our quest: 50 churches

Our totally random goal is to attend fifty different churches (or places of worship) in the next year. Will we make it to fifty? Right now, I'm wondering if we will make it to five! What will we find? Who will we find?

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Sunday's #50churches visit was coincidentally, or let's go with providentially, appropriately timed, because today is the feast of St. Augustine, who died on this date in 430AD.

Here is a quote from St. Augustine: “What does love look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men. That is what love looks like."

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50. St. Augustine of Canterbury Episcopal Church, Rocklin, CA [August 24, 2014]

Sunday’s church visit was number 50. As we said when we began this year-long experience, we really didn’t think we would make it to five different churches before sheepishly deleting the blog and fading back into some sort of routine that people consider normal. (People don’t consider attending 50 churches in a year normal behavior, if you are wondering.)

In typically fashion, the night before, we went off-script -- what little script we had -- and decided to visit St. Augustine of Canterbury Episcopal Church in Rocklin.

What we noticed:

They have a shiny, new building, less than a year old.

The décor is not lavish, but embellished with artistically crafted pieces, particularly the handcrafted wood cross and altar table and the stained-glass windows, which tell the story of the seven days of creation.

We missed out on meeting the Rector, Liz Armstrong, but got to hear Dr. Richard Wampler share about his recent visit to Haiti. I really appreciated how he was able to articulate the mixed emotions and unique challenges that one faces when attempting to make a positive impact in a place like Haiti. And, coincidentally (not ironically, I've been told with some condescension), we were accompanied by a couple of our personal experts on Haiti, Rebecca Barlow and her son, Tynan, who have been living and working there the past few years.

People were welcoming and took the time to answer our questions and show us around.

My daughter Asia enjoyed seeing several women involved in leading the service.

Oh, they had homemade cookies and breads after the service.

And, finally, they had a booth at Woofstock! What is Woofstock?

WOOFSTOCK 2014

In it’s 7th year, Woofstock is Northern California's premier Canine Festival – an event that also serves as a major fund-raiser for over 20 local Dog Rescue Organizations. In other words, dogs everywhere!

The church's booth offered free photos with you and your beloved (dog).

Fradel-Johnson WEDDING

We completed a very full day with an 1.5 hour drive back into the woods to Leoni Meadows for the wedding of Katrina and Eric. We were so excited to be included and to be able to share in such a wonderful wedding in such a beautiful place. I wish I had better photos to share with you. 

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49. The Abbey of New Clairvaux, Vina, CA [August 17, 2014]

Way back when #50churches visited Trinity Cathedral in midtown Sacramento (church number three), our partners in crime were the Aldrich family. It was on that visit that I first learned of the Abbey of New Clairvaux. Their daughter Jordan, inspired by the visit to Trinity Cathedral, started brainstorming and suggested that church visit number 50, the grand finale, should be to the Abbey.

Almost. It was church number 49.

The Abbey of New Clairvaux is a rural Trappist monastery located in Vina, a small town 20 minutes north of Chico off Highway 99. The farmland, once owned by Leland Stanford, produces figs, prunes, walnuts, and grapes which the monks harvest from the orchards and vineyards to sustain the community.

The monks who live and work at the Abbey describe themselves as a community of Cistercian monks living the Rule of Saint Benedict. Their mission statement continues, “We witness God’s love for the world according to the Gospel of Jesus Christ by a life of prayer, labor, and sustainable stewardship of our resources in simplicity and openness of the signs of the times. Our monastery welcomes all people in a spirit of hospitality, and engages others in collaborative relationships.”

The core values of the community are: Hospitality, Manual Labor, Prayer, Simplicity, and Solitude.

FOOD

We had some quality college food at Madison Bear Garden, Chico, CA, followed by a tour of Chico State by Esteemed Alumnus, Keith Aldrich. We got some serious insider knowledge of the place and life in Chico. Thanks Keith!

#50churches is always better in community — this was a special visit because of the fantastic company: Keith and Jordan, Connor, Asia and Maia and Tara.  

