Searching: I’ve been looking for a church that feels relevant to me. In this quest I have visited and worshipped with many streams of religious persuasion.Assuming this may be an issue for many in Anchorage, I offer in this blog brief sketches of my visits. The criteria I use in evaluating my visits are:
• Is the church friendly and warm? Did I truly feel welcomed?
• Was the main teaching relevant to my personal walk and was it delivered effectively?
• Did the music merely entertain or did it deepen the worship experience?
Chris Thompson is an amateur biblical scholar and student of religions. As a member of the American Academy of Religion (AAR) and Society for Biblical Literature (SBL), he enjoys national and regional conferences where he learns from religious scholars from all over the world. A management consultant, skilled in all aspects of 360 degree feedback programs and human resource management systems, Chris operates his own consulting firm, Workforce Consulting. He lives in Anchorage.
Pressing the Presbys - 5/9/2008 12:03 pm
Why this blog? - 5/5/2008 12:38 pm
Posted: May 9, 2008 - 12:03 pm
First Presbyterian Church: This church has an inspiring, worshipful décor accented by a wonderful stained glass window in the front of the sanctuary.
Exterior: First Presbyterian Church is located at 616 W. 10th Ave.
On April 6, I visited First Presbyterian Church (616 W. 10th, 272-6411) to see any evident changes since previous visits several years ago. Upon entering, I received a warm but official greeting from an elderly greeter. I made my way to my seat without further contact with any other members, except to be handed a bulletin.
Located on the Delaney Park Strip, this church has an inspiring, worshipful décor accented by a wonderful stained glass window in the front of the sanctuary. Behind the alter a simple cross, accented by a palm tree, is effectively displayed.
This church follows a fairly formalized and set order of service. The music was familiar and easy to sing. Unlike so many other churches today, they have a choir, and a credible one at that -- well led and in tune.
The scripture, the keynote of the sermon, was the entire chapter of Exodus 16, dealing with the flight of the Israelites from Egypt and God’s care for their needs during the wilderness sojourn. In conclusion, the Rev.
Peter Loughman cautioned that God allows bad things to happen to good people, but that ultimately the trouble ends. At times I had difficulty following his many stories and their application to the topic.
Ultimately, communion brought a wonderful focus to the story of the manna (food supplied by God) referred to in the sermon scripture. Presbyterians offer open communion, which means you need not be a member to partake.
Unfortunately, as in previous visits, except for the obligatory “meet and greet” time early in the service, I had little meaningful contact with other parishioners or the clergy. Notwithstanding, this could be a comfortable church to settle into, somewhat formal -- not a blue-jeans church. As a result of other visits to Presbyterian churches, I’ve discovered they can be extremely warm and friendly to strangers. Maybe this is the personality of this particular church, but hidden to visitors.
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