A snowy and icy Sunday brought me to Plan D. I was looking forward to a 2nd Christmas with the Greek Orthodox Church, but got snowed out on Saturday. Then I considered walking to St. Peter's Episcopal, but they cancelled services because of the snow and cold. I considered walking up to First Presbyterian, but with the temperature in the teens, I decided to see what it is like to experience church via TV. First Presbyterian broadcasts their 11 am service each Sunday.
WHAT TO KNOW IF YOU WANT TO GO:
Well if you're at home, a fire and jammies cures the "what to wear" dilemma AND takes care of the cold!! LOL Plus there are no driving or parking issues! First Presbyterian is broadcast on WSOC. I checked TV Guide and it seemed to be the only church where the service was broadcast as it is in the house of worship. There are a few other churches that "live-stream" but this was easier.
REFLECTIONS ON WORSHIP
MOOD:
The mood by the fire was very cozy! However I missed contact with other worshipers. The pastor did welcome video viewers at least twice.
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MUSIC:
The music leader used the pipe organ and the choir sang 2 anthems, one a Capella. One of the interesting things about watching the service on TV was they often had close-ups of the choir and organist.
The downside was I missed any prelude or postlude that was played. Also since I didn't have a bulletin or Presbyterian hymnbook here, I could not follow the music. Participating by myself would have been a little awkward (I've mentioned before how I need help staying on key!). It would have been nice if the words to the liturgy and hymns had appeared on the screen. I just read on their website that it was broadcast with SAP, that may have solved the problem, though usually that is a beat behind. Perhaps an "SAP announcement" at the beginning would be helpful.
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| Close up of organist The "beep" of the weather announcement was REALLY annoying! |
MESSAGE:
I appreciated the words of the confessional when the Associate Pastor emphasized that Christ did not wait to come to us when we "had it figured out" but in the midst of our sin and confusion, bringing us Grace.
Rev. Pen Perry continued the theme of grace in the second of his sermon series entitled "The Things We Always Say: By Grace You Have Been Saved." He used as his text Ephesians 2: 1-10 He emphasized that when Paul pronounced we are "dead to sin" it means all of us are sinful and we cannot "get a pass" for small sins. The flip of this death is the gift of Grace from God through Jesus. This gift is free and not dependent on our control. However when we accept this gift, faith takes root and grows. While theologically, his sermon felt sound, it would have been nice if he had included a few examples of practical ways to respond to God's Grace.
OBSERVATIONS AND OUTREACH
- The service included the Baptism of Gentry Glen Allen, an infant who became a Child of God with gusto, crying the entire time!. The pastor mentioned that some of his family members could not be present because of the weather, but were also watching via video. He used the Baptism as a children's sermon, allowing the children to come to the front pew. I liked how he personalized the call of the congregation to support the child with the children, giving the children examples of ways to support Gentry by helping him in Sunday School, making him feel welcome etc.
- I seldom comment on the flowers, but it was hard to miss that the altar flowers were orchids. Not something I typically see.
- The severe weather ribbon that WSOC broadcast during an anthem was completely unnecessary and was very annoying. They were broadcasting a full news and weather report less than 10 minutes later.
- With no bulletin, and the broadcast not including announcements, it is hard to comment on outreach. The website highlights Room in the Inn, volunteering at Westerly Hills School, Loaves and Fishes, and Habitat.
- While watching a service on TV is a comfortable substitute for being there, it is not the same. Besides missing the personal interaction with other parishioners, I also missed music and announcements. I was also a little chagrined to see a few of my neighbors braving the cold in the congregation.
- One of the advantages of attending a church that is broadcast, is that it starts on time and ends on time... not so here... While it began on time, the broadcast just stopped at 11:55 (during the offertory) and concluded with a pre-taped message from the pastor about the video ministry.
THIS WEEK'S FUNNY:
I enjoyed this Lutheran quiz on Facebook this week. I got 100%... bet many of you will too!
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