Postscript

Favorite out-of-context quote:

"Winery, right. Church, left. All life choices come down to that." - Jordan, reading a sign as we entered the monastery grounds.

The effect of our visit on Keith was substantial.

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48. Epiclesis, Sacramento, CA [August 10, 2014]

Epiclesis “Eh-pih-KLEE-sis” wasn't originally on my list. And even after a friend recommended it, it was on the waiting list until this morning. This past year, I’ve come to appreciate unique worship experiences, but, the thing is, unique worship experiences are often small and can be awkward for the first time visitor. Sometimes, as a first time visitor, I just like the anonymity of a larger church. But I took a risk this morning and attended Epiclesis on Winding Way, near American River College in Sacramento. 

Epiclesis is an “Ancient-Future Faith Community.” Meaning that they are an “evangelical, Christian church that believes the road to the future runs through the past... [Their] worship and spirituality are deeply rooted in classic Christianity. [They] are convinced that the faith and practice of the ancient Church will engage our culture more effectively and provide a way forward in a time of almost unbelievable transition and change.” Never heard of “Ancient-Future”? Here is a short blog post from Pastor Chris explaining how they fit that description.

Here is what I noticed:

There was lectionary, liturgy, spirit-filled worship, group prayer, gratitude expressed for a Star Wars toy, moments of silence, improvisational worship, anointing with oil, the laying on of hands, sharing from the congregation, special music, a reference to Gilligan’s Island, the Lord’s Supper, and a time of teaching -- all in one service.

Worship is multi-generational.

Most of the people in the room participated in the service in one way or another.

At one point in the service, before the Time of Offering, Pastor Chris asked, “Where have you seen the kingdom of God break through this week in ways great or small?” People stood and shared stories that involved gardening, jumper cables, hot water heaters, and homeless people. Each story, though very ordinary, gave us a glimpse of how God might see and redeem our day-to-day lives.

After two sisters sang a beautiful version of Oceans (Where Feet May Fail), people in the congregation reported how that song kept reappearing in their lives during the past week. Coincidence? I think not.

The message was well-researched, thoughtful and well-presented, soliciting engagement with the congregation, deepening the understanding of the biblical story. I encourage you to listen online.  

The Table, or Lord’s Supper, was the “high moment of the service.”

My favorite out-of-context quote: “I’m thinking, maybe he was a bit of a goobersmack jumping out of that boat.”

My takeaway mantra for the week: “Take courage. I AM. Fear not.” – Jesus’ words from Matthew 14:27

Members of the congregation gathered in prayer around a young woman leaving the next day for South Africa to work with Oceans of Mercy.

So, in the end, visiting Epiclesis was worth the risk. Launched in 2009, there was approximately 60 people in attendance on this particular Sunday. And even though they all seemed very well-acquainted, they were welcoming to me and encouraged my participation.  

FOOD

I couldn't drive through Carmichael without grabbing some coffee beans from Boulevard Coffee.

Then for lunch I stopped at Adalberto’s in Rancho Cordova for a California burrito.

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47. Sun River Church, Rancho Cordova [July 27, 2014]

In the gap between the two Sunday morning services at Sun River there is a mass gathering on the patio just outside the front doors. There is coffee. There are donuts. And there are a lot of people. As you walk from your car to the parking lot, you can hear the hum of people talking and laughing.

Me and my friend Dean -- church-selfie.

The toughest part of attending church at Sun River is actually getting into church service. It is easy to get stuck just outside the doors, locked in conversation, desperately trying to catch up with all your friends. We finally got to our seats 10 minutes into the service. (Apologies to the people leading the service.)

“It’s late. I'd better get into church.” I said, seeking to excuse myself from one final conversation.

“This is church,” my friend replied.

