also did not reprint the songs in the bulletin, but just referred to hymnal pages and then used the projectors, a great saving of paper!  A beautiful very young girl served as the acolyte and the bulletin referred to the lighting and extinguishing of the candles as "Bringing in the Light of Christ" and "Taking the Light of Christ into the World."  They welcomed children and had "God's Word for Children" after which children from the 1st grade and younger left for Children's Church.

MUSIC
Walking in and seeing their magnificent pipe organ, I had high hopes for the music.  The music director used both the organ and 2 different pianos and both a praise choir and small chancel choir  sang.  Unfortunately, the grand piano overpowered the praise choir and they could not be heard very well.  They used at least one mic, perhaps the audio could be balanced better.  The congregation did sing "For the Beauty of the Earth" with gusto and it took me about half of a verse to recognize "Open the Eyes of My Heart, Lord"  I am used to hearing it with a contemporary arrangement, and the music director played it very slowly and traditionally with the organ.

MESSAGE
The director of Family Ministry, Lorie Lewis gave the children's message.  She equated the recent middle school mission trip that had just ended with Jesus washing the disciple's feet. She emphasized that when we become servants, we become closer to Jesus and often receive more than we give.  She showed a short video of the trip to Wilmington which included the youth painting and working in a clothing and food bank, planting an urban garden, and providing a VBS experience in the neighborhood.  One project I thought unique was they painted a large outdoor open air gathering space for the homeless to gather for worship.  She explained that often the homeless do not feel comfortable in a "closed" church with folks in their "Sunday best", so this gives them an alternative place to gather for worship.

Mr. Hunter Roddey, a a chaplain for Novant Health, supplied the sermon, while their pastor is on vacation. His message entitled Rested and Refreshed, used Matthew 11:25-30 as the main text.  In this familiar text Christ says, "Come to me all of you who are weary and with heavy burdens, and I will give you rest." He talked about how essential rest is for the body.  We need REM or dream sleep to charge our creativity and problem solving.  God uses dreams in the Bible to bring special messages (Jacob's ladder dream, Joseph and the Pharaoh, and Joseph, the carpenter's dream about the Virgin Mary).  Just as we need physical rest, we also need the Spiritual rest (prayer and/or meditation), that Jesus is offering us in Matthew for our spiritual health.  With prayer and meditation, we are able to make creative judgments and decisions to honor God.  God calls on us to BE in prayer so that we can later DO His work.  With prayer comes a peace and tranquility that lets us know that we are not alone as we "bear our heavy burdens."  It was a good message for recharging during vacation times and I hope it is one I can remember when I am in crisis and overwhelmed.

OUTREACH AND OBSERVATIONS

• Here are links to 2 articles from The Observer that alerted me to the dilemma Steele Creek is facing which will result in their ultimate move or merger with another church. The first one includes a 30 second video that gives you a sense of the noise they face from the airport expansion.  David and I both commented on the planes in the cemetery, but did not hear them in the sanctuary. 
•  http://www.charlotteobserver.com/living/religion/article151516217.html
• http://www.charlotteobserver.com/living/religion/article151847397.html
• The bulletin offered 3 "in-reach" opportunities:  the congregation is organizing a "Tables of Eight" event so that folks can have fellowship with members in small groups during a meal in folks homes, and they are going to a Grizzly ballgame.  Folks were also encouraged to apply for "Ben Brown Scholarships" for post secondary education, based on need.
• They are collecting toys for Levine's Children's Hospital as part of a mission outreach in their summer VBS.
• This was one of the more organized churches I have visited.  I was especially impressed with they way they had updated their historical building to accommodate technology and they had one of the best websites I have seen, especially for visitors. 
• I hope as they find a new home, they will be able to take their sense of history with them.  And as God closes this window, another opportunity to grow in God's Grace will present itself.

Screen shot of their homepage.  The portals at the bottom made visiting easy.

The "New Here" Portal gave you even more information

They were able to add screens to the front without compromising the chancel area.

THIS WEEK'S EXTRA:

As we were leaving the cemetery to go into worship, Mr. Freeman encouraged us to read the following gravestone.  Death is a part of life, and shouldn't always be viewed as tragic.

