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| 1906: Amazing
Grace, Lawrenceville, Georgia, USA |
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Mystery Worshipper:
Liturgist.
The church:
Amazing Grace,
Lawrenceville, Georgia, USA.
Denomination:
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
The building:
Dating from 1989, the church is a modern structure with a tall,
long, narrow nave and slope-roofed aisles that have the appearance
of flying buttresses. Gothic in shape but not in detail. The
parishioners themselves did as much of the construction work
as possible. Much has taken place over the years, including
finishing the basement and youth room, remodeling the choir
loft, pastor's office and narthex, building the children’s Sunday
school rooms, remodeling the kitchen, building the coffee clutch,
replacing the carpet, painting various areas, putting in sidewalks,
installing new signs, etc. Currently the church is engaged in
a capital program to update and tend to the needs of their current
building.
The church:
Among their ministries are a Bible study group, Jobseekers,
a food bank, and youth group. There are two worship services
each Sunday, plus Sunday school, and a midweek service on Wednesdays.
The neighborhood:
Lawrenceville is a small but growing city in north central Georgia,
a suburb of Atlanta. It was named after Captain James Lawrence,
a naval commander in the War of 1812, whose dying words "Don't
give up the ship!" every American schoolchild can recite.
The community is a mix of socio-economic strata found in most
suburbs in America. The downtown area features some buildings
of historical interest as well as new upscale condominiums,
town homes and courtyard residences.
The cast:
The Revd Jason Talsness, pastor, assisted by Lois Simon, adult
and youth choir director, and Alayne Brown, organist.
The date & time:
January 31, 2010, 11.00am.
What was the name of the service?
Contemporary Eucharist.
How full was the building?
Seventy per cent full, about 100 people. I was told that a number
of men were away at a men's retreat.
Did anyone welcome you personally?
Yes, both at the door and inside! They do indeed know how to
welcome a visitor.
Was your pew comfortable?
The pew had a padded seat, with ample leg room.
How would you describe the pre-service
atmosphere?
Welcoming, warm, with a good blend of respect and openness.
It was neither stuffy nor overly syrupy.
What were the exact opening words of the
service?
"Welcome. It is an amazing day at Grace."
What books did the congregation
use during the service?
The service was projected onto two screens and was based on
Now the Feast and Celebration, an alternative Lutheran
eucharistic service by the contemporary American liturgical
composer Marty Haugen, known for his settings of both Roman
Catholic and Lutheran worship materials. The scriptural readings
were taken from The Holy Bible, New Revised Standard Version.
In the pews were the Lutheran Book of Worship and With
One Voice.
What musical instruments
were played?
Keyboard, guitar, bass guitar, clarinet, flute.
Did anything distract you?
The pastor said at one point, "We love all the gifts people
bring to worship, warts and all." I had no idea what he
was talking about, but I was afraid it meant we were in for
a bad liturgy or poorly executed service. Luckily this did not
happen.
Was the worship stiff-upper-lip, happy clappy, or
what?
The worship was warm and open, flowing freely from one section
to the next.
Exactly how long was the sermon?
11 minutes.
On a scale of 1-10, how
good was the preacher?
8 – Pastor Talsness had a good command of the readings
and his presentation style was straightforward.
In a nutshell, what was
the sermon about?
Love, the three types of love and how God loves us.
Which part of the service was like being in
heaven?
The beautiful eucharist setting by Marty Haugen, flowing freely
under the leadership of the pastor, supported by the musicians
and the singing and praying of the congregation.
And which part was like being in... er... the other place?
To be honest, the service ended too soon. We really enjoyed
the worship.
What happened when you hung around after the service looking lost?
We were immediately engaged by the folks around and thanked
for joining them on this Sunday. The pastor also was very willing
to engage in conversation and seek common ground (i.e., shared
acquaintances and shared denominational circumstances and strategies).
They really do know how to welcome you.
How would you describe the after-service
coffee?
There was no coffee. We were given four exquisite cookies as new visitors.
How would you feel about making this church your regular (where 10 = ecstatic, 0 = terminal)?
9 – If we moved to Lawrenceville we would consider making this our church home.
Did the service make you feel glad to be a
Christian?
Yes indeed.
What one thing will you remember about all this in seven days' time?
The wonderful contemporary music and how the whole worshiping community participated in bring it to life. |
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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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