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| 2574: Memorial
Baptist, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, USA |
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Mystery
Worshipper: Sinner No. 48.
The church:
Memorial
Baptist, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, USA.
Denomination:
Southern Baptist
Convention.
The building:
An unremarkable building dating from the 1960s, in red brick
with a white neo-classical portico, in a neatly manicured garden
setting.
The church:
The congregation had its beginnings in a Sunday school formed
in 1934 by a newcomer to the area who found no existing local
church to his liking. By the 1960s, as more Baptists moved to
the area, the congregation began meeting in private homes and
finally established itself as a church in 1965. Today they sponsor
visitation teams, youth groups, prayer meetings, and an annual
Bible challenge, among their other activities. They have a worship
service in Spanish every Saturday evening, as well as Sunday
morning and evening services in English.
The neighborhood:
Gettysburg, in south-central Pennsylvania near the border with
Maryland, is remembered primarily for a bloody three-day battle
that marked the turning point in the American Civil War, and
for the speech that President Abraham Lincoln gave at the dedication
of the cemetery where the war dead were interred. Lincoln (so
the legend goes) hastily scribbled his remarks on the back of
an envelope while in his railway carriage en route to Gettysburg,
and the speech lasted all of two minutes. But his simple words
have gone down as one of the best-remembered moments in all
of American history. Today's Gettysburg is a tourist magnet
that attracts visitors to its Civil War historical monuments
as well as to the home of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. It
is also the site of Gettysburg College and the Lutheran Theological
Seminary at Gettysburg.
The cast:
The Revd Steve Baker, pastor.
The date & time:
150th Anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg, June 30, 2013,
11.00am.
What was the name of the service?
150th Anniversary Service: Remembering the Past through Music,
Restoring America through Revival.
How full was the building?
Two-thirds full.
Did anyone welcome you
personally?
We were in jeans, shorts, and t-shirts – and a little embarrassed.
The two ushers who asked us to sign the guest book were very
friendly despite our state of dress. Six different people greeted
me during the handshaking period. They asked if we were from
out of town.
Was your pew comfortable?
Comfortable padded wooden pews.
How would you describe the pre-service
atmosphere?
The pre-service atmosphere was jolly, full of old voices greeting
each other, with people standing up and going between pews to
say hello, full of good fellowship.
What were the exact opening words of the
service?
"Good morning and welcome."
What books did the congregation use during the
service?
The pew Bibles were King James version, but neither they nor
the hymnals were used during the service. The words to songs
were projected up on a screen.
What musical instruments were played?
Grand piano, electric guitar, guitar, and violin.
Did anything distract you?
I shouldn't have been, but I was distracted by little mistakes
of speech: "1683" instead of "1863", "conversation" instead
of "conversion", a prayer beginning with "Father, we pray to
God..."
Was the worship stiff-upper-lip, happy clappy, or
what?
I think it qualifies for "clappy-happy": every single song,
by soloist or congregation, had clapping afterwards.
Exactly how long was the sermon?
14 minutes.
On a scale of 1-10, how good was the preacher?
5 – Good sound preaching but no going into specifics. They
post their sermons on-line but seem to be about a month behind.
In a nutshell, what was the sermon
about?
Pastor Baker deplored the previous week's Supreme Court decision
without mentioning that it concerned same-sex marriage. He deplores
sin and is all for revival.
Which part of the service was like being in
heaven?
An old man with a guitar gave a rendition of Aura Lea,
a love song from the Civil War era (Elvis Presley borrowed the
tune for his "Love Me Tender"). It is not a religious
song, but the down-to-earth beauty was heavenly, if I may so
confuse adjectives.
And which part was like being in... er... the other place?
The congregation stood and pledged allegiance to the Bible,
to the Christian
flag, and to the United States flag, in that order. Incense
before the emperor?
What happened when you hung around after the service looking lost?
People were very willing to talk to us.
How would you describe the after-service
coffee?
No coffee!
How would you feel about making this church your regular (where 10 = ecstatic, 0 = terminal)?
5 – It was a truly Christian church, unsophisticated, where
you wouldn't learn much from the sermons or be disciplined,
but with nice people.
Did the service make you feel glad to be a
Christian?
Yes. It was good to see simple people being Christian.
What one thing will you remember about all this in seven days' time?
The Pledge of Allegiance being said in church. |
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| The Mystery Pilgrim |
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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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