We Go to Church in North Dakota

The rites that usher a young person into adulthood certainly differ from culture to culture. If you’re a young man living on the Pacific Island of Vanuatu, you dive from a hundred foot tower with a vine tied to your ankle to keep you from hitting the ground. If you’re a boy in the Hamar tribe of Ethiopia, you will leap on top of a cow, jumping from one cow to another. And if you grow up in a Lutheran Church, you might have to speak in front of the congregation on Confirmation Sunday.

We were very happy when we realized it would be Confirmation Sunday the morning we attended the United Lutheran Church of Almont. Not only that, it would also be Reformation Sunday, marking the time Martin Luther broke with the Roman Catholic Church -- not only the start of the Lutheran Church, but all Protestant denominations. This particular Reformation Sunday begins the 500th anniversary celebration of Martin Luther nailing his 95 theses on the door of All Saints’ Church in Wittenberg, Germany.

Confirmation Day, the day young men and women become part of the church, is a big deal in many Lutheran families. On this day three young men, Kyler, Caleb, and Noah, were to become part of the church (or celebrate “the affirmation of their baptism”) as the conclusion of a two year process of classes and study. The average age of confirmation is 14. (Young women also are confirmed into church membership, but none were this day.)

The young men solemnly walked together to the front of the church along with the clergyman, Pastoral Intern William Dodd. During the service we sang songs that were chosen by the young men or their parents. At the Affirmation of Baptism, Caleb, Noah, and Kyler shared a Bible verse and spoke about why they found that verse meaningful. (I talked with Noah after the service and asked him whether he liked speaking in front of people. He said it wasn’t his favorite thing, but it was worth it to become part of the church.)

Kyler spoke about Philippians 4:13 (“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”). His essay on the verse also appeared in the bulletin, and it began with these words, “This verse is special to me because it is saying if you believe in Christ our Lord, you can accomplish anything you put your mind to.”

Noah’s verse was Hebrews 11:6 (“Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him”). He said in his essay that he chose that passage because it “is like a guideline of how to enter heaven.”  

Like Kyler, Caleb chose Phil. 4:13 saying, “When I think I can’t do something, I think of this verse… I can bring any problem to God.”

The parents and sponsors of the young men were brought forward for a time of prayer. Kyler, Caleb and Noah affirmed their faith in God and their trust in Jesus Christ for salvation.

Before communion, Intern Dodd said, “You don’t have to be a member here to receive the bread and the cup. You just need to want to be free of that ball and chain of sin” (a reference to the “ball and chain” he used as an illustration earlier in the children’s sermon). The confirmands received communion first and then helped serve. Noah dismissed congregants from their rows to come forward. Kyler served the cup, and Caleb collected the empty cups. Together, they served communion to Intern Dodd.

The pews were quite full; a number of visitors were in attendance to support the confirmands. (The population of Almont according to the 2010 census was 122. I counted 89 people in church.) A number of small children in church happily made their presence known throughout the service. Teri, in the row in front of us, said, “This is the most children’s noise I’ve heard for years.” Mindy agreed with her that “children’s noise” was a good thing. (Later, we heard another man saying of the children, “I like it. The more noise the kids make the better.”)

A potluck downstairs followed the service, and several people invited us to join in the meal. My eye was drawn to a dessert tower of rings that reminded me of Kristina Kringles, one of my favorite desserts.

I had an opportunity to talk to the pastoral intern during the potluck. When one hears “intern,” one might think of a young person, but William Dodd is a man with grown children (His daughter, whom I also met at the potluck, lives almost 50 miles away in Richardton). Dodd works full time for the state of North Dakota in a federally funded program to “reclaim” old coal mines. For many mines that “reclamation process,” we were told, is filling them with concrete to make them safe.

Dodd has been serving at Almont for nearly three years while also taking seminary classes. Graduation and ordination are both in his near future. He is also looking forward to retiring from his state job and putting more time into the church.

The Sims-Almont Lutheran Parish meets at the Almont church only every other week. The alternate weeks, the congregation meets in nearby Sims, a ghost town. All that remains of the place is the Sims Scandinavian Lutheran Church (built in 1884) and the parsonage next door, which was the church’s first location.

During lunch I sat next to Grant, a native of the community. I asked him what kept him at the church. “The fellowship, this is my home church. I feel like I’m in the community of God when I’m in this church. I’ve grown up with these people. I’ve a prejudice for the Lutheran church, particularly the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America).”

12 year old Claire stopped by our table, and I asked her what she liked about the church. Someone teasingly asked her if she liked the singing, and she gave an emphatic “No!” She said she like the new carpeting and the new TV installed on the wall of the room we were in. I asked her what the TV was used for, and she said they’d used it to watch Sunday School slides. I asked her what she liked about Sunday School, and she said she liked learning about God. She said she was looking forward to beginning the confirmation process.

