It used to be real wine

[Note: Feel free to skip this, since it's a run down on the service I went to today and isn't for everyone.]

I went to a Presbyterian service this morning, my first. Wasn't sure I would go to any service (and how long am I going to church-troll anyway?), but it was conveniently located across from McDonald's (small coffee with double cream plus carrot muffin for $1.45). I had toyed with the idea of going there last weekend, but had skipped it.

It's a lovely old church, with the congregation sitting in a half-circle.

Similar to the first United church I went to several weeks ago.

 

All the women were giving little candles in honour of Mother's Day:

As for the service itself, it was Communion, which apparently isn't given often. Now, I've not taken Communion in decades, but my experience then and even recently at the Anglican churches, is that you go up to the altar. In this instance the pieces of bread and rice crackers were passed around on platters, no one got up. Ditto for the "wine," which was some sort of juice, presumably cranberry. It was passed around in tiny single tumblers, maybe thimble sized, on special platters.

The last time I took Communion it was real wine or sherry or whatever it was that they used. And real Communion wafers too, for that matter.

The choir, who all had been in their stalls above the altar at the very beginning of the service, sang their opening hymn and then joined the congregation, so they could take Communion too. I didn't quite understand why they couldn't just return to their proper places afterward, given that the Communion was early in the service, but frankly, I couldn't hear them sing. They faced the altar for the duration of the service, not us. It didn't make any sense to me. (I should note that their organist was pretty darned impressive, though. As were those organ pipes!)

The minister had a passionate sermon about accepting diversity in the way we worship "god," which was great, but prior to that was very apologetic about us singing one hymn in the Presbyterian hymnal that refers to god as female (and male). That bothered me greatly, that he felt he should apologize for including that hymn in the service. I happen to think that whatever "god" is, it's beyond gender, beyond our petty, limited human definitions.

Overall, I'd have to say that this Presbyterian service fell somewhere between Anglican and United. Not as structured and formal as the Anglican, not as informal as the United, and definitely not joyful and celebratory like the United services, either. I'm not sorry I went--I got to peek inside after all--but I can't imagine returning. Isn't there a church around here that really rocks, without being over-the-top?

So, next week? Beats me!