We unexectedly go to two churches

Yosemite Valley Community Church and Our Lady of the Snows, Yosemite National Park, California

A guy was using the eagle on the top of the flag pole to move the “Love” banner from the front of the sanctuary to a wall off to the side. The banner covers the cross when the chapel isn’t being used as by Yosemite Valley Community Church -- when the chapel is used instead as a public building that’s part of Yosemite National Park. Since I John 4:8 says “God is love,” it seems to me that the banner can be used as a Christian religious symbol, too, but rules are rules…

We’d been looking forward to attending a service at Yosemite Valley Chapel for some time, but driving there takes a little over two hours. We were glad to find a time to visit. During the winter months, the church has only one Sunday morning service, but during the busy summer months, the chapel hosts two (at 9:15 & 11:00 am), the opposite of many churches, where attendance is low in the summer due to vacations (leading to those churches having one service in summer and two the rest of the year). The building is also a popular location for weddings. (We have friends who were married there, which is how Mindy first learned about the chapel. Hi Ken! Hi Michelle!)

We also looked forward to attending a service officiated by Pastor Brent Moore, but that wasn’t to be. His wife recently had surgery, so he had asked some of the ACMNP team (A Christian Ministry in the National Parks) serving in Yosemite Valley to lead worship. From Memorial Day through Labor Day, ACMNP sends college and seminary students to national parks where they work for the various concessionaires in the park during the week and lead worship services on Sundays. The ministry works in cooperation with the National Park system, but receives no government funding. Caroline from Tulsa, Garrett from Dallas, and Anthony from Dallas teamed to lead the music (a cappella), readings, and prayer.

Caroline's sermon was based on parts of 2 Chronicles 33. It was a Father’s Day message on the importance of setting a good example (using King Manasseh as a negative example and her own father as a positive example). Her father, a teacher, participated in the recent teacher’s walkout in Oklahoma, a two-week strike for an increase in educational funding. She assured us this was a necessary measure no teacher wanted, but set a positive example for students.

She noted that at times, all of us fail to act when we should. We don't stand up to bullies, we let racist or sexist remarks go by, we avoid homeless peoples' eyes. When we fail in these things, we fail to set a good example for those around us.

I was able to talk to Caroline after the service. She’s working toward a masters degree focusing on theological perspectives on environmental issues -- Yosemite would be a good place to contemplate such issues.

The service was brief, and as we left, we realized we had time to get to the 10:00 am Mass in the theater of the park’s Visitors' Center. It took some quick walking, but we made it.

There wasn’t a cross on the wall at Our Lady of the Snows (the room is primarily a theater, so there was a movie screen instead). A crucifix stood in the center of the front, with a table functioning as an altar and another table functioning as a lectern. Near the entrance, a larger table held paperback missals (a book with readings, songs, and other worship elements to guide worshipers through the Mass).

Father Matthew O’Donnell, a pastor from All Saints University Parish in Turlock, California, led the service. He was the official Yosemite chaplain for the week -- Our Lady of the Snows is the Catholic congregation of the Yosemite Valley but, as a mission congregation, it doesn’t have a full time priest. Priests are recruited to spend a week in one of the most beautiful places on earth while staying in the church’s rectory in the park. Father O’Donnell described it as a great gig that allows him to go on hikes and swim in the Merced River every day.

What he appreciated about being in Yosemite, he encouraged others to appreciate: the opportunity to allow God to touch their hearts through beauty. He encouraged people to leave their worries and trouble at home -- “they’ll still be there when you get back” -- and enjoy time with family and appreciate the wonders of God’s creation. He said the beauty around us is a way God says, “I’ve got this.”

Two of the Scripture readings for the day (not chosen by Father O’Donnell -- read in most Catholic churches that day), Ezekiel 17 and Psalm 92, spoke of the cedars. We thought about those cedars later as we hiked past trees in the park. Even Mark 4, the Gospel reading for the day (the parable of the seed growing) reminded us of the work of the Great Planter.

People often say, “I don’t go to church, I go out in nature to worship God.” Speaking for myself, I’d say appreciate God’s creation even more after time in church with His people, learning about Him in His Word. Have you ever appreciated a book more after you’ve learned about the author? It’s like that.

As a lover of books, I have to say Yosemite National Park is better than any book I’ve ever read. Well, better than any book except one.

Mindy goes to chapel alone (very quietly)

Saint Anthony of Padua, Fresno, California
When we visited a Quaker meeting a few years ago, we weren’t surprised that it was mostly silent. Last month, we participated in a prayer path on Good Friday that (except for background music) was a contemplative time. This church visit was even quieter.

Also, this post won’t have many photographs. You’re going to need to use your imagination (but I won’t ask you to close your eyes; then you couldn’t keep reading).

Imagine it’s 8:00 on a beautiful spring morning. You're expecting to meet your work friend, but school kids are being dropped off. You drive around the building until you find a fairly empty parking lot.

