We Go to Church with a Saint We Didn't Know

Saint Columba Church, Fresno, California
“Would you like to hear the story of the stained glass?” Father Jim Snell asked us after the 8:00 am Holy Eucharist service. Though Mindy had noticed stained glass in another part of the church as we walked to the sanctuary, from inside we only saw the clear glass windows behind the altar with a cross hanging before them. The windows provide a lovely view of evergreen trees just outside.

The stained glass was elsewhere. Father Jim took us first to the chapel to see the two beautiful abstract glass windows representing the Resurrection and Heaven. “The Third Day” is a work by Corky Normart, a local artist and a parishioner of the church. The heart of the window was his first work in stained glass, along with a window for the fellowship hall representing creation. (Most impressively, Normart in was selected in 1997 to work on the dome of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, traditionally believed to be built on the location of Christ’s tomb).

Father Jim has served at Saint Columba for the last two decades. We told him about our project of visiting churches, and that though we’ve been to a number of Episcopal churches, we hadn’t been to any Anglican churches. Jim jokingly referred to the Anglican Church as “Catholic lite.”

There certainly were elements of the worship service that reminded us of worshiping in a Catholic church, like the vestments worn by those leading the worship service, the procession before the reading from the Gospel of John (chapter 1, verses 1-18), responses like “and with your spirit,” responsive readings and bowings toward the altar, and making the sign of the cross at several points during worship. There was the “passing of the peace” (though I often slip up and say “Good morning” rather than “Peace be with you”). But there are differences. For instance, it was so much easier for a newcomer to follow along in the worship booklet than we’ve found it to be in Roman Catholic masses, with much clearer directions of what’s being read and what we’re expected to do at any moment during the service. (Mindy mentioned that she also appreciated being addressed as “sisters and brothers” rather than “brethren” or even “brothers and sisters,” but we weren’t sure if this was a St Columba’s thing or an Anglican thing or just something we hadn’t noticed before.)

There are, of course, theological differences. In a Roman Catholic Church, only those who are Catholics in good standing are to receive the Eucharist, but we noticed in the worship booklet that all baptized believers in Jesus Christ were invited to partake. Mindy also noticed that some people ate the wafer and then drank from the cup while others received the wafer dipped in the wine. Father Jim said they tried to accommodate people for their comfort with regard to germs or alcohol consumption. The important thing, he said, was that all who desired to received the sacrament (“Whether that be the bread or the cup or both,” Father Jim added).

Another thing that the Anglican Church has in common with the Catholic Church is that Christmas does not end on the 25th. When we entered the church, “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing” was being played on the organ, and we sang “Joy to the World” during the service. The Twelve Days of Christmas continued on this New Year’s Eve morning, including the draped evergreens around the sanctuary, poinsettias in various corners, and the carved wooden nativity scene just inside the door. Father Phil, the congregation’s curate, even included a Santa shout out during the sermon about becoming a child of God (from the John 1 Gospel reading).

I appreciated the way Scripture was read by lay readers, shared as congregational responsive readings, and declaimed by the clergy. The congregation also read the Nicene Creed aloud. During the prayers of the people, birthdays and anniversaries were acknowledged along with illnesses and struggles.

We enjoyed worshiping at Saint Columba, and after we got back home, I was curious about the man the church was named after. Mindy had done a quick Wikipedia search, but the church website had information, too. Saint Columba was an Irish monk who sailed to Scotland in 562 and is credited with bringing the Gospel to that part of the world. In Iona, he and his companions formed a community devoted to prayer, singing Psalms, studying Scripture, and sharing the Gospel with others. The church website says, “Like those Christians at Iona, Saint Columba Church is a community of worship and prayer, dedicated to the Lord Jesus and to one another. We have heard God’s call. And we too are on mission, serving those around us, bringing the good news of Jesus to our friends, neighbors, and everyone we meet.”

Mindy and I are glad to be among that community, met and made to feel most welcome.