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| 1674: Mosaic,
Tucson, Arizona, USA |
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Mystery Worshipper:
FiveSolas.
The church:
Mosaic,
Tucson, Arizona, USA.
Denomination:
United Methodist
Church.
The building:
This 75 year old church is in a residential community of approximately
the same vintage. The pumpkin-colored adobe buildings on the
campus include a sanctuary and smaller rooms used for fellowship
and classes. The sanctuary's wooden pews are each covered with
a long green cushion. The internal adobe walls have stained
glass windows on each side of the sanctuary. The front of the
sanctuary is adorned with a simple cross flanked by an American
flag and a Christian flag. The blank wall to the right of the
cross serves as the "screen" where the lyrics and scripture
are projected from a device mounted on one of the rustic light
fixtures that hang down from the dark wooden rafters.
The church:
The church has a clear commitment to community service. Their
website mentions various outreaches. Noteworthy are Anthony's
Breakfast, which provides breakfast and gifts of clothing to
the homeless on Christmas day; and Casa de Elizabeth, an orphanage
in Mexico to which the church donates food and toiletries. They
also support various organizations such as Habitat for Humanity
and Humane Borders.
The neighborhood:
The church is located one block off a busy thoroughfare on the
south side of Tucson, in an older, tranquil residential community
of multi-colored adobe homes. Typical of neighborhoods in the
south side, this one is primarily Hispanic and not well-to-do,
but on a sunny Sunday morning it felt safe and welcoming.
The cast:
The Revd Anna Bell, pastor.
The date & time:
September 21, 2008, 11.00am.
What was the name of the service?
Contemporary Worship.
How full was the building?
The sanctuary was about one-third full. The congregation were
mostly Caucasian and most likely did not walk to church.
Did anyone welcome you personally?
A greeter shook my hand and gave me the small church newsletter.
A man introduced himself, saying, "I don't think I've seen you
here before." He later encouraged me to come back whenever I'd
like.
Was your pew comfortable?
The pews were padded and quite comfortable.
How would you describe the pre-service
atmosphere?
There was a loud worship band rehearsing. The pastor was speaking
into her microphone, apparently for a sound check. People were
trickling in – talking, hugging, etc. The pastor visited around
before the service. There was a feeling of closeness and familiarity.
What were the exact opening words of the
service?
"Good morning! We're glad you're all here for worship."
What books did the congregation use during the
service?
No books were used. Lyrics to the songs were on the screen,
as well as the Bible passage referenced during the sermon.
What musical instruments
were played?
Keyboard, guitars, drum set, bongos. The band was carefully
fit into the small upper left side of the platform behind a
small organ and piano (which were not used during the contemporary
service). Interesting also to note that the band remained on
the platform for the entire service, including the sermon: the
musicians stayed with their instruments and the vocalists sat
behind their microphones.
Did anything distract
you?
A man was talking loudly during the first song about financial matters, possibly the church's budget. During the sermon, one of the guitar players was practising fingerings on his guitar!
Was the worship stiff-upper-lip,
happy clappy, or what?
The service was very informal. The pastor, dressed in a sleeveless
top, capris and sandals, recited an impassioned opening extemporaneous
prayer covering hurricane victims, unrest in Iraq and other
far corners of the earth, an orphanage in Mexico, and Wingspan
(a local gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community group).
The congregation was small but sang enthusiastically. One congregant
used sign language as she bounced to the opening music. The
music leaned toward happy-clappy but not trendy. Most of the
songs had gospel content, but one was more secular and sentimental.
All the songs had a 70s pop feel. The Lord's Prayer was recited
with everyone holding hands.
Exactly how long was the
sermon?
24 minutes.
On a scale of 1-10, how good was the preacher?
2 – The preacher's voice was somewhat breathy, with
exaggerated inflections. I wasn't sure if that was her normal
voice.
In a nutshell, what was
the sermon about?
Pastor Bell compared John 8:48-59 (Jesus outrages the Jews by
applying the name of God to himself) to a book called The
Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz, a Toltec practitioner.
(Toltec appears to be an ancient Mexican form of self-help with gnostic
overtones.) Specifically, the pastor referred to Ruiz's second
rule of life: "Don't take anything personally." She eisegeted
the rule into the passage from scripture.
Which part of the service
was like being in heaven?
Everyone in the congregation holding hands during the Lord's
Prayer.
And which part was like being in... er... the other place?
The use of a pop psychology book by a Toltec practitioner in
the sermon. Also, the mention of gay, lesbian and transgender support
no fewer than three times at various points in the service.
What happened when you
hung around after the service looking lost?
After the service was dismissed, most people stayed in their
seats to visit with those seated around them. Several people
introduced themselves to me. It was quite a friendly atmosphere.
How would you describe
the after-service coffee?
There were no snacks or coffee.
How would you feel about making this church your regular (where 10 = ecstatic, 0 = terminal)?
1 – I would be uncomfortable there, because it is somewhat
liberal. Although their website states that "Sexuality is not
the defining issue of our church," this issue was touched on
several times, as I mentioned above, with a view toward affirming
those practising homosexuality.
Did the service make you feel glad to be a
Christian?
No. There were too many things that made me feel a bit uneasy.
What one thing will you remember about all this in seven days' time?
The nifty "oldness" of the sanctuary, and the row of small but pretty stained glass windows up the side walls. |
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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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| London churches |
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| Read reports from 70 London churches, visited by a small army of Mystery Worshippers on one single Sunday. Read here. |
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