As you walk around the main church building, you notice a border of blooming white roses. You remember the story your friend told you about the time a white rosebud fell on her shoulder while she was in the chapel where you’ll be meeting, and how that rosebud had seemed like a gift from heaven at a time when she needed that touch. You walk through a memorial garden with statues of Saint Teresa of Calcutta, Saint Anthony of Padua, and others.

You pause to take a picture of the door into the office, then go inside to ask how to get to the chapel. She seems a little concerned about why you’re there, what with taking photos of the building (without the pastor’s permission). You explain that you’re meeting a friend, and she points you through the door to the chapel.

It’s a small room with two windows in a white-painted cinderblock wall. Three rows of wooden chairs with kneelers face a monstrance in the front of the room. A woman in the front row has her head bowed and a booklet in her hand. You look around as you settle into the silence of the room.

There’s a statue of Mary in the front right-hand corner and one of Jesus on the left. The carpet’s red. On either side of the table in front, gilded angels stand on bases against the wall. There’s a painting of the Last Supper you haven’t seen before on the wall above the monstrance, and you notice there’s a cat next to Judas.

Your friend comes in, sees you, whispers hello, and settles into a chair next to you. She prays, sometimes kneeling and sometimes sitting. Others enter, cross themselves, kneel (sometimes facedown), pray. The windows are shut, and the blinds are closed; the air in the room is very still. You pray, then take a few notes, hoping you're not disrespectful by doing so.

The picture of Jesus between the windows on the wall to your right has a caption that reads, “Jesus I trust in You.” You think about that, and about the Last Supper and Communion, and just a little about different churches’ beliefs about the Eucharist. You’re just a little drowsy but mostly very peaceful.

It’s quiet.

A few people leave; a few more come in. There are about a dozen people in the 12 x 12 room, but it doesn’t occur to you that there were 12 disciples with Jesus at the Last Supper.

A few minutes after 9:00, you and your friend are ready to leave. She shows you where to sign the guestbook, and the two of you go out a back door toward the parking lot. She had to park a block away because of school traffic, and your car’s in the opposite direction. You say goodbye and walk to your own car, past the white roses and the saints’ statues. And you (silently) rejoice.

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.

We Go to Church for Advent (and Pancakes)

Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church, Clovis, California

Roger was wearing his Knights of Columbus apron when he stopped by our table. Someone asked if his wife was there yet, and he said he’d left her asleep at home. He said he’d pick her up in plenty of time for 11:00 am Mass. Nobody was criticizing Roger’s wife for sleeping in -- after all, the K of C pancake breakfast began at 6:00 am, and I’m sure Roger was there before that. I can’t blame her at all for staying in bed.

We didn't get there in time for 6:00 breakfast either, but we were there for 6:30 Mass; we went for breakfast after that. When we arrived at the church door as the service began, everything outside was still dark and chilly. We were trying to remember whether this was the earliest worship service we’d been to since we began this blog a little over two years ago, then remembered we went to an Easter sunrise service in Atlanta.

Still, it was an unusually early morning for us -- but not, it seemed, for many others. Though not at capacity, there was a good crowd for the service, and they weren’t just older folks. We saw a number of families with school aged and younger children and realized that this service time must be a real blessing for soccer families.

We entered the sanctuary a couple of minutes after the service began, so I believe we missed the announcements -- but not the musical prelude or opening hymn. There was no music in the service except for a line of Alleluias from the missal. (There were several other lines in the missal that had music, but we just spoke the words.) I don’t know if this service is always sans music or not. It could be they didn’t have a cantor for the morning or they might always skip music in that service to keep the running time tight. We did see someone with a guitar entering the church for the 8:00 am Spanish language Mass.

The priest leading Mass was from Africa (I’m guessing from his accent). I got to thinking about how much easier it is for the Catholic Church to move clergy to different countries and cultures. The service is the same everywhere, if one can just learn the language. (This would have been even simpler in the Latin always and everywhere days.)

His homily began with a story from the sinking of the Titanic illustrating the need for vigilance against icebergs, leading to a lesson for our need to be vigilant during Advent, looking for the Lord’s coming (and second coming). After the homily, an older couple lit the first Advent candle, with a special blessing for the beginning of this exciting season.

After the service I asked the priest whether he would be having pancakes, and he said, “No.” I wondered whether he is fasting festive things until Christmas, since Advent is a traditional season of fasting. At one point during the service, he’d mentioned that his vestments were the same as those for Lent, another season of waiting and preparation. (Aside from the Advent candles, the church won’t be decorated for Christmas until December 24th.)

We walked next door to Our Lady of Perpetual Help School, where the pancake breakfast and Christmas boutique were being held. Outside the door, donations were being taken for the church’s Saint Martha’s Pantry and for Toys for Tots.