 As you can probably tell, we have a history at Sun River. In fact, despite being wandering nomads when it comes to church, Sun River could likely be called our “home” church. Tara and I first met while on volunteer youth staff at Sun River 26 years ago. (We were pre-teens ourselves. At least that is how we remember it.) We were married at in the sanctuary at Sun River on a smoldering hot July day 25 years ago (25th Anniversary gifts can be sent to the address below. Cash appreciated.). In addition, always beyond expectation, Sun River facilitated us, supported us and always welcomed us back, throughout our years living and working abroad. We still have many dear friends who worship there.

The Message:

The present message series, entitled “Journey of Faith” Is based on the book, The Critical Journey: Stages in the Life of Faith by Hagberg and Guelich. I highly recommend it. A couple of different online summaries can be found here and here. 

Favorite quotes from the message from Dr. Paul Edwards:

“Grace always runs downhill to meet us, not up and to the right.”

“If you don’t go to the grave confused, you don’t go trusting.” – Re-quoting Dr. Larry Crabb

"When it comes to God’s will, the sooner you get out of the conjecture business the better."

Speaking of Dr.Paul Edwards

Paul with our girls in Kyrgyzstan

Paul eating a meal with our friend Bilembek in Kyrgyzstan.

Oh, and Paul showing off his athleticism in Kyrgyzstan.

SUNDAY EVENING

Continuing our Sun River Church Day, we attended the Claney /Clark wedding at the North Ridge Country Club in Fair Oaks. We first met the Claney family at Sun River Church in 1994, and, from 1994 to 2008, we periodically lived next door to them. During our time working overseas, the Claney family graciously provided us with a Folsom home whenever we spent extended time in the States.

At the wedding, we were again surrounded by longtime (none of us admit to being “old”) friends. It was a beautiful wedding and a fitting celebration for a fantastic young couple. Additionally, I was freshly impressed (is “re-impressed” a word?), at the sincere, deeply held friendships among our Sun River friends. Like many small and mid-sized churches located in places like Rancho Cordova, Sun River goes unnoticed for the most part, nevertheless, the staff and faithful families continue to devote themselves to each other in deep, sustaining relationships, as they seek to live God-honoring lives and serve their neighbors together.   

Oh, in case you are wondering, the food at the wedding was really good as well. Topped off with mini Mason jar pies from Karen’s Bakery in Historic Folsom. 

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30-seconds of New Season Christian Center Worship led by Eddie James. 

[50churches]

46. New Season Christian Christian Worship Center, South Sacramento [July 20, 2014]

This week #50churches finally made it to New Season (Cantico Nuevo) Christian Worship Center in South Sacramento. I was a little confused at first because there are at least four churches on this short stretch of 44th Street. 

The meeting place of BOSS -- Bayside of South Sacramento is directly across the street (see photo below). I was tempted to try and visit both churches in the same week. Do I get extra credit for that?

Each church distinguishes itself with colorful flags bearing the name of the church. 

The inside of the New Season is attractive and conducive to worship. The congregation is ethnically diverse and come eager to worship. The worship singing was powerful and emotionally and spiritually moving. I have a short 30-second video on the blog to give you a taste. 

The pastor, Rev. Samuel Rodriguez was both passionate, in a black-gospel preacher sort of way, and thoughtful. He was loud and crazed throughout. At one point, hot and sweaty, he stripped off his jacket and threw it to someone in the front row. He also illustrated the story of Jesus turning over the temple tables by, you guessed it, turning over a large table loaded with goods himself. However, he also thoughtfully revealed the wisdom of the passage from which he was teaching. For example, he noted that holy anger is, at the same time, indignant toward injustice and merciful to those who have hurt us in the past (1 Samuel 11:13). His impressive résumé can be found on church's website. It was a joy to get to hear him speak. 

My favorite quote: "We need more angry people in the church." He said that righteous indignation -- holy anger -- means we push back! He had the people chanting, "I'm angry!" "I'm mad as heaven and I'm not going to take it anymore!" People would rise to the feet and encourage him on. In addition, to add to the drama, his significant points were punctuated by music from the worship band. It all had the volume and rhythm of a black-gospel choir. He made it clear that "People full of righteous indignation do not tolerate the status quo!" 

FOOD

Late night Caprese Salad at Hot Italian. 