THE BULLETIN:

AND ON THE 50TH WEEK...

DEB RESTED!!

Even God took every 7th Day off!!!

Check back next week to read about #50!!

#49 A Little Country Church in the Heart of the Big City

WHERE I WENT AND WHY
When I asked for suggestions of where to visit for #50, my friend Rev. Nancy Kraft rattled off about a dozen churches.  This was just about the only one I hadn't visited.  She called it a "hidden gem" and spoke highly of their work in social justice.   Also, this statement was on their webpage:  "Sardis Baptist is a congregation where women are pastors, children lead worship, theological diversity is valued and people are welcomed as they are."  I was intrigued.

WHAT TO KNOW IF YOU WANT TO GO
Sardis Baptist is at 5811 Sardis Road close where Rama turns into Sardis and  before Sardis becomes Fairview (Charlotteans will know what I mean!  LOL)  Parking was plentiful and dress was "church casual."  Worship is at 11 am.

REFLECTIONS ON WORSHIP

MOOD

I'm guessing attendance was low today, as it was the weekend bracketing the Fourth.  With only about 25 people present, most of them greeted me and asked my name.   They all invited me back.  The grounds of the church truly set the mood going in.  Nestled in a large grove of hardwoods, the cool shade on a hot day set a welcome and reverential tone.  I parked beside their Labyrinth.  

MUSIC

There was no choir today, however a visiting violinist from the Charlotte Symphony, Tatiana Karpova, provided special music along with the pianist. Her prelude, Bach's Air in G was especially beautiful and set a worshipful tone.  The music leader chose the first hymn and then asked members of the congregation to suggest others.  Altogether about 4 very traditional hymns were sung ( We only sang the first verse of those "called out".)

MESSAGE

During the month of July, the worship team had decided to vary from the lectionary and use traditional Bible stories that we all learned in VBS or Sunday School, but are rarely used in the pulpit.  Today, it was the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Daniel 3:1-20).  In this familiar story, the 3 Israelites under the captivity of Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon refuse to bow down to a golden idol the king had made and were thrown in the furnace.  God's angel protects them and as a result, Nebuchadnezzar declares that the Hebrew God should be respected by all.  Rev. Bob Stillerman read the story both from the NRSV and from Shine On!, a children's Bible.  In a modern context, he played a version of the story as a country music song by Johnny Cash. In his homily he stressed that sometimes we get so caught up in the miracles of the Bible, that we "miss the forest for the miracle."  He stressed that Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were "Covenant People" and were strong in their convictions to keep God's Promises.  They never professed to know if God would save them (and in their captivity, I'm sure they had seen many of their fellow Israelites abused and not saved by God), but they were strong in their convictions and knew that bowing down to idols was against God's Covenant.  Reverend Bob called on us to keep our covenant from the New Testament to protect the marginalized,  be a prophetic voice, and to love the Lord with all of our heart, soul, and mind.  The miracle we should take away from this is the love God has for us  brings us into relationship with Him and other people.

He ended the service with a terrific benediction.  I asked him to send it to me:

May God's spirit swirl all around you 

And leave you with a grin. 

And may that grin turn into a smile. 

And may that smile turn into an act of kindness. 

And together, we will be a chorus of love 

Empowered to be the hands of Christ in our community. 

Go now with God's blessing, and in God's peace! 

OUTREACH AND OBSERVATIONS

• One of the first things I noticed when I sat down were the rhythm instruments in the hymnal holders.  I figured it was just a "kid friendly" touch.  But after the Benediction, the congregation's Choral Response was "Halle, halle, halle, Hallelujah" and everyone used the instruments.  It was very joyful.
• The only outreach mentioned was an upcoming school supply collection to begin the school year.  I have now come full circle, as that was the outreach at the first church I visited.  I noticed on their Facebook page that they participate in Room in the Inn.
• They will conclude the Bible Story sermon series with the shortest VBS I've ever heard of where they will retell the stories in 90 minutes, sort of like  The Complete Works of Shakespeare, Abridged!!
• When entering the grounds from Sardis Rd., they have a sign (too small to read in passing, but I caught it at the stop sign).  I didn't write it down, so I'm paraphrasing, but it said we welcome everyone here, for we are all neighbors.  The sign was written in Spanish, English, and Arabic.  I like it... just wish it were larger to truly make a statement.

