Feeding the Spirit and Mind
I've been on a journey these past months. Moving to a new location (from Springfield, MO, to Boston, MA) to be near family we sold a house and moved into an apartment in former grade school www.thecoolidgeschool.com And we have been worshipping a number of churches, there being no DoC in the area nor UCC in Watertown. Also we have taken advantage of a number of lectures such as in Lifetime Learning or Harvard Bookstore. Let me share a little of our spiritual and intellectual journey.
All Saints Sunday with family at Old South Church, impressive historic sanctuary on Copley Square, (www.oldsouth.org) had a performance of Faure's "Requiem" which was so stirring.
If you listen http://oldsouth.org/sites/default/files/worship-2010-11-07.mp3 note that the choir is processing in silence in their black monastic style robes.
The previous Sunday we heard Tony Campolo at Harvard Memorial Church, a more evangelistic style sermon than is likely in this somewhat formal setting. A moving message about power or authority. A policeman may exercise power in an arrest but your mother has authority from her years of sacrifice. And Jesus forsook power in the temptations but had instead an authority as one who showed a sacrificial love and compassion. Included was a story from Fred Craddock www.harvardmemorial.org/media/sermon_audio/sermon_10.31.10tc.mp3
Here is a bit about this evangelistic preacher: www.tonycampolo.org/abouttony.php
Several weeks ago was a visit to Wellesley Congregational Church about ten miles west. A good message on stewardship by Martin Copenhaver: "An Offering You can't Refuse." The morning offering is in fact important as a giving of yourself. www.wellesleyvillage.org/sermons_2010_10am
Before this we visited Brookline Church of Christ with guest preacher from Pepperdine College. This at the invitation of MIT chaplain Bob Randolph. Interesting to be in this noninstrumental branch of Stone-Campbell movement...a warm fellowship with many young adults attending.
So we continue in various worship experiences during our search for a church home.
Bill in Boston
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Brian Morse on -
Boston would have some of the nation's oldest Unitarian-Universalist Churches, as well as Roman Catholic Churches. Frankly, finding yourself in a situation in which you are almost forced to "church shop" in Boston is a real blessing. I'm glad you're sharing it with the rest of us.
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Permalink Reply by Bill Longman on -
Yes, thanks Brian. It is a new experience and one might say luxury...especially for a former pastor for whom a particular church was a given when called to serve. I retired in 1992 and we did enjoy a very warm relationship at National Ave. Christian Church in Springfield. As for UU churches, yes many in this area and we did attend early on the one in Watertown where we live...but not a soul spoke to us! Should that make a difference? And noticeably in Bostonland are the strong Jewish congregations.
Addendum on my post. To correctly access sermons mentioned: www.memorialchurch.harvard.edu, then Media & Publications, then Guest Preachers, then Sunday Oct. 31, 2010 for a stream on "Focused on What Is Important."
A moving sermon...but you will hear Tony tacked on a "second sermon" at the end! Here is his story about God's love for us no matter what...http://video.search.yahoo.com/search/video?p=tony+campolo.
Also www.welleseleyvillagechurch.org...go to Sermons, then 2010 10am worship sermons "An Offering you Can't Refuse" I do like the idea of what the offering really means as an act of worship.
Failed to mention this website: www.brooklinechurch.org Note their statement about women (despite being Church of Christ!) In fact, two young women did serve as Elders that day we attended.
The closest congregation to us is 1/2 mile away...www.paysonpark.org. And another we have returned to is
www.plymouthchurch.net. Incidentally, nearly all UCC and UU and other churches too display a rainbow flag or symbol in front declaring to be open and affirming congregations. Hurrah!
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Permalink Reply by Maria P Tafoya on -
You must having the best time on Sundays! Having the luxury of choosing between all those possibilities on Sunday morning is truly a blessing. My husband and I were able to do that while I was on Sabbath Leave this summer and really enjoyed experiencing the rich and diverse worship experiences available to us. Keep telling us the stories, please.
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Permalink Reply by Bill Longman on
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Church number 15 tomorrow...Second Parish UCC in Newton. Yes, visiting churches has been an unexpected pleasure in some ways as Maria has noted with rich and diverse worship...but unexpected also that we have not found a really warm and vital congregation as yet. Most all are involved in some outreach ministries and many have fairly good preaching and sometimes moving prayers and music, and a few are welcoming. But we come as strangers and mostly leave that way.
Mentioning again that in these parts there is no Disciples of Christ presence. One church some distance away has some dual DofC and UCC alliance but the new woman pastor leads gospel songs with clapping...no thanks! Fact is New England mainline churches are struggling. Luckily some endowments particularly for buildings. This is such a multi-cultural area...near by us are several Greek or Armenian Orthodox churches and a Roman Catholic. One aspect of church life here: many families are at the beach during summer months and snowbirds in Florida during winter months.
Our Lifetime Learning classes are at a Jewish synagogue and certainly we have noted a Jewish population. What we have appreciated is the intellectual and cultural climate in the Boston area. Living in Watertown we hop on a nearby bus and in 15 minutes are in Harvard Square, from there the Red line T goes into Boston where you can transfor to the Green line for Symphony Hall or Art Museum or wherever. We have our senior Charlie cards for cheap fares. Yes, we do drive but traffic is usually challenging and also parking. More later on intellectual insights.
Bill in Boston
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Permalink Reply by Bill Longman on
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You will see in a recent posting (Church life-Boston area) that we did located a church and that we are involved at 2nd Church-Newton www.2ndchurch.com A bit strange as a retired clergy now becoming a Deacon which is roughly equivalent to Elders in DoC. Besides spiritual guidance I will be taking up the offering and assisting at Communion once a month...practice is to alternate between passing juice and cup in the pews and coming forward to dip the bread. Being so new as member and newly elected I must be careful not to promote changes but serve where I can.
One thing I want to take on is hospitality to visitors. We do greet one another in worship and have a fellowship hour, but last Sunday I saw a young couple with whom I had chatted walk out the front door with no one posted there. And I'm wondering about whether they signed the guest book. That suggestion is always made by the pastor in his welcome but this may not really be effective is to getting names and addresses for follow up.
A thought. In a New England UCC city church you don't do what you might do elsewhere
...contacting visitors with a call. People are more reserved. At least I am wondering about this. Is it left up to the visitor to show interest as it was in our case? But surely a welcoming letter. Well, let's see what we can do to reach out to strangers in the name of Jesus. I think these passing of the peace moments go only so far, being too perfunctory. Any thoughts about the church reaching out?
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