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I had a busy day. Here is another way to look at it. 

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45. Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, Sacramento [July 13, 2014]

After 45 church visits, I have something to confess. It is substantially more fun to venture out and have new experiences with a friend or two. My family has been great, but periodically I have had to make a visit alone. So sad. No fun. This past Sunday was a blast. Not only did my wife and oldest daughter come along, but six very dear friends participated as well.

  The Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament sits near the State Capitol at 11th and J. I've learned that many of the downtown parking garages provide free parking on Sundays for parishioners of the downtown churches. The parking garage for the Cathedral is right next door.

  What we noticed:

Children are part of the church family. There was a prayer and blessing for the children. About 20 minutes into the service, when the elementary-aged children were dismissed to their program, there was a processional of kids right down the center aisle with the Bible held high by the boy at the front of the group. This also meant that the remainder of the service was punctuated by the sounds of the younger children who remained in the service with their parents.

The service almost felt like church-as-musical, accompanied by pipe organ and led by a cantor with a beautiful tenor voice.

The Cathedral worship experience is stimulating and multi-sensory. There is a fantastically beautiful building with biblical reminders and messages everywhere, transcendent music, the smell of incense, burning candles, and a large crowd of participating parishioners. I found it easy to worship there.  

My favorite line from the homily: “A parable is a little like an English muffin.” He went on to say that it is simple, but with many nooks and crannies, dripping with relevance, significance and meaning.

"It was so beautiful when we walked in, I almost swore. That would have been bad." -- my daughter, Asia

FOOD

Wanting to watch the World Cup Final, we tried to eat lunch at Hot Italian, but when we arrived 30 minutes into the match, the place was wall-to-wall people. We ended up at Café Bernardo for a very nice two-hour lunch. We were able to at least keep track of the final by taking a few peeks at the TVs in the bar. Since you asked: Germany deserved to win. They dominated from the beginning of the tournament. 

FOOD 2

It was a busy day, and, in the end, we did get to eat at Hot Italian after all. Maia decided to have her birthday dinner there. By 6 pm, well after the final was over and all the worn out servers were relieved by fresh ones, Hot Italian wasn’t crowded at all. It was just right. 

The birthday girl and her boyfriend, Josh. 

[50churches]

44. Buddhist Church of Sacramento [July 12, 2014]

We ventured out of our Christian-church comfort zone to attend the annual Obon Odori Festival at the Buddhist Church of Sacramento, located right off highway 50 at 2401 Riverside Blvd.

Obon or just Bon is a Japanese Buddhist custom to honor the spirits of one's ancestors. This Buddhist-Confucian custom has evolved into a family reunion holiday during which people return to ancestral family places and visit and clean their ancestors' graves, and when the spirits of ancestors are supposed to revisit the household altars. It has been celebrated in Japan for more than 500 years and traditionally includes a dance, known as Bon-Odori.

It reminded me of Japanese Line Dancing. 

Buddhist Churches of America (BCA) temples in the U.S [like this one in Sacramento, which was founded in 1899] typically celebrate Bon Odori with both religious Obon observances and traditional Bon Odori dancing around a yagura or “bandstand tower”. Many temples also concurrently hold a cultural and food bazaar providing a variety of cuisine and art, also to display features of Japanese culture and Japanese-American history. [via http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bon_Festival]

FOOD

Teriyaki beef and rice and a Teriyaki beef sandwich, followed by Shave Ice from the vendors at the festival. 

[50churches]

43. Sacramento Friends Community Church, East Sacramento [June 29, 2014]

Friends Community Church is surrounded by houses in an East Sacramento neighborhood, not far from McKinley Park. The foundation stone on the old, red brick building says that it was originally “First Covenant Church”.   

What I noticed:

I felt transported back to the mid-1970s and to the small neighborhood church that I grew up in. The inside is a stereotypical, traditional church – vaulted ceiling, wooden pews and pulpit, rose window at the front, stained glass windows lining the sanctuary.