I doubt we’ll make it back in two years for Claire’s affirmation of her baptism, but I’m sure it will be a wonderful service followed by delicious desserts.

Statistics

Service Length: 1 hour 26 minutes

Sermon Length: 9 minutes

Visitor Treatment: During the passing of the peace, people all around us greeted us warmly. Because it was a communion Sunday, there was a card in the pew for visitors to fill out (with the name of their home church to be written on the back) and drop in the offering plate or hand to an usher before taking communion

Followup by Tuesday Morning: none In early January, we got a lovely personal email from Pastor Bill Dodd thanking us for visiting (and for this post) and inviting us to come again

Our Rough Count: 89

Probable Ushers’ Count: 95

Snacks: a bountiful potluck, including a traditional North Dakota soup (knoephla) and delicious warm ham and cheese sandwiches (as well as coffee, water, and the aforementioned desserts)

Musicians: piano (woman)

Songs: “A Mighty Fortress is Our God”

“The Old Rugged Cross”

“Kyrie”

“This is the Feast”

“Alleluia, Lord, to Whom Shall We Go?”

“Were you There?”

“Here I am, Lord”

“The Great Thanksgiving”

“The Church’s One Foundation” (piano alone during Communion)

“For the Bread Which You Have Broken” (piano alone during Communion)

“Let Us Break Bread Together” (piano alone during Communion)

“Amazing Grace” (piano alone during Communion)

“Thank the Lord and Sing His Praise”

“Seek ye First”

Distance to Church: 3 blocks

Miles from Start: 40,640

Total 2016 Miles: 40,354

Church Website: http://wndsynod.org/congregations/

We go to church in Ohio...or is it a bar?

It hasn’t been unusual, when we ask people at bars what makes for a good church, to hear, “the church should serve beer.” And, when we say we’re going to a bar and a church in every state, people have occasionally thought we said we were going to a bar in a church in every state.

In Ohio, we finally went to a place that is both a bar and a church, although the two functions don’t overlap. Every day of the week Black Cloister is a bar, but on Sunday mornings, before the bar opens, the space is also home to a church. Unlike a few other churches that hold worship services or Bible studies in bars, there’s quite a connection between the two entities. Tom Schaeffer is both lead pastor of Threshold Church and CEO, GM, and Marketing Brewmaster of Black Cloister Brewing Company.

We visited twice; on Friday night we stopped in Black Cloister for drinks, and on Sunday morning, we came to the same address for worship with Threshold Church.

On Friday night, Toledo was a lively place. The pub is within blocks of a strip club (which had a pathetic sign advertising “college scholarships” for dancers) and, more happily, within blocks of the Mud Hens Baseball Stadium (we were able to walk into the stadium without a ticket in the 9th inning, and the Hens were winning). There were a lot of people in the streets, and there was a good crowd in the Black Cloister.

We went with our new friends from Mosaic Ministries, David and Kelly. David had a beer, Kelly had a white wine spritzer, Mindy had rose, and I had a pineapple cider. Sadly, David one among us who’s a fan of beer in this place that celebrates the art of brewing.

The pub is decorated with Reformation-era themed art and signs. Martin Luther was a fan of beer (his wife, Katie, the former nun, was the brewer in the family) as well as a theologian, so he fits in happily at the pub and the church, which is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. A Kickstarter campaign was used to start the Black Cloister, and a banner on the wall honors the “95 Heroes” of the campaign (echoing Luther’s 95 Theses nailed to the Wittenberg door which kick started the Reformation).

It’s second nature to us now to ask our two bar questions when drinks are in front of us, so we asked David and Kelly, “What makes for a good bar?” and “What makes for a good church?”

Kelly answered that at a bar, “I hope for a wide variety of drinks, because I don’t like beer but I want to try different things. I want to come with friends and be able to talk. I’m not looking to meet new people.”

David said he appreciates “the ability and willingness to make a good Mojito. Lots of bars won’t make one or use a bad mix.” He also likes creative mixed drinks with clever names.

As for a church, Kelly said she looks for “vulnerability. It should be okay to be different and have issues and not be shamed. People should be allowed to have problems.” She said she’s been to churches where people are clean on the outside but not inside. I was reminded of Jesus referring to the Pharisees as “whitewashed graves.”

David said worship is important, because that is what we’ll spend doing forever. He said the “worship should draw out the heart and draw people closer to Jesus.” It should teach the Word, making “self-supporting disciples rather than dependents.” There should be “grace and joy in expressing the love of Christ.”

