We go to church down south

Bethel Community Church, Washougal, Washington
Why do people say “things are going south” like that’s a bad thing? We spent October to going to the furthest east, west, north, and south churches we could find in Washington state. Sunday we went south, and we thought it was a pretty good thing.

On Saturday night we crossed the border into Oregon. Because I work at a hotel in Seattle, we were able to get a free night’s stay at a sister hotel in Portland. After a good night’s sleep and a continental breakfast, we made the short drive back over the border to Washougal, Washington. (Mindy’s internet research turned up a town further south in the state, but she couldn’t find a church there. We could have gone to the other church on the same east-west street, but Bethel Community Church won our virtual coin flip.

When we pulled into the parking lot and got out of the car, we heard an amplified voice. We were curious if the church sound system was that loud, but pretty soon figured out it wasn’t coming from the church. The community’s Halloween 5K run was just finishing up a couple of blocks away, so we walked down and saw some of the costumes and heard some of the winners announced. 

Then we headed back to church for the 10:45 am worship service. The gentleman who shook my hand at the door said, “Have a good day! God’s Word!”

A large area just outside the sanctuary served as a meeting place. People chatted as they got cookies cookies and water at a table or at the counter where coffee and tea was available. Mindy had gone to find a restroom, and so I stood by myself for a bit. No one approached me but, to be fair, I had a cold and was blowing my nose. I wouldn’t have wanted to approach me either. When I saw Mindy next, she introduced me to Penny, who had introduced herself when she saw Mindy at the cookie table. It was time to go in the sanctuary, so we found seats toward the back and watched the announcements on the screens up front (along with a presentation of the church’s core values).

Pastor Rich Blum walked the central aisle greeting people. He greeted us, and, in fact, had already gotten our business card from Penny. But now it was really time for the service to start. Pastor Rich pointed at his mike and the tech crew gave him sound. He directed all of us to look to the screen for video announcements (children’s and adult Christmas choirs were starting that day; there would be a Harvest Festival at the church on October 31st and candy was needed). Pastor Rich said the planned video promoting Samaritan’s Purse wasn’t working, so he just reminded people to pick up a box, fill it, and bring it back the Sunday before Thanksgiving. This was part of the church’s annual “Christmas in October,” which is a way they focus on missions. Pastor Rich then announced the greeting time.

I spent most of the greeting time talking with Darrin, who happens to be the chair of the elder board (he was sitting right in front of me). I asked him what led him to this church and what he appreciated about it. He said he and his wife had both grown up in (different) small towns, going to small churches. Before they came to Bethel, they’d gone to a large church of 3000 people. B, but Darrin said he knew more people in this smaller church than he had at the larger church. He noted that the greeting time this morning, with many people chatting for a prolonged time, was something that happened every Sunday. He also appreciated the expository preaching in the church and mix of hymns and choruses that appealed to young and old.

(Mindy and I particularly appreciated the lyrics of one of the morning’s choruses: “Shout to the north and the south, sing to the east and the west.” It seemed quite appropriate for our quest for the month.)

After singing and an offering, we stood as the morning’s Scripture was read. Pastor Rich said, “We stand to honor God as our only audience.”

Pastor Rich introduced Dennis Fuqua, the guest speaker for the morning and director of International Renewal Ministries. During the day’s “Christmas in October” celebration, the church has a missionary speaker during the worship service and another during a potluck following the second service.

Dennis’ message that morning was “Shalom Should Shape Your Prayers.” Shalom is the Hebrew word for peace, but it has a broader meaning: not just the absence of conflict, but also prosperity, health, harmony, favor, and security. Dennis talked to other people about what the word means and heard definitions such as “Nothing missing, nothing broken” and “The way things should be.” Perhaps the best definition is one Jesus used in John 10:10 -- “Abundant life.”

Dennis talked about a trip he and his wife had taken during the summer. They drove the perimeter of the state of Washington, praying that the towns they visited would have God’s Shalom. We could relate to that kind of travel (especially when he mentioned two of the communities we visited during October, Clarkston and Neah Bay).

After church, Mindy and I were debating whether to attend the potluck. Though visitors as a group had been encouraged to attend, no one had personally invited us, but then someone did, so we went. (We didn’t see that person at the potluck, though!) We sat at a table with Marge, who had served many years with Wycliffe, particularly in Brazil. She said the church supported her through her years of ministry, and when she retired, she was able to move into the church’s former parsonage. She’d been born a few houses away, and she’s lived in the parsonage for the last ten years. We enjoyed meeting her and the others who welcomed us to their table.

We headed back north that afternoon happy to see that God is still at work at all points of the compass in Washington (and throughout the world).