The service began with two hymns: number 503, “Since Jesus Came into My Heart” and 502, “In My Heart There Rings a Melody” – hymns right out of my memory.

Prayer played a prominent place in the service. They shared prayer needs and updated each other about people or situations they had previously prayed about together. They also expressed concern and prayed for believers facing difficulties in other parts of the world.  

Not only were there hymns, but there were what was called “Songs”, more contemporary music accompanied by a guitar. One of the ‘modern’ songs was “Mansion Builder” by Second Chapter of Acts. Now, since it was recorded in 1977, you would have to have been around Christianity for a long time to know that song.

Later in the service, the pianist led us in verse of “He Touched Me” which I remember from this album by the Imperials. Man, do I feel old right now.  

We attended an unprogrammed Friends service early in the #50churches. This Friends church made the cut because we wanted to try a programmed Friends service as well. Ironically, or is it, Consequently, this was a special week – one without a message. In its place, they had “Open Worship” -- unprogrammed, extended silence and people were invited to share as they were led by the Spirit. The pastor stepped down from behind the pulpit and sat with the congregation. During this time, two men punctuated the silence with longer sharing, maybe 7 minutes long each. It was thoughtful and almost sounded like preaching.           

During the sharing time, one man stood and simply said, “Never confuse the will of the majority with the will of God.” This simple quote might just typify the commitment of the people of Sacramento Friends Community Church.

Since it is almost Independence Day, we had a Declaration of Independence shirt in the house!

Just seven more visits left...

FOOD

Temple Coffee at 28th and S Streets. 

[50churches]

42. St. Andrew’s in the Highlands Episcopal Church, Antelope, CA [June 22, 2014]

My first visit to St. Andrew’s didn’t go so well. I showed up a whole hour early to an empty parking lot. Despite the temptation to stick around and vie for a good seat, I made a quick change of plans, left and attended the 9:45 am service at Bayside Church in Granite Bay.  

St. Andrew’s sits on a corner, sharing its entrance with a pleasant-looking trailer park on Watt Ave., very near the line where North Highlands meets Antelope. It’s a well-worn building with bright red doors. Outside the USA flag flies alongside the blue and white Scottish flag -- St. Andrew’s Cross.

What I noticed:

I was greeted at the door by Fr. Peter Rodgers, the Priest-in-Charge at St. Andrew's and a professor currently teaching New Testament at Fuller Theological Seminary.    

People were friendly to each other and welcoming to me, the stranger.

The prelude at the beginning of the service was played on a harpsichord. 

A recent and unique feature at St. Andrew's is the installation of a pipe organ carefully built in the style of Northern European instruments from around 1615. The German motto in the facade: "Singen wir aus Herzens Grunde" was carved in redwood by Mr. George Simpson of St. Andrew's and quotes an old hymn: "Let us sing from the depths of our hearts."

The Message:

Fr. Rodgers, dressed in a white robe and green sash with his well-worn black Bible held to his side, expounded the first reading of the day’s lectionary: Genesis 21:8-21. He began by quoting Martin Luther, who said, “Nothing is more beautiful than Genesis or more useful.”

Nonetheless, Genesis 21 is a dark and troubling passage, most probably because it resonates as common human experience. In fact, Fr. Rodgers mentioned that there are literary parallels in Genesis between chapter 3: the fall of Adam and Eve, chapter 16: Abraham and Sarah plotting to conceive Ishmael through Hagar, and lastly, here in chapter 21: the Abraham family coming apart due to infighting and jealousy. Each case is an example of people taking ‘control’ of their own destiny, only to have it end tragically in expulsion.

In the midst of this tragic story of expulsion, we learn that there is a God who:

Listens.

Speaks.

Provides.

And Blesses.

We all know the stories. We know the chosen ones of the Genesis narrative: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. We can predict what God is going to do. Yet God surprises us. “And God was with the boy.” The excluded one -- the boy, Ishmael, may appear to have been rejected, but God will not let him go. God will even bless him in his wildness. “I am his God as well.” This foreshadows the bringing together of a people, both Jew And Gentile, who are "joint heirs" (Ephesians 3:16). 

