musings from the road: Chiming The Hour

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On a plane somewhere between Nashville, TN & Dallas, TX: Using another Sunday morning as an excuse to spend time with a good friend in a spiritual environment, I met up with fellow Thistle Farms volunteer, Melissa, at the Glendale Baptist Church for their 10:30am service.

Melissa had heard great things about this community and wanted to check it out for herself. I was happy to join on her maiden voyage but had apprehensions about attending another Baptist church. However, I tried to remain open to occasion and reminded myself that most fear is based on lack of knowledge… so why not draw my own conclusions from my own personal experience?

Aesthetics: The brick building sits high upon a grassy hill, located near the 12^th South area. Inside, wooden pews and a simple altar filled a sunny room, decorated with colorful banners. I noticed a basket full of pillows, which I immediately grabbed to cushion my tush... then put back, once I realized there may be some slightly older tushes that may have needed it more than me.

Greeting: Once we entered though the main lobby, a female minister with short hair and black vestments greeted us with a warm smile and firm handshake. “I’m April,” she said. We introduced ourselves to her and she welcomed us into the church. On the way out, April - who obviously knew we were visiting - asked us how our experience was an actually remembered my name. (Pretty impressive, considering I can hardly remember people's names I've met multiple times.)

Community: There were approximately 70 people in attendance, all white, with a mix of families, elderly, children and couples. I also noticed there was a mix of gay and straight people, which made me believe they lived by their tag line, “a caring community of equality and grace.”

Music: The 12 piece vocal choir, accompanied by a grand pianist, performed traditional-sounding hymns and responses. There was one instrumental song performed on cello by a teenage boy, which was a nice addition to the conventional service.

Service: The service started out with “chiming the hour,” which was a hand bell played by the choir director. In the bulletin, it explained, “as the hour is chimed, all are invited to apply our attention to preparation for worship.” It reminded me of the chiming sound after a meditation sit and it was helpful to get into the focus of why I was there this morning. The service itself was a mix of songs, readings from the old & new testaments, a sermon and more songs.

Message: Another female minister, who read from pre-written notes, gave the sermon. I completely understand why notes are helpful when speaking in public, but I couldn’t quite follow along or get the emotional connection sermons are usually good at providing. Just when I was about to give up on receiving any sort of deeper message, I heard her ask, “do we sacrifice our values to save face for public opinion?” That’s when my focus snapped back to attention. Since I’ve started my mid-year reset, I have realized the hardest thing to back off of isn’t the wine or the sugar or the bread. It is the social media. I had limited myself to only getting on Facebook twice a day. But if I posted a picture on Instagram to document my life (Instagram = a loophole to get onto social media without technically going on Facebook), I would anxiously await comments or “likes.”

I wonder what will others think of my image…or my insight? But the truth of the matter is: does anyone else’s opinion of me matter more than my own personal experience? Or, on a larger scale, what about my values? Should I not say or write what I believe in order to “save face” with others and their opinions of me? It seems as though all the great saints and do-gooders – especially Jesus, Himself – didn’t have the highest public opinion when they were doing what they believed in. And yet, had they sacrificed their values in order to save face for public opinion, what would their legacy have become?

Denomination: After seeing the procession of women leaders in the church to and from the altar, I realized this wasn’t a typical Baptist church, which I already had preconceived notions. From their website: “Glendale is affiliated primarily with the Alliance of Baptists and the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, along with the Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America and the Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists.” My translation: “we’re like the Baptists, but we’re progressive and liberal peacemakers.

Overall: Glendale Baptist Church is sweet. I love their value system and welcoming community. I think it would be a nice home for Melissa, if she chooses to make it her own. Most importantly, I’m excited to learn more about different strands of various denominations. The more you know....

Nashville, Tennessee 37204

www.glendalebaptist.org

Reflections on the Journey Thus Far: As with most mid-year reviews, I’m feeling a like I’m going through the motions a bit more than usual during my church visits as part of TGCS. I tend to find more spiritual deepening from the conversations that follow, with friends, over a meal, after the service. Today, Melissa & I went to Whole Foods and discussed being whole in the world and the church.

One More Thing: There was a particular prayer during the service which we the congregation read in unison. It was lovely and something I think I can reflect back on from years to come.

“Help me, O God, to find a rhythm for my life in keeping up with my strengths, my gifts, my opportunities, my commitments, and thy larger purpose. Let there be a celebration of life, the building of relationships, and the nurturing of others. Let there be unhurried strolls in the woods, quiet mornings spent on the porch*, afternoon naps in the porch swing and leisurely meals with friends. Let there come to me a quietness of soul, a relaxed body, an alert mind, a gentle touch, an inner peace, an integrity of being. Amen.”