We go to church up north

Valley Community Church, Sumas, WashingtonIn the news, thousands of people are walking toward the United States border. On Sunday, Mindy and I were the only ones walking toward the border. We were coming from Canada in the north, rather than through Mexico from the south, but I wasn’t completely anxiety-free.

This month we’re going to the furthest north, south, east, and west churches in Washington State, and this week we went north. Mindy came across Sumas, a town that’s right on the Canadian border. It’s the northernmost town in Washington -- and in the contiguous US -- because of a surveying error that placed part of the town north of the 49th parallel. Post office boxes seem to be the main business in town; among other things, we read that Canadians have their Amazon purchases delivered to mailboxes on the US side of the border.

Mindy had her passport with her, but mine has expired. She wanted to cross the border for the fun of it, so we walked toward the checkpoint, and I figured I’d wait while she crossed and came back. Instead, a border guard greeted us and told us we’d already crossed the invisible line. I ended up going through the border with just my (not enhanced) driver’s license, but we made it back in plenty of time for church.

Valley Community Church is just a block and a half south of the border, on the south side of Garfield, the street the 49th parallel runs through. We were surprised to learn that we were further north than everything in Maine. We had another surprise when we looked closely at the sign for the church. In new clear print we could read, “Valley Community Church, Sun. 10:30 AM - Youth Ministry - MOPS - Food Bank.” But we could also read, in very faint, faded lettering, a former incarnation of the sign: “Desperado’s Saloon - Pull Tabs - Dining - Dancing”. (We briefly debated whether this would also count as our bar visit for the week. We ruled it out.)

We walked in the front door from the street, and we soon saw that most people came through the back door by the parking lot. We missed picking up a bulletin, but we were greeted by Philomena. “You came on a good day, we’re having a potluck...We’re all family here.”

As the worship service began, Pastor Jeff introduced himself and said, “All you kids that are part of the Christmas program, you are dismissed.” As they headed to another room to practice, Jeff played a guitar and led the singing. He told people, “Feel free to stand or sit, sing or be quiet in the presence of God.”

Pastor Cliff came forward to lead “Body Ministry” time. “This is the time in the service when it is important to share. A word of knowledge, a word of wisdom.” Some people shared Scripture and others shared what was on their hearts. One man asked for prayer for “children going through things they should never have to go through.” Obviously there were congregants with a charismatic backgrounds, because during this time many joined in, “Thank you, Jesus.”

Pastor Jeff dismissed another group, “The teens can go to your class. You’ll be missed, but you can go to your class.” He then gave some announcements, “Before we go to the Word -- next week is Harvest Festival. You know the drill. Because of the festival we won’t have prayer meeting next Sunday night.” He finished with an announcement about what was happening after the worship service, “Please stay for the potluck. We need your help to eat all the food.”

Pastor Jeff’s sermon continued a year long series on “Like Jesus.” This sermon was part three of “A Friend of Sinners… Like Jesus.” The Scripture passage was Luke 6: 27 - 42, which included Jesus’ instructions on loving your enemies. Jeff took some time to talk about the need to be kind to people you disagree with on social media. (Even if they disagree with your politics? Wow. That seems rather counter cultural.) Insulting people, he pointed out, is “not the will of God. How are we advancing the Word of God in that person’s life?”

After the sermon, we shared communion. Oyster crackers served as the bread, a very practical and tasty choice more churches should consider. It seemed the service was over, but Marguerite said not yet. October is Pastor Appreciation Month and she, along with Philomena, brought forward gifts for Pastors Jeff and Cliff. (There is another pastor, Bud, who was home sick. His gift was left at the church for him.) Marguerite said, “Not only does Pastor give us good words, he works full time, and raises a family, and is a good man.”

We stayed for the potluck and enjoyed the chili, meatballs, salad, and carmel corn (and all the other desserts, too). I asked Jim what he appreciated about Valley Community Church. He said he came for the opportunity to lead Royal Rangers, an Assemblies of God boys’ scouting-type ministry.

Later, when we were able to talk to Pastor Jeff. He came when the church was planted over a decade ago. He was then an associate pastor, but when the founding pastor moved to Colorado, he asked Jeff to take his place. As Marguerite mentioned, Jeff is bi-vocational, working full-time at a door company. (I worked for a door manufacturer myself during college summers -- Cal-Wood Door in Rohnert Park.)

Mindy and I began to this project to see how God is working in HIs church in this country, and it was good to see He is doing good things even at the far edges.

We go to church way out west

Neah Bay Presbyterian Church, Neah Bay, Washington
You could say, “Go West, Young Man” applied to us. Except you'd have to change it to “woman and man.” And the “young” part doesn’t really apply.

