| |
 |
 |
|
| Comment on this report, or find other reports. |
|
| Our Mystery Worshippers are volunteers who warm church pews for us around the world. If you'd like to become a Mystery Worshipper, start here. |
|
| Find out how to reproduce this report in your church magazine or website. |
|
|
| 1890: Northeast
Church of Christ, Eastpointe, Michigan, USA |
|
 |
|
Mystery Worshipper:
Musical1.
The church:
Northeast
Church of Christ, Eastpointe, Michigan, USA.
Denomination:
Churches
of Christ.
The building:
A brown brick building with a glass entryway. The sanctuary
has painted cinder block walls and no windows. A plexiglas pulpit
stands in front of the wooden altar.
The church:
The church has its own senior citizens/nursing home known as
the Church of Christ Care Center. They sponsor missions in eastern
Europe, India, Nigeria and South Africa. They offer one-on-one
Bible study and an annual winter youth camp. There are morning
and evening worship services each Sunday, along with Bible school
and a home Bible group. Bible study is also offered Wednesday
evenings.
The neighborhood:
Eastpointe was formerly called East Detroit; the residents voted
in 1992 to change the city's name in order to disassociate it
from Detroit and, by means of the ultimate "e", to
link it instead to the well-to-do neighborhoods comprising the
district known as Grosse Pointe. Despite all that, the city
is decidedly a working-class bedroom community. The church is
located in a commercial zone on Nine Mile Road, so called in
accordance with a surprisingly complex scheme that names streets
for their approximate distance north of the junction of Woodward
and Michigan Avenues in downtown Detroit.
The cast:
The opening prayer was led by Dean Hampton. The song leader
was David Walker. Stan Clanton, preaching minister, presided.
There were also four communion servants: Mark Orr, Joe Mannella,
Scott Smith and Mike Serilla.
The date & time:
January 3, 2010, 10.30am.
What was the name of the service?
Sunday Morning Worship.
How full was the building?
Though they could have accommodated about 25 more people, the
sanctuary was pretty full.
Did anyone welcome you personally?
Yes, an usher said good morning as he handed me the Northeast
News (the church bulletin). A lady two rows up greeted
me as I entered my pew. The minister also introduced himself
to me before the service.
Was your pew comfortable?
Very comfortable wooden pew with a cushion.
How would you describe the pre-service
atmosphere?
Very chatty.
What were the exact opening words of the
service?
"Good morning. It's time to begin our service."
What books did the congregation use during the
service?
Several versions of the Bible and Songs of Faith and Praise
hymnal. Most of the words were posted on the overhead projector
with the hymn numbers also.
What musical instruments were played?
No musical instruments at all are used in the Churches of Christ.
Did anything distract you?
The song leader made figure-8 motions with his arm while singing.
Children running (not walking) across the sanctuary on their
way to church school was also a distraction.
Was the worship stiff-upper-lip,
happy clappy, or what?
While not formal, it was typical Church of Christ in trying
to avoid any embellishments: no hand raising, no clapping, and
virtually no expression. In addition to the communion servants
serving the front rows, ushers came from the back to serve communion
and pass the collection plates.
Exactly how long was the
sermon?
26 minutes.
On a scale of 1-10, how good was the preacher?
9 – The preacher had images on the overhead relating to what he was talking about in the sermon.
In a nutshell, what was
the sermon about?
The preacher talked about the sacred versus the secular, taking
as his text Colossians 3:17-4:1 (do all for God – with special
advice for wives, husbands, children, slaves and masters). No
part of the Christian life, whether on the job or in school
or retirement, should be devoid of God, and therefore there
is nothing secular for the Christian. Worship can be secular
only if there is no God connection.
Which part of the service
was like being in heaven?
The sermon.
And which part was like being in... er... the other place?
There were no words of institution at communion. The Churches
of Christ do not hold to the doctrine of transubstantiation;
rather, they teach that the bread is a representation of Christ's
body.
What happened when you hung around after the service looking lost?
The lady directly in front of me just looked at me, but other people introduced themselves and told me to come back.
How would you describe the after-service
coffee?
There was none.
How would you feel about making this church your regular (where 10 = ecstatic, 0 = terminal)?
6 – No instruments equated to very slow singing, and while
one could hear the melody and the bass line, alto and tenor
were absent. Very nice, friendly people at this church, though.
Preaching was spectacular.
Did the service make you feel glad to be a
Christian?
Yes.
What one thing will you remember about all this in seven days' time?
No words of institution at communion and slow singing. |
|
|
|
 |
|
| We rely on voluntary donations to stay online. If you're a regular visitor to Ship of Fools, please consider supporting us. |
|
 |
|
| The Mystery Pilgrim |
|
| One of our most seasoned reporters makes the Camino pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Read here. |
|
 |
|
| London churches |
|
| Read reports from 70 London churches, visited by a small army of Mystery Worshippers on one single Sunday. Read here. |
| |
|
|
|
|
