Week 45 - New Church, OKC

This week we visited New Church, a non-dominational church in northwest Oklahoma City. They have 3 services and since we got an extra hour of sleep, we got out for the first service at 9:00. It was not very full and I suspect the two later services are much more crowded. They have a nice worship band and two pastors that shared the sermon. They were a very friendly and welcoming group and made you feel at home. The theme for the new series they were starting was “Thanksliving” and it was one of those times when I knew I was exactly where I needed to be today. I’ve always understood the concept of being thankful and have frequently poured out my thanksgiving and praise to God. On the other hand, I am a first class worrier. I worry about everything, pray about everything, try to help God solve everything. This fall I have watched God begin to reveal His plan over some things I have been praying about (and worrying about) for a long time. I have been all over the map with this from steadfast faith, resting in His promise that His plan and His timing are always perfect…to fits of frustration and impatience over those very things. Recently, I saw God start to work on a couple of my many subjects of worry. I was overwhelmed with God’s wisdom, extremely thankful that I could tell He heard my prayers, that He cares about all the same people I care about, and the brilliance of His timing. I am not going to pretend I know what the future holds, but I have learned a huge lesson in trusting Him and being just thankful beyond description for His love, patience and forgiveness. All of that was reinforced in today’s sermon. We could have been anywhere because of this journey we are on, but we were here today, being led there by a gracious God who had something to say to me. For this, and a host of other things too long to list, I am thankful

Week 41 - The Edge

We decided to swing back to a “non-denominational” church this time and found The Edge with a Google search. We liked their website and were a little bit influenced because they have an active ministry in Uganda. Danae was home for the weekend and I have to thank her for going along with our crazy escapade and coming along each Sunday that she is here to a difference church. The people were friendly and welcoming and we had a nice conversation with some people on the way out. That’s always nice when people notice you’re visiting and take a minute to talk to you. It is a fairly small church with 2 services. The stage with the band is almost as big as the auditorium. A visiting worship leader led the worship as their worship leader has recently left. They did a fabulous job. It seems their pastor, the founder of the church, has also recently left. This is a congregation that is going through some trials we can certainly relate to. Although we don’t know the circumstances behind those events, we can tell they are still struggling from it. A young man named Disciple led worship. Complete with tattoos and earlobe plugs, I wasn’t sure what to expect. What we got was a very intelligent, articulate and thoughtful sermon. He made many excellent points, but when he started talking about how they (the Israelites and this church) had lost their momentum, that really struck me. That describes exactly how I have felt many times with respect to my faith, my church, and even this 52 churches in a year project. We left feeling inspired and like we should be praying for this group of believers.

Week 39 - First Presbyterian Church OKC

This week we attended First Presbyterian Church at 25th & Western in Oklahoma City. It has to be one of the most beautiful church buildings we have been in. I freely admit that I am in love with the history and architecture of the east coast and this church looks like it was dropped off here straight from Boston. Cobblestone exterior, amazing stained glass and beautiful arched wood ceiling all contributed to this amazing setting. It is a fairly large church but was not completely full at this particular service. Worship was led by an organist, a choir (complete with beautiful red robes) and a song leader. We sang hymns from the songbook, as this was a technology-free church, free from screens and slides. A collection was passed, but no communion. All in all, the service itself was very traditional and routine, but what I learned that morning was I am easily influenced by the setting. In a perfect world, for me, all church buildings would look like this. I have to guard against putting more importance on atmosphere than on worship, relationships, service and all of those things that are really important in a church home. But it sure wouldn’t hurt if they all come together in one package!

Week 38 - Waterloo Baptist Church

Waterloo Baptist Church is a medium sized (about 600 in worship) church in North Edmond. The people we sat around were very welcoming and friendly and so were the two very nice gentlemen who visited us a few days later. I was a little disappointed that our mission to go to a different church each week prevented us from attending the following week and getting to have a ride on the mechanical bull at their “Round-Up Day.” They are a very active church with many events and ministries going on. They have a contemporary worship band but included a variety of old and new music. The sermon referenced Ezekiel 33:1-7, reminding the church that we come in to go out, to be God’s watchmen so to speak, telling the world about God. God will hold someone accountable for their sin if they have been warned. He will hold us accountable if we did not warn them. It puts a new depth of meaning to our responsibility to share our faith.

Week 37 - Frontline Church

We stumbled across this church while leaving another downtown church a few weeks ago and decided to check it out. Downtown OKC has some amazing churches and this one is no exception. A non-denominational church, they have just added a 4th service to their schedule on Sunday. They also have a Thursday evening service at City Rescue Mission and have a satellite church in Shawnee. In addition, they have what they call “community groups” all over the city serving a variety of ages and situations. This church occupies a fairly small space, as churches go, in a building at 7th and Broadway. A wonderful band led worship with a female lead singer. As the worship time continued, people continued to stream in until it was standing room only. This is a come as you are group. It felt like anyone, from anywhere, dressed anyway could walk in and feel comfortable here. The sermon was interesting, thought provoking and sometimes funny. What struck me most was the comment that they wanted their church to be a place God would want to attend. While I believe that God is active and present no matter what the worship situation or style, I wonder what church would be like if it were truly the kind of place Jesus would choose for his personal place of worship. What if we didn’t focus on the design of the building, the worship group or band, the preacher, the pews or anything else that made us comfortable and feel good about coming to church? What if we just focused on being Jesus’ church? I wonder what that would look like?

Week 35 - Church of the Servant

Church of the Servant is a United Methodist Church located in NW Oklahoma City. It is a very large congregation with 2 worship times that are conducted the same way. They take a more conservative approach with a choir, led by organ and/or piano, with one worship song being led by a band. The ministers wear formal worship attire and they follow a pattern of worship outlined for you in the bulletin. The singing is conducted from the hymnal. There are no screens in the auditorium with words to songs, sermon points, etc. like you see in a lot of churches these days. The most striking thing about this church though is the actual auditorium. It has an abundance of clear glass, which on this particular Sunday let in a wonderful amount of sunshine. Scattered throughout were trees, foliage arrangements and even a rock formation. It was like worshipping in the outdoors only with comfortable seats and air conditioning. We learned this morning that we are all very much influenced by the atmosphere we encounter as we enter church. And, while we know that the worship setting is not what’s important, we know it affects us. The good new is, God isn’t influenced by that and He shows up anywhere there is worship going on.

Week 33 - Skyline Church

Skyline Church is located in downtown Oklahoma City and worships in an auditorium in a business building. The atmosphere was relaxed and comfortable. There was a stage with a small band that led the worship time. The sermon was thought provoking and inspiring and very well-delivered. The highlight for me, though, were the two teachers who talked about the schools they work in and why. These people could work anywhere, yet they choose to be in schools where there is 100% free lunch participation. They enter into the difficult lives of their students and provide hope and unconditional love. This is a group of people who have put together a lovely worship time and really enjoy each other’s company. However, what was impressive was their commitment, as an entire congregation, to the Christian walk in their everyday lives. I got the impression that church to them was just the respite on Sunday morning that fueled them for a week of service. A lesson for us all.