[50churches]

The second-largest religion in each state

Buddhism, Islam and Judaism have the most followers after Christianity in most of states.

[50churches]

41. Lakehills Covenant Church, El Dorado Hills, CA [June 15, 2014]

Lakehills Covenant Church stands on an “El Dorado hill” overlooking the El Dorado Hills Town Center, and is, reportedly, a great place to watch the July 3 fireworks display.

What we noticed:

“The Return of the Prodigal Son” by Rembrandt hangs in the foyer. Well, not the original, which is housed at the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg, Russia, but a beautiful canvas reproduction. I agree with Rembrandt scholar Jakob Rosenberg who writes, “The whole [the painting] represents a symbol of homecoming, of the darkness of human existence illuminated by tenderness, of weary and sinful mankind taking refuge in the shelter of God's mercy.”

The building is welcoming and spacious, yet intimate, decorated in warm colors and reminiscent of a lodge that you might find tucked away in the forest.

During a song in which we sang of dancing in worship, a woman quietly left her seat on the front row and danced elegantly, returning to her seat at the end of the song, without a word about it from anyone.

People’s stories. As part of the wrap-up to their series entitled, “SHAPE: Finding and Fulfilling Your Unique Purpose for Life,” four church members told us stories from their life journeys and how God has and continues to influence their lives. There was a theme of growing in self-awareness through taking steps of faith and finding their unique contribution.

They asked people to complete a SHAPE Profile which looked to take into account a number of different aspects of a person’s life and experience. Quite thoughtful.

SHAPE, by the way, stands for Spiritual Gifts, Heart, Abilities, Personality, and Experiences.

This is entirely subjective (who am I fooling, this is all rather subjective), but we felt a faith-filled environment, evidenced by the eager practice of prayer, an openness to the Spirit of God, and everyday believers being encouraged to express their spirituality. And that felt good.

 FOOD

In honor of Father’s Day, I took a picture of the two beautiful mothers in attendance at Sunday dinner.   

I received concert tickets and a nice travel mug for Father's Day. My daughters came away from grandpa's with this. Jealous. 

[50churches]

40. St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church, Sacramento, CA [June 8, 2014]

This last week I made a couple visits to Oak Park in Sacramento.

The first was on Sunday, when a friend and I attended church at St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church. Pulling into the parking lot, the first thing that I noticed was the size of the building. It’s large -- expansive both inside and out. The greeters were genuinely friendly and the ushers were dressed in uniforms, complete with white gloves, similar to what we had seen at other traditionally black churches.  We arrived at what we thought was on-time, only to find the pastor already at the pulpit speaking as we were led to our seats. Pastor Dr. Ephriam Williams was relating stories, some current and some nostalgic. He appeared to be giving his personal op-ed piece on some current events to get the service started. My favorite line, as he was commenting on a recent happening in the African-American community, was “Just because we are black doesn't mean we have to be crazy.”

What we noticed:

The church prominently displays: The Church Theme: “Edifying the Church to do the work of the Kingdom.” (Ephesians 4:11-16), and the Church Priorities: Evangelism, Discipleship, Prayer, and Outreach/Missions on banners at the front of the sanctuary. You can also find the Vision and Mission Statements on the front cover of the bulletin each week. 

Look in the dictionary under “Sunday best”, n -- (Clothing & Fashion) “one's best clothes, especially regarded as those most suitable for churchgoing,” and you just might find a photo of St Paul. The choir was in well-dressed in all black, as I mentioned, the ushers were in uniform and everyone, it appeared, was in their “Sunday best,” even in the summer heat.

There was a fine gospel message by associate pastor, Rev. Francis Moore, entitled “Bridge the Gap.” Making a tie-in to the motto of their Family Life Center, he gave a thoughtful exposition of 1-Timothy 2:5 on how “the man, Christ Jesus” is the Bridge Builder between man and God.   

FOOD

We stopped by for Pho from KP International Market in Rancho Cordova. And here's a photo of what we didn't eat!

