Nashville, TN: As week 2 of The Great Church Search commenced, I entered the new establishment feeling beaten down. I had some pretty strong words of opposition used against me and, while I tried to acknowledge the fact that not everyone is going to agree with every choice I make in my life... it still hurts. However, my spirits were lifted when I entered Holy Trinity Community Church and was welcomed by an entire room full of voices singing loud and proud.
Aesthetics: The structure is a non-assuming ranch-house-style building across from
Nashville West. Inside were simple & functional brick walls, a simple cross and two video flat screens with lyrics to the songs, ala karaoke.
Greeting: We had an unfair advantage, since were invited by and arrived with two friends who were already members of the community. However, the female pastor did make her way to personally welcome us before the service actually began.
Community: The community was predominantly LGBT men and women, mostly white, with a few other ethnicities sprinkled in the packed room of 150+ people. I heard a few children's voices and saw a few heads of white hair, but otherwise, the age range hovered between 30-50.
Music: The music was uplifting and spirited with the choir in black robes and a full band to back them. Having the words helped the congregation sing along and you might have stood out if you
didn't clap your hands.
Service: The service, about 1:20, seemed to fly by with a mix of music, scripture reading, sermon, offering and a final blessing. Today, they invited us to the altar to receive a touch of water to the head, to commemorate our baptism. For those that receive ashes during Lent, think of a similar technique, but cooler on the forehead.
Message: Today, someone suggested I pray before I went to church and ask God to specifically speak to ME through the pastor's sermon. Not to be selfish, since we all know everyone has needs, but to ask simply if God would give me a personal shout out. The result? A little eerie. When I was wondering if God is even a part of this journey with me or letting me flounder on my own, my doubts were pacified. I was encouraged, "As a Christian, I'm not going to hide my light...."
Denomination: The
United Church of Christ was a merger of two other denominations in 1957. It's under the
Protestant umbrella, though congregations have the freedom to govern themselves. They can bless same-sex marriages and are active in social causes. When they state "you are welcome here" on their bulletin, I'm pretty sure they're talking to everyone.
Overall: I loved the openness of the community and the engaging sermon. Though I was welcomed, the church's modest walls can only hold about 100 comfortably, so sitting nearly on top of 150+ of my closest new friends made for bit of an uncomfortable morning. However, they are working on raising money to build a new church to hold the 600+ total members (right now, they're doing three services each Sunday to accommodate everyone).
Contact:
6727 Charlotte Pike, Nashville, TN 37209
Reflections on the Journey Thus Far: This journey isn't going to be as easy as I had thought. When I feel like I might have bitten off more than I can chew or am possibly chewing on the wrong thing all together, the messages I'm receiving during the services seem to give me the gentle push to keep keepin' on.
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| thanks to Nikki & Kim for the invite & hospitality! |
One More Thing: In the spirit of trying new things, the four of us ventured to a Vietnamese restaurant nearby called Kien Giang. No having ever tried that cuisine before I was surprised to find how much I could actually like soup as a meal! Peanut had a few thoughts of her own, which I'll share now on the accompanying blog:
The Peanut Gallery.
Music: The music was uplifting and spirited with the choir in black robes and a full band to back them. Having the words helped the congregation sing along and you might have stood out if you didn't clap your hands.
Denomination: The United Church of Christ was a merger of two other denominations in 1957. It's under the Protestant umbrella, though congregations have the freedom to govern themselves. They can bless same-sex marriages and are active in social causes. When they state "you are welcome here" on their bulletin, I'm pretty sure they're talking to everyone.
Contact: