Church Shopping

The church adventures continue! My friend Linda suggested I visit a United Church of Christ so one day in Sept. while Tom was heavily involved in a paper I found this church online and headed out.

The building was gloriously old and beautiful with stained glass and dark wood. It was located in what appears to be a rather run down area of Montgomery but I tell you those folks were dressed to the nines. I was the only white face in the congregation. Women in hats, gorgeous suits, and joyful! I'm telling you that music just brought you to your feet and oh, were they lovin' on me? When the pastor asked if there were any visitors every smiling head turned (as it was pretty clear I was visiting) and a microphone was put in my hand to introduce myself. Then during the "greeting" portion I have never received so many warm hugs as I did this morning. One of those sweet ladies came and took my hand during the intercessory prayer portion when the entire congregation walked to the front around the altar for more music and personal prayer. A lovely tribute and prayer for 9/11 victims then a wonderful sermon on motives....and do we do what we do for the right reasons or for recognition. Really wonderful and very much delivered the way you would expect by a black preacher that was feelin' the spirit as well as responses from the congregation. By the end of the service a couple of other older white women had come in so I wasn't quite as conspicuous as earlier but by that point I didn't care. They couldn't have been more welcoming. I was so glad I was there and will definitely go back though I think (know) this would have been WAY out of Tom's comfort zone. By the second round of hugs he would have been inching his way out the back!
Next was a very lovely old church, a welcoming congregation and a very familiar service. It was nice to sing hymns we haven't heard in awhile and to partake of the traditions that we have missed in some ways. A bit of an older congregation (which is typical of Presbyterians) but a couple came and visited us at home the Tuesday evening after we visited to invite us to a church function. Offered us a ride to the function which was quite a distance away. Apparently all these "older" congregants are our contemporaries. Hmm. Who knew?

One Sunday we went to the Episcopal church in downtown Prattville. Very small, older congregation. I don't know if I've never been to a Episcopal service before but it was very Catholic in nature. Kneeling, reciting, standing, etc. Like I said, I love the looks of these old churches but there wasn't anything about the service or sermon that would draw me back again.
I met another spouse who along with her husband were playing in the praise band at this Methodist church so we went there for a couple of weeks to hear them. It was obviously a contemporary service (hence the band) and again, similar in nature to most contemporary services we've attended. They actually had a really cute Fall festival area set up outside the church all decorated with haystacks, scarecrows, etc. where they have a pumpkin patch during the week.
The LDS church is literally a 5 minute walk from our apartment. It's the only one in Prattville that I'm aware of. Friendly congregation; I happened to sit next to the husband of the Relief Society president who I met after the service. There's also a girl from my new book group who attends there and apparently there are about seven families from ACSC who are members. It was nice to see an LDS congregation with some diversity, including the African-American woman sitting in front of me completely decked out in best dress and a big ol' hat. It was testimony meeting AND the day after the LSU-AL football game so the sad results of that game for the community were worked into several testimonies. Funny. This article also just happened to be in the Deseret News this morning....the Southern Baptist/Mormon similarities. I have noticed some resemblances. The friendliness factor is unmistakably comparable!