Wednesday night, I returned to Oak Park to attend a 916 Ink book release party -- the 33rd book published by 916 Ink, and our first comic book. The event was held at The Brickhouse Art Gallery at 36th St & Broadway. This book project was the result of a 12-week creative writing program with 3rd-5th graders at nearby Capital Heights Academy. Fantastic evening in Oak Park!  

[50churches]

39. Saint Elias Russian Orthodox Church in Diamond Springs, California [June 1, 2014]

After Saint Anna last week, we weren't planning on visiting another Orthodox Church this Sunday, but while visiting with good friends Saturday evening, they mentioned that they were planning on venturing out to Diamond Springs to visit Saint Elias for the first time and invited us to come along.

Diamond Springs is only about 20 miles east of our house in Folsom, but visiting the small, quaint, gold-mining-era town, feels a little like going back in time.

The liturgy at Saint Elias is, of course, very similar to what we experienced last Sunday at Saint Anna. However, we did notice a few differences that can likely be attributed to Saint Elias being in the Russian Orthodox tradition and Saint Anna being Greek. For example, even though both churches revere icons of the saints, during the liturgy at Saint Elias, time was set aside for people to venerate a few prominently displayed icons of saints by standing and bowing before them, crossing themselves, and kissing each icon. There was also specific prayers offered for believers in Russia and Russian Orthodox Church leaders. And finally, the women in attendance wore headscarves, which we didn't see at Saint Anna.

The differences are small, however. Not only do the churches hold to the same ancient traditions and liturgy, but members at both churches feel a sense of community with the worldwide Orthodox Church and practice fellowship regularly with other local and regional Orthodox churches.

“Religious conversion refers to the adoption, wholesale, of a set of beliefs identified with one particular religious denomination to the exclusion of others. Thus 'religious conversion' would describe the abandoning of adherence to one denomination and affiliating with another.” -- Wikipedia

When churches talk about conversion, we usually think of an individual who decides to adopt a particular set of religious beliefs. But back in 1995, Saint Elias went through its own conversion – as an entire church. Historically an evangelical church in the Vineyard movement, 19 years ago, 23 members of the church converted to Russian Orthodoxy. I didn't have a chance to hear the whole story, but I would like to someday.

FOOD

Que Viva Mexican Restaurant in Cameron Park, CA.  

[50churches]

38. Saint Anna Greek Orthodox Church, Roseville, CA [May 23-24, 2014]

After our visit to a Catholic church last Sunday, Tara mentioned that we hadn't yet visited an Orthodox church. “True. True.” I thought and started browsing for Orthodox churches in the Sacramento area.

 Perfect timing.  Based solely on their website (how many decisions do we say that about these days?), I decided that Saint Anna Greek Orthodox Church in Roseville looked like a great place to try. Serendipitously, the weekend we chose to visit was also the three-day Greek Food Festival. So we started with dinner on Saturday.

FOOD First

The largest tent at the festival housed the buffet of Greek food. There was Greek salad, loukaniko, spanakopita, fasolada, grilled chicken, lamb, moussaka, and so much more. It was a beautiful evening to sit out under the ancient oak trees, the band playing Greek music in the background, and stuff ourselves with good, handmade food.

After dinner, as it grew dark, we ran into a few friends and walked through the booths. While eating koulourakia for desert, we started up a conversation with Rev. Deacon Joseph Ruocco-Brown, one of the clergy who serves the congregation of St. Anna. He graciously answered our many questions and gave us a guided tour of the sanctuary, relating many of the stories behind the relics, icons of saints, and the historic practices of the Orthodox Church.

  Deacon Joseph told us about what makes St. Anna unique: even though “Saint Anna Church...was originally founded by a small group of Greek Americans, ...today the parish aptly reflects the American experience and comprises approximately 200 families representing at least 12 different nationalities, all witnessing to the Good News of Jesus Christ, striving to reflect His love, and living according to the ancient Christian principles and disciplines of the Orthodox Christian Church.” I had the privilege of seeing this in action the following morning during the morning liturgy.

