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Today’s Blog Post
I Could Become a Presbyterian
I know the title of this Blog today might be hard for some of the Pentecostals that I normally connect with. What – leave the Pentecostal Church!?
No No… I am not “leaving” any where… just “becoming”.
The St Johns Presbyterian Church in Port Perry is the kind of church that is attractive. All that takes place in the church and in the service is impressive. A good way to state it is that the church service encompasses you… you are surrounded, drawn in, and brought to worship by the service.
For those that are reading about this new relationship that has developed for the first time, I am a Pentecostal Minister that has been filling in for this church while their minister is preparing for his retirement. I have tried to do my best to follow the order of service, but have missed a few things when I get excited. And I do get excited in this church… inspired, blessed, overjoyed, and well… Pentecostal.
I wrote about my first encounter with this church last week.. on April 26.
From the Entrance of the Bible when everyone stands in honour of the Bible being brought into the service and placed on the Podium… to the removal of the Bible where it is laid with respect until next week – you feel like you have been blessed.
The announcements and messages from the Church are given before the Bible is brought in. These are not considered to be part of the church service.
Oh so different from the Pentecostals – who pepper their service with lots of announcements and advertisements – right in the middle of the worship.
Presbyterians get the ad stuff over early so they can worship God all the way through to the Sermon – pure and sweet worship.
In St Johns Presbyterian they are so blessed with a wonderful worship leader that leads from the Keyboard of the grand piano that she plays with such ease. Her name is Oksana and she is amazing – a real treasure for the church.
Oksana plays everything – I am sure. 90% of what we have sung in two weeks has been closely related to everything we sing in the Pentecostal Church. When we lifted our voices in unison yesterday to sing “Shine Jesus Shine” my heart leapt with joy.
When the choir sang their special with the excellence it did… I kind of blew it. I was caught up in the moment and said a loud and hearty “AMEN”… to which another man agreed and shouted “AMEN” also.
I might have been out of order at that Wee Moment. But many were smiling and about 99% of the church was tapping their toes. It was a “Wee Pentecostal Moment”.
I may have blown it however…
In response to some conversations as a result of the last week’s involvement I did something that was completely out of order of the norm. Yikes. The insecurity within me was great following the service and still is as I write this on Monday morning!
A whole bunch of Presbyterians pressed forward to the altar area at the end of the service. I mean they were pressed in between the Pulpit and the front pew and were jabbering, laughing, giggling and having a wonderful time.
I am quite sure that none of them ever expected to be at the front of the church at the end of a service after a Pentecostal Minister had preached in a Presbyterian Church! Quite sure!
And before I tell you the rest… I am quite sure that some of the elders may hear about what happened after the church service was over! Quite sure! There were other Presbyterians that left earlier… but they were likely heading to the restaurants to get their seats….
There is the reason that I had that insecure feeling come over me yesterday after we came home. And I am quiet sure I know why… Oh boy.
Pause…
Now as you read this far as a Pentecostal, some will know that when people come to the front of the church at the end of service it is the deeply spiritual part where the folk coming are confessing and being blessed. Pentecostal generally know this as their treasured “Altar Service” that has remained in its exuberant form since the start of Pentecostalism in Canada over 100 years ago.
For over 100 years Pentecostals have got “religion” at that Altar. Oh boy have they ever. After the singing is done, the announcements are over, and the preacher has preached… they get their own dose of religion and begin speaking in tongues… Oh Boy do they ever…some places – maybe…
Pentecostals get all excited when they get to the Altar… they will be jabbering, laughing, giggling and having a wonderful time.
Un pause…
Yesterday the Presbyterians were doing it too.
Now I have led you so far off the track at this point in this posting that I almost feel guilty… almost. But I am just telling you what happened and I love telling stories about wonderful people!
What really happened…
Before the service started I had placed almost a pew full of my Teddy Bears with the Hand Carved faces on them – as well as two of my carvings. I intended to use them as “props” during my sermon… and also to explain what I do to support myself.
Before the service few people in the congregation could see the Bears… in fact it is likely that NO ONE SAW the Bears and would figure out what was about to happen.
The poor Choir looking down at the front pew was a little distracted to say the least. Some were smiling and then one leaned over to talk to the other. Undoubtedly the silly Bears grinning at them were a bit unnerving for Presbyterians.
In a Pentecostal Church it would not cause much of a stir because we’re a little “different” anyway.
Before I began to preach the sermon I walked down from the Pulpit and to the area in front and shared with them about my Bears and the Wood Carvings… and how they fit into my life.
Well… Teddy Bears in Church at the best of times is one thing…but an adult man holding a Bear and being the Minister that was about to preach… was a little much.
As I was rolling along I looked up at smiling faces and heard the giggles… felt the response and received it warmly… BUT THEN I saw the arms crossed and the very straight face. “Good God in Heaven…” I just knew that I had blown it completely with that dear saint. Oh Boy!
People were laughing and responding… and interacting and having fun in church. They were with me… at least 95% were… I think… maybe… I am quiet sure… at least I think I am… Oh Boy the insecurity of Post Sunday Blues.
But yesterday had a whole lot of “new people” that weren’t there the week before. I think their friends had called them to come out to see “this guy” that was leading the service last week… They were laughing to… but not one guy… yikes.
Hey.. the sermon was a little too long… but no one moved and they were smiling… and very responsive.
When I closed the sermon, led the offering time, prayed for it and then waited to listen to the Lord’s Prayer that didn’t begin immediately when projected on the wall (like last week)…
It was then that I realized that I had kind of knocked the order of service over a bit… and the Pentecostalism in these Presbyterians was bubbling out. They had too much fun and were also knocked a bit off kilter.
For the Presbyterians that are reading this now… I deeply apologize for letting go of my reserved-ness… I was a little too blessed with your worship and the words read from the Bible… Please forgive me. I am sorry.
Now the pressing in around the front Pew… and near the Altar… It was the Bears and the Carving. There were crafted people in that church. Bear People and Carvers. And they all came forward at once.
The Photo is of a Wee Presbyterian sitting among the Bears…
It was so much fun seeing them have fun. It was a blessing for me to be there.
Church should not only have its beauty of worship – but also a dab of God’s blessing rooted in hearty laughter. And Scots love to laugh… and St Johns Presbyterian is a Scottish Presbyterian Church.
God created my laughter and the giggle machine in me… and yesterday it happened again… and we laughed together.
As Alida and I talked it over last night on our walk together I realized something important that had happened.
One of two things may have happened at St Johns… as a result…
1. They are going to really love a Real Presbyterian Minister that is finally chosen for their assembly…
2. They are going to be way too much fun for a well rooted and elegant Minister that loves deep order and wonderful liturgy.
I really think I would love to become Presbyterian.
~ Murray Lincoln ~
http://www.murraylincoln.com/
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