 THIS WEEK'S EXTRA

    
I've been trying to find a week to use these videos from John Crist.  I discovered them when I  used one of his on Easter Sunday.  These are too good to miss.  In the first one, 2 millennials search for a church with a guide on "Church Hunters" (a la House Hunters).  And in the second one the "Bible verse lady" goes on a tour of the mall and has a verse for everything she sees.  They are hilarious!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nT70cA-7qMk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzEL4h1vq7o


THE BULLETIN

#48 Many gods leading to One God

WHERE I WENT AND WHY
Visiting an Eastern religious worship ceremony has been on my list from Day One.  I was finally able to connect with Thakor Topiwala at the Hindu Center and Temple.  He was more than my "worship buddy" as he gave me a tour of the Hindu Temple (and a peek at the new one being built!), and instructed me on the tenants of Hinduism.  He accompanied me to the noon day Arti and explained the ceremony to me.  Finally he lavished me with gifts of books and an idol of Krishna, the Hindu original form of God, and a vegetarian lunch!

Thakor Topowali and me.
  Notice the pink marble columns in the background of the new temple under construction.

WHAT TO KNOW IF YOU WANT TO GO

The Hindu Temple is at the end of City View Drive (7400) in East Charlotte.  City View is between Idlewild Rd. and Harris Blvd. off inbound Independence Blvd.  Parking was plentiful and folks had on casual clothing to elaborate saris.  You will be asked to remove your shoes when you enter the temple.  Thakor asks that you phone first or inquire through their website and have someone accompany you (as he did me) on your first visit.  Just showing up (as I usually do to most houses of worship) can be very confusing for folks with no knowledge of Hinduism (me!).  Also their website is very confusing for the uninitiated.  They serve as the temple for many types of Hindu followers (I equated it to different congregations or denominations) and depending on the service, it may be elaborate or simple; short (the Arti I attended lasted less than a half hour) or long (3 hours or more).  There was at least one other "tour group" there when I visited on Monday morning.

REFLECTIONS ON WORSHIP

MOOD

Having Thakor as my guide made the experience very welcoming.  He is definitely right.  If I had just "shown up", I think I would have been welcomed, but the ceremony would have had little meaning to me.

MUSIC

During the ceremony or ritual a priest rang a bell to begin it, and several times during the chants he would ring the bell in a specific rhythm.  Thakor picked up small finger cymbals and "kept time" with them during the chant.  Others clapped or used small instruments.  A leader led the chants with a microphone.  They were all sung or spoken in Hindi.

The symbol in the circle above the center altar is their symbol for God

MESSAGE

The service I attended was more of a ceremony or ritual.  There was no liturgy, hymns, or sermon.  It is a form of corporate praise to Krsna, their name for God.  The chants were songs of praise.  There were 3 rituals performed by the 15-20 folks present.  The first was the offering of fire.  In this ritual each person raised a plate with small candle on it , circling it several times.  Thakor told me that fire represents our energy that comes from God.  The 3 priests also placed plates with multiple candles on them on the altars.  Next came a water ceremony,  The priest circulated around and put a teaspoon of water into our cupped hands.  We were to taste it and then sprinkle it on our heads.  This good Lutheran was reminded of of her Baptism, and I think the meaning was somewhat similar.  It was to remind us that only God can purify our souls.  Last the priest circulated with a brass cap on the top of which was a representation of the feet of God.  This was placed on our heads to remind us that we are always under God's feet and never higher than Him.  Rituals with candles and water are common to many faiths, but the cap with God's feet was new to me.  I especially liked its symbolism.