Sunday Morning starts early with Orthros – prayers that are corporately read and sung. Following Orthros is the Divine Liturgy, which is the focal point of the Orthodox Church community. The unity and unbroken historical practice of the church are core values of the Orthodox Church. As it says on the website, they “are precisely the same Church across the globe, and across time, preaching the Gospel, teaching the Lord’s commandments, and worshipping God in spirit and in Truth just as we have these many centuries.” For example, they brag that their “newest service is 1,300 years old!”

Here are some of things I noticed during liturgy:

No technology – no lights, no microphones, no electric instruments (actually no musical instruments at all) during the service, until the very end. During the short homily, one of the young-men-wearing-a-robe (not his official title) set up a small video camera on a tripod to film the homily (which can be found online).

The majority of the service is spent standing and singing. Not all Orthodox churches have the congregation sing along, but they do here throughout the entire service.

The content of the liturgy feels like continuous congregational prayer. While the people are praying, the priest and young-men-wearing-robes are not directing their actions toward the people. You get the feeling that their audience is God and that they are facilitating the prayers of the people. For the theologically minded among us: “The Divine Liturgy has two main parts. The first part is the gathering, called the synaxis. It has its origin in the synagogue gatherings of the Old Testament, and is centered in the proclamation and meditation of the Word of God. The second part of the Divine Liturgy is the eucharistic sacrifice. It has its origin in the Old Testament temple worship, the priestly sacrifices of the People of God; and in the central saving event of the Old Testament, the Passover (Pascha).” More Here

Icons are everywhere. They are the “cloud of witnesses” that surrounds us on our journey of faith (Hebrews 12:1). Deacon Joseph knows them by name. He is inspired by their stories. They are like the framed photos that line the walls of our grandparents’ houses, locating us by reminding us of who has gone before us and serving as spiritual role models.

I feel like there is much more that I could share. Memories of my visit have lodged in my mind: the rich pageantry and acting out of the liturgy, the smell of incense, the young-men-wearing-robes bearing crosses and candles, the icon-saints surrounding the sanctuary – still very much alive in the practice of the church, the prayerful singing, and the climax of the service -- the diverse congregation from around the globe, both young and old together, coming forward to share in the Eucharist.

I’m glad St. Anna was one of the stops on our journey.   

[50churches]

37. Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Church, Carmichael [May 18, 2014]

The spacious Our Lady of Assumption Catholic Church is adorned with lightly stained wood, gold trim, large white candles, long gold banners, and white marble pillars. The side walls of the half-circular sanctuary are lined with wood carvings of the Stations of the Cross and tall, thin, brightly colored, stained-glass windows.     

What we noticed:

We were greeting by a friendly, white-robed priest as we entered, just as things were getting started.

The liturgy included different congregants reading passages of Scripture, including Kelly Brothers of KCRA. 

Quote of the day: (On the subject of calling and vocation) "Jesus tells us that he is the Way, the Truth and the Life. If our primary life pursuit is the Way, the Truth and Life, it will make all we choose to do holy."

I had to chuckle to myself when the priest raised his hands and said, "We proclaim the mystery of faith." For at that moment I was a little lost as to what was going on. In our very limited experience (two visits to a Catholic Church), we have felt like we are expected to know what is going on. The other liturgical churches, Episcopal and Lutheran, felt slightly more inclusive of the inexperienced, like ourselves. It is all a part of our faith adventure. 

It was nice to see people of all ages worshiping together and assisting in worship. I wish I could have taken photos of the young people, robbed in white, waiting patiently against the back wall of the platform, with their tennis shoes poking out underneath their gowns.  I was reminded of the Richard Wilbur poem "Love Calls Us to the Things of this World", which includes the lines:

The morning air is all awash with angels.

Some are in bed-sheets, some are in blouses,   

Some are in smocks: but truly there they are.   

Now they are rising together in calm swells   

Of halcyon feeling, filling whatever they wear   

With the deep joy of their impersonal breathing.