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| 1811: Naperville
Presbyterian, Naperville, Illinois, USA |
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Mystery
Worshipper: Sheridan Daniel.
The church:
Naperville
Presbyterian, Naperville, Illinois, USA.
Denomination:
Presbyterian
Church in America.
The building:
It is a lovely one-story building with a warm beige brick exterior.
There are a lot of trees and shrubs around the building and
the perimeter. There are two main entrances. The inside resembles
a theater, with seating facing a low stage, the side aisle seating
angled in for a better view. It's all done in light beige with
very bright lighting.
The church:
They are very active in the community and sponsor many children's
groups, including Boy Scouts. For men, they hold breakfast meetings
and offer a sports program, plus counseling for men who may
find themselves "between jobs." For women there are
quilting groups, a book club, prayer and fellowship meetings,
and WOW (Willing Older Women), who offer counseling to younger
women. There are two services each Sunday, as well as Sunday
school for children and adults.
The neighborhood:
Naperville lies just to the west of Chicago. Founded in 1831
by one Joseph Naper, a shipbuilder who gained a place of prominence
in Illinois politics, Naperville was originally a sleepy farming
community but has in modern times become a wealthy city thanks
to an influx of high-tech businesses. A noted local landmark
is the Moser Tower, which houses a carillon of 72 bells. The
church is located in a pretty standard suburban neighborhood.
The cast:
The Revd Chris Hodge, senior pastor; the Revd Nate Conrad, associate
pastor.
The date & time:
Sunday, September 13, 2009, 11.00am.
What was the name of the service?
Morning Worship.
How full was the building?
The sanctuary was fairly full, but I suspect it may have been
fuller at the earlier service.
Did anyone welcome you personally?
A man stationed by the main entrance bade us welcome. We noticed
that most of the people wore name tags. We found two tables
by the doors to the sanctuary with peel-off name tags and pens
for use (we assumed) by visitors.
Was your pew comfortable?
The seats were very comfortable cushioned chairs, similar to
seats in a cinema.
How would you describe the pre-service
atmosphere?
A bit intrusive. There were people outside the door talking,
latecomers taking their time being seated, small groups mingling
and chatting – even as the associate pastor began his
welcome.
What were the exact opening words of the
service?
"I hope everyone is well this post Labor Day season."
What books did the congregation use during the
service?
The Holy Bible, New International Version, which was
available on holders between the chairs. All song lyrics were
displayed on large screens in the front on both sides of the
pulpit.
What musical instruments
were played?
This church has an amazing group of musicians: grand piano,
electronic keyboard, acoustic and electric guitar, drums, bongos
and other percussion. The music was very good.
Did anything distract
you?
The initial pre-service noise coming from outside the sanctuary
was distracting. Also, sitting in front of us was a family with
a very wiggly child. The parents did not feel the need to encourage
him to settle down or to take him out for a drink of water or
something.
Was the worship stiff-upper-lip,
happy clappy, or what?
Relaxed, down to earth and joyful. A person looking for rigid,
cold stiffness in a church would NOT feel comfortable here.
Their communion style was very different from what I am used
to. Men (we were not sure if they were elders of deacons or
just lay people) held a loaf of bread on a wood cutting board
along with a goblet of grape juice. The congregation lined up
to take a piece of bread and dip it into the juice. The only
problem I had with this was the aisles were crowded and there
didn't seem to be much order. Otherwise it was OK.
Exactly how long was the
sermon?
15 minutes.
On a scale of 1-10, how good was the preacher?
8 – The pastor seemed very relaxed and casual, but not
silly or inappropriate. Just very down to earth and friendly.
In a nutshell, what was the sermon
about?
This was the first on a series of sermons based on Ephesians,
in which Paul writes about grace and peace. We have a great
need for grace and peace in our lives. The world is rife with
conflict. There is also conflict in our neighborhoods, our families,
our churches, and even within ourselves. The battle between
"I would" and "I could" is always raging
within us. To find peace with God, we need grace. Paul, who
formerly persecuted Christians, received grace in many ways.
Because of the sin of Adam and Eve, we are not by nature recipients
of grace and peace. No one is sinless. (Pastors who preach longer
than 35 minutes commit the sin of "time righteousness",
he said – to laughter.) God knows we are sinners but loves
us anyway. By death, Jesus paid for our sins once and for all.
Paul uses the phrase "in Christ" over and over again.
In Christ we will be secure with God for eternity.
Which part of the service was like being in
heaven?
The praise songs and hymns that we sang were beautiful. The
arrangements were very well done.
And which part was like being in... er... the other place?
Worship began with one of those "everyone stand and shake
hands" times – I find that annoying. Also, it may seem
picky but there were no bulletins. I guess I kind of like to
know what's next. Finally, there were little glitches with the
display – it didn't always show all the verses to the songs,
but we sang them anyway.
What happened when you hung around after the service looking lost?
Someone actually said, "You're excused," and everyone
filed out the door rather abruptly.
How would you describe the after-service
coffee?
There were trays of bagels and cookies on little tables in the
foyer, free for the taking. But if we wanted coffee, we had
to pay for it at the coffee bar. The small fee charged was to
cover the costs.
How would you feel about making this church your regular (where 10 = ecstatic, 0 = terminal)?
8 – We really liked this church and we plan to return.
I would like to dig more deeply into what they're made up of.
Did the service make you feel glad to be a
Christian?
Honestly, this service revived my soul a bit, as it's been feeling
a little heavy of late.
What one thing will you remember about all this in seven days' time?
I will remember the feeling of warmth and joy that I got from
my experience at this church. |
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| One of our most seasoned reporters makes the Camino pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Read here. |
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