OUTREACH AND OBSERVATIONS

• The only outreach Thakor mentioned to me was feeding people.  On their website they are offering 2 scholarships to folks who will study in health related fields.  This is to enhance the life of the aging Indian population.
• Thakor spoke with me for over an hour about the tenants of Hinduism.  He kept asking me if I had questions, but quite frankly there was so much to take in, it was hard for me to ask many questions.  (He said this was normal).
• He told me about the many divisions (denominations?) of Hinduism.  This temple serves several of them and different sects have ceremonies, at different times.  Some of the sects have split off and developed temples of their own as they have become larger.  Many of them are regionally based in India and come from a specific geographical area or region.
• This reminded me of the differences between Christian denominations and even within the Lutheran Church.  Scandinavian (Wisconsin and Missouri Synods) Lutherans feel that they are different from German Lutherans (ELCA). And I have attended short services this year, and some have lasted more than the three hours I attended!
• At the front of the temple were 5 altars with different gods presented as idols.  While one God is emphasized, different sects reach that god, by praying to the different lesser gods, each having their own rituals and ceremonies.  In my infant-view of Hinduism, I equated this to the worship of Saints.  In the new temple under construction they will have more than 5 altars.  Around the perimeter will be niches to many more gods.  Again this was not unlike the Catholic Cathedrals I visited in Europe with side altars dedicated to various saints.  (I fear my Catholic friends would find this observation blasphemous, and I do not mean it disrespectfully!)
• In one of the pamphlets they did mention "the Lord Jesus Christ".  The paragraph was comparing the different holy books written by God for various faiths, the Gita for Hindus, the Koran for Islam, The Torah for Jews and the Christian Bible.  It says, "it is a fact that the Lord Jesus Christ is present by His words.  Krsna is also present by His words."  From this, and my discussion with Thakor, I think that Hindus believe that there are many paths to God.  While we see the Trinity as the mystery of the"Triune God", they have no problem with many gods leading to the supreme being.  I know that we humans often get tangled up in theology and semantics to the point of war.  I have several questions to ask God about this when I get to Heaven! 
• I hesitate to summarize the tenants he spoke so passionately about, for fear of misrepresenting them. The Hindus separate the mind and body and believe that our mind or consciousness lives on when our bodies invariably die.  He spoke only briefly about reincarnation, but the "cycle of rebirth" is definitely a major emphasis for them (and the root of their veganism). 
• To them our consciousness or  soul must go through several transformations to reach a oneness with God  We begin in ignorance, progress through passion, which provides materialism and a false sense of enjoyment, on to complete goodness, where we become servants of God and One with Him.
• I must confess I did not follow everything he tried to explain to me about yoga.  But what I came away with was again, that there were several levels of yoga.  And that the physical positions, help them master the physical body so that their mind is free to receive grace (supreme goodness or joy) from God through chants and meditation  .
• The new temple is being built with many marble pillars and ornaments.  All of the marble is being mined from one mine in India so that it will be uniform.  It is a beautiful pink marble and craftsmen in India are sculpting it with elaborate symbols and ornaments.  Thakor said it will probably take 4 years to complete the project. (see background of picture of Thakor and me.)
• He has been at this temple since its beginning in 1982 and it serves 30,000 people in North and South Carolina. 
• Thakor asked me to add the following: "Hinduism originally is based on scriptures Called Vedas and there are many supplementary Vedas spoken by the Lord through sound vibrations and at some point in history, He passed them to mankind in aural receptions. Then all was written by a Sage named  Srila Vyasadva who is a powerful incarnation of the Godhead. It was then passed in succession from generation to generation.  Also the GODS and GODDESSES many of which you saw on the altars are not sages but high level celestial  incarnations of the Godhead holding different responsibilities to conduct material and spiritual affairs."
• I'd like to thank Thakor Topiwala for the time he took to explain everything to me and for his many gifts.  I wish him well in his retirement and may he too, enjoy his grandchildren!

THIS WEEK'S EXTRA

Thakor emphasized several times that Hindus do not bury their dead like Christians do, because the body is unimportant, it is the soul that matters.  Hopefully he'll find this humorous!

Instead of a bulletin I photographed 2 pamphlets he gave me and all of the books he asked me to put in my library!

This would be the equivalent of their Bible

Krishna - the original form of the Hindu God

This pamphlet was in the Gita

These books were a gift from Thakor to my library

And this pamphlet was short enough to include it all.  It also was a great summary of what Thakor told me.