On Sunday at 11:00 am, we returned to Black Cloister with David and Kelly for worship. No beer was being served (on Sundays, the bar opens at 1:00 pm), and children were present. Coffee, water, orange juice and hot water for tea or cocoa were available, along with muffins and coffee cake. A number of people greeted us, including Pastor/ Brewmaster Tom. We weren’t the only “media” people present. A local photographer was taking pictures for Living Lutheran.

I met a couple, Dave and Kylie, before worship began, and asked them what they like about this church. Kylie answered, “God’s here. It’s a happy place. It’s a community.”

Dave responded, “Tom’s a good teacher. And the church is missional-based, concerned for reaching out. It’s not judgemental.” They’ve attended the church for ten years through four different moves, including a time when they were meeting in people’s backyards.

The service began, people took their seats at tables, and we sat at the bar. During the announcements, people were invited back to Black Cloister for Table Talk on Tuesday night, a time of “fun and fellowship.” People were reminded of Trivia Night at the pub, noting that people from the church “win more often than not.” And there was an announcement for a “Leadership Huddle” right after the worship service.

The sermon was the third in a series on the Lord’s Prayer. (The sermon notes handout uses a hexagon for note taking. Apparently Tom likes to use geometric figures to illustrate theological points.) He spoke about the section of the prayer that is a request for daily bread. Speaking of God’s provision, he referred to the story of Abraham’s (near) sacrifice of his son Isaac. (“It’s a brutal, crazy story, there’s no denying that.”) The basic point of the sermon was “being in relationship with God means you know He will provide.”

During the prayer time after the sermon, people were urged to stand and give either their request or their praise. The congregation responded with either “Lord have mercy” or “Let us bless the Lord.” The Lord’s Prayer concluded the prayer time, followed by Communion, with all who trust Jesus for salvation invited to the Lord’s Table (the gluten-free alternative was served first). Mindy and Kelly both commented on the quality of the wine and bread.

As we sang the closing chorus, a bartender quietly signed in and began setting up for the pub’s 1:00 opening.

After the service, I had a chance to talk with Pastor Tom about both Threshold and Black Cloister before the leadership huddle. I asked him about the strengths of the church. “We moved four times, and that taught us not to rely on the building,” he said. The church first met in a nightclub, the Omni, but shoes sticking to the floors (among other things) proved a problem.

The church is very mission oriented. “Though we’re small, when we do a missions project, everyone shows up.” They’ve been involved with Just Pancakes, which serves over 3.000 pancakes every Saturday morning. Threshold has also served with Food for Thought.

I asked about the challenges of being a church that meets in a bar. He said that people in the congregation had urged him to start the brewing company, and before they began, held a town hall meeting with other Lutheran churches in the area. The other churches voiced their concerns, but eventually, they agreed to disagree. Overall, Tom believes the downtown location provides great opportunities for ministry.

Then I asked about Black Cloister. Tom said he believes that, ideally, every business and organization should seek to make the world a better place. At Black Cloister, they do try to do that:  a portion of the profits from one of their brews goes to the families of fallen firefighters.

He said the staff of the pub often joins in with the church on service projects. Once, when an employee heard about a formerly homeless person who’d gotten an apartment, the rest of the staff worked together to furnish the new home. No wonder a local publication gave Black Cloister the award for best bar staff, along with best bar. And the best beer for nerds.

I asked Tom about the challenge of handling alcohol responsibly, since obviously what happens at the pub can reflect on the church. He said they train the staff to avoid “over serving” guests. They call taxis for guest when needed (though he noted that state law prohibited taking people’s car keys). They serve liquor, but only top shelf, expensive brands, which makes shots less of a thing. Their “mug club” has “Rules of the Order” based, to some extent, on the Benedictine Rules of Order. Among other things, it explicitly encourages responsible drinking.

We left Threshold Church as the building was morphing back into Black Cloister; a church and a bar, both seeking to make the world a better place.

Statistics

Service Length: 58 minutes

Sermon Length: 20 minutes

Visitor Treatment: we were greeted by more than one person on arrival; there’s no record of attendance that we were aware of

Followup by Tuesday Morning: none

Our Rough Count: 32

Probable Ushers' Count: no ushers

Snacks: coffee, cold water, hot water for tea and cocoa, orange juice, muffins, coffee cake (the bar was open after the worship service, but we didn’t notice anybody ordering)

Musicians: acoustic guitar (man)

Vocals (2 women)

Songs: “Meet with me”

“Breathe”

“Your Great Name”

“You are my King/Amazing Love”

“Hand that Holds the World”

Miles to church: 7

Miles from start: 36,034

Total 2016 Miles: 35,738

Church website: http://www.crossthethreshold.com/