The pancake breakfast was offered on a donation basis, no required minimum payment. All the servers were quite cheery, and we sat at a table with kindly retired folks who quite obviously were a part of the church, and greeted each other happily. When Roger stopped by, he asked Richard (seated next to Mindy) about his golf game. Richard said he hadn’t golfed for some time. Roger said he’d gone golfing the day before with his son who told him (after the game), “Dad, I’m not taking you golfing anymore. You’re losing too many of my good balls.” Roger said he’d also gotten a complaint from nearby fishermen. Too many of his balls went into the river, scaring the fish.

I’m sure the money raised by the breakfast and boutique will make many people’s Christmas season more joyful. This church’s activities have already made our Advent more joyful.

We go to Mass in Las Vegas

Guardian Angel Cathedral, Las Vegas, Nevada

There are a lot of ways Las Vegas is different from other big cities in the United States -- not just because of what it has (the casinos and strip clubs), but also because of what it doesn’t have. When you drive down the major streets of most cities, you see churches. Sometimes they're old or even dead churches, but they’re there.

When you drive down the best known street in Las Vegas, the portion of South Las Vegas Boulevard known as “The Strip,” you don’t see churches. Sure, there are wedding chapels -- but anyone who works in one will make it quite clear those chapels are not churches. Many people who visit Las Vegas see only their hotel, some casinos, restaurants, and night clubs. When we visited Las Vegas this time, though, we found a church in the shadow of casinos.

Guardian Angel Cathedral, a Roman Catholic Church, is just off South Las Vegas Blvd. You walk out the front door and look straight out at Trump Tower. Like other buildings in the neighborhood, the architecture of Guardian Angel isn’t subtle. The A frame is large, but the cross-topped tower is even taller, with a statue of the Holy Family beneath it. Inside the cathedral, the stained glass windows are elaborate and quite beautiful.

Catholics definitely have an advantage over Protestants when they go to church in a new place. They can go anywhere in the world, and most of the worship service will be what they’re used to. The rituals of the liturgical year will be the same. For those of us who aren’t Catholics, we’re confused. We have to watch other people to know when to sit, when to kneel, when to stand, and what page to turn to in that little paperback book on the back of the pew. By now, Mindy and I have visited enough Catholic churches to get some of it right, but I always wonder what it’s like for visitors with no prior church experience.  

Even among Catholic churches, though, there are differences. A couple hundred people showed up for the 8:00 am Mass at Guardian Angel (You see lots of people on the streets in the afternoon, evening and even 2:00 am Sunday morning, but not so much at breakfast time. Apart from worship services, it’s a rather quiet time around town). This service had a fair deal of singing and the woman leading the singing (the cantor) had a very nice voice.

A part of worship in the Roman Catholic church that can throw some Protestants off is the two offering thing. The first offering goes to who knows what, but then the priest or a deacon up front says, “This morning’s second offering goes to …” some very cool ministry, perhaps to homeless in the neighborhood or hurricane victims or starving people in Africa. As an unprepared visitor, you already put the money you brought into the first offering. It’s frustrating.

The Gospel reading at Guardian Angel that morning (as at Catholic churches throughout the world) was from Matthew 21: 28 - 32, the story of the two brothers. In the story, the father asks the sons to do some work. One says he won’t, but then goes and does the work. The other brother says he will do the work, but then he doesn’t. The priest pointed out that God cares more about what we do than what we say.

Another strange thing is noticing who doesn’t go forward for communion. I don’t go, because I know that in the Catholic Church, the Eucharist is for Catholics who are in good standing. So I stay seated. But I observed people near me who knew when to sit and when to stand and when to kneel and to kick up the kneelers (which makes quite the simultaneous clunking sound), remain in their place rather than going forward. I know why I shouldn’t go, but I always wonder why that person doesn’t go forward.

There are moments during Mass when I feel like an outsider, but when Scripture is read, songs are sung, and even when people are shaking hands around me, I feel like I’m in the catholic Church, Christ’s Church encompassing all who believe in Him.

I hope that particularly this week, when so many in Las Vegas are suffering, grieving, questioning, and seeking, they can find hope in this church.

Statistics

Service Length: 52 minutes

Sermon Length: 7 minutes

Visitor Treatment: Near the end of the service, the priest welcomed visitors and invited them to return next time they were in Las Vegas

Followup by Tuesday Morning: none

Our Rough Count: 220

Snacks: none

Musicians: organ (woman)

Vocals (cantor, woman)

Songs: “Crown Him with Many Crowns”

“Glory to God in the Highest”

“Remember Your Mercies, O Lord”

“Lord, This Time, Change our Hearts”

“Here I am, Lord”

“Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God, Almighty”

“Save us, Save us, Savior of the World”

“Amen, Amen, Amen”

“Lamb of God”

“Teach us, O God, to Follow Your Ways”

“Amazing Grace”

“They’ll Know we are Christians by our Love”

Distance to Church: 3 miles

Open WiFi: no

Tie/Suit Count: at least 3 (all the ushers wore suits)

Church Website: gaclv.org