Otherwise, Horace Greeley could have been talking right to us this past weekend. As we near the end of our “visit a new church every week” project, we thought it would be fun to mirror the beginning of this adventure. Back in 2015, we visited the furthest north, south, east, and west churches we could find in California. Now we’re visiting the furthest north, south, east, and west churches we can find in Washington state.

So this week, we went as far west as we could (easily) go in Washington state, which was also pretty much the furthest west we could drive in the contiguous United States. And we went to the furthest west church we could find.

On Saturday we drove to Klahowya Campground in the Olympic National Forest to spend the night by the Sol Duc River. It was the last weekend the campground was open for the year, and it was very quiet. We got up early the next morning to drive the hour or so to Neah Bay, which is part of the Makah Reservation. We had an hour before church started, so we drove to the parking lot at the base of the Cape Flattery trail, which took us as far west as we could go. Then we drove back to Neah Bay.

Mindy’s research had found two possible churches: an Assembly of God Church and a Presbyterian Church, both in Neah Bay. We were leaning Presbyterian because we were pretty sure of when the worship service was. When we saw the two churches, which are a block apart, we did some eyeball calculations. It looked like the Presbyterian Church seemed to be a few feet more to the west.

We arrived at 10:30 am and looked at the sign on the side of the church that read Sunday School at 9:30. Some children filed out of the church and got into cars to go home. (We heard later that 12 - 15 kids have been attending Sunday School class, some from families that don’t attend the church.) The sign said the worship service started at 10:45, but when we got inside, Pastor George greeted us and said the service actually started more 11-ish.

Pastor George, sitting at a long table with his laptop, offered coffee and the restroom (after camping with minimal fire and water, Mindy appreciated the hot coffee and I appreciated the flushing). We sat at the table with Pastor George, and as other people came in the room, introduced us all as they sat at the table for a chat.

Some of the women who joined us told us about the history of the church, which for decades was, apart from the Indian Shaker church (unrelated to the Shakers we’d heard of before), the only church in town. They told us that the mural at the front of the sanctuary was financed by women in the church selling cookbooks. We heard about the church’s choir in the 1950’s and ‘60’s (we were urged to visit the local museum, where reel to reel tapes of those choir performances were housed).

One of the grandmothers quoted her granddaughter saying that they need to “pay attention to Pastor George and God” during the worship service. There was speculation that some might not make it to church that morning since the Seahawks were playing the Raiders in London, and the game had already started.

Pastor George mentioned he was disappointed that he hadn’t received more information from the denomination on disaster relief for the recent Florida hurricane. Since that hadn’t come in, he wondered if Mindy and I would be willing to share for their Minute for Missions. (Of course we agreed). By then, it was 11ish, so Pastor George asked the group if we should just go on chatting around the table or should we go to worship? Unanimous agreement on worship.

We sang many of our favorite hymns that morning, with music provided by the playlist on Pastor George’s tablet (“Take My Life,” “A Mighty Fortress is our God,” “Immortal, Invisible” among them). During the Passing of the Peace, there was time for everyone to shake the hand of every other person, and they did. During the Minute for Missions, Mindy and I told how we’ve seen God work in powerful ways through His Church, particularly Vieux Carre Baptist Church in the French Quarter of New Orleans.

Pastor George prayed for us, which we greatly appreciated. People shared other needs for the prayer time, which concluded with the Lord’s Prayer. (There was a moment of “Debt” / ”Trespass” confusion. We’ve experienced it other churches, too. Pastor George blamed his Methodist upbringing.) Pastor George prayed for hurricane victims in Florida, the local schools (including the high school football team), the tribal council and state government, and the upcoming elections.

The congregation is following the lectionary in their worship services, with Scripture readings from the Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms, and Gospels. The Gospel reading (for which we stood) was the story of the rich, young ruler from Mark. Pastor George commented, “That one caught my eye and kicked me in the backside.” He went on to say, “We’ve all had opportunities to give to the poor; sometimes we take them, and sometimes we don’t.”

After church, we had more time to chat around the table, this time with snacks along with the coffee. We couldn’t stay long, though; we had a long drive back to Seattle. Several people wished us well and even mentioned they’d be praying for us.

The Old Testament Scripture from the lectionary that morning was from chapter 23 of the book of Job. Verses 8 & 9 caught my attention, “But if I go to the east, he is not there; if I go to the west, I do not find him. When he is at work in the north, I do not see him; when he turns to the south, I catch no glimpse of him.”

I hate to disagree with Job, but we saw God at work in His Church in the east of Washington, and this week we saw it in the west. We trust we’ll see the same in the north and south over the next couple of weeks.