The Good Shepard and Singing of the bells at the First Presbytarian Church

Last Sunday's service was at the First Presbyterian Church. This was a bit more enjoyable than the last week's visit to the Christian Science Church and left fewer marks on my head from face-palming. I will admit that at first I was a bit apprehensive once I saw the congregation file into the church building, a few of them lazily dragging oxygen tanks behind, it didn't look like a very lively crowd. I wasn't too familiar with this sect and didn't know what the service would be like, worried that it might be a long and boring one but I was wrong in both cases. Here is the breakdown.

ATMOSPHERE: 8/10 candles

Beautiful inside and out, the church was comfortable and inviting. Outside in the back, in the alleyway of the horseshoe-shaped building was a decorative stack of square slabs of marble, twisting like a staircase with a concave bowl atop that would be a fountain in the warmer months.

 The inside was also very nice. The chapel lined with new stained glass windows on either side of the chapel and in the front was a raised platform with the pulpit and a row of tables with bells and sheet music. We entered the building to the sound of the bells being played, it was different in a good way. This was not something I had yet seen during this project. Several of the members were up front with their bells, some of them with one in either hand playing together and reading the music, flicking their wrists to sound the appropriate note and occasionally picking up a different bell or striking it gently with a padded rod to get a short muffled note from the polished brass. There was more of this music later in the service with the Reverend himself in the bell company playing his part in a tune or two, twisting his face in deep concentration as he played, shuffling his feet, and rolling his shoulders and neck. He seemed to be having some difficulty but he held his own as the other players effortlessly moved through the pieces.

One song I found particularly beautiful was the opening song Celtic Farewell which was played on the bells in place of lyrics and a piano. The bells were hung, handle straps laced through one another on a branched rack and played in percussion fashion by tapping and striking the bells with padded sticks.

COMMUNITY:  10/10 candles

The people were very friendly and hospitable. Chad, Lisa, and I were even invited to their spaghetti brunch after the service, were I not already so full from breakfast i may have taken them up on that. We were greeted by an usher and chatted him up for a bit and we were shown into the chapel. There was a nice lady who came to sit with us. She was kind enough to share her hymn book with me and help me follow along to the hymns when it was time to sing and held open her scriptures so that I may read along when passages were read during the service.

There was a point in the service where the congregation got up and shook hands with and greeted their neighbors, with some of the members walking about the chapel to meet and greet every person in the room. This reminded me a lot of the comradery I had seen in the old Faith Baptist Church I had attended with my father as a child, it was a bit nostalgic. I felt that these people were sincere in their exchange of pleasantries, a genuinely friendly group of people.

SERVICE: 7/10 candles

Like I said, the music was wonderful! Being played live with real instruments and the Rev taking part in it. made it all the more fun.

There were two main speakers a male and female Rev. Both lively and entertaining covering each different messages for the congregation (see messages section).

There was a prayer for people affected by natural disasters on the east coast landslides and the missing flight over Malaysia. There were also special prayers for members of the congregation that were going through personal struggles as well a a moment for silent prayer and reflection. They took a moment for everyone to pray for one another and their loved ones this took only less than a minute or so.

MESSAGE: 5/10 Candles


The Female Rev spoke first:

• you don't have to do anything! The work have already been done for you, by Jesus when he died on the cross. For salvation all you have to do is accept the gift he gave you and live a good life.

I thought that this was an alright message to be honest. It was not guilt inducing nor was the mention of hell or damnation brought up, just be a good person and help others and you're good. I can get behind that, sure. This would, I assume, imply that this is a faith based rather than works based religion as opposed to the LDS faith where your works determine how well you will be off in the next life.

The Male Rev spoke next and for the remainder of the sermon:

He spoke about Jesus being the only good shepherd. this was a metaphor saying that he is not just a hired hand, that he is the only true good shepherd in that he cares for the safety of the flock and would die for them. Hired shepherd are in it for their own gain and if danger arose they would take care of themselves first or else they won't be ale to collect their paycheck. This also transitioned nicely into how the government works.

The hired shepherds put their needs first and would even live off the sheep, eating them, sheering them at bad times of the year when the sheep needed their wool, and taking more than the sheep could afford to give at the time instead of waiting for the right time to shear. The shepherd is supposed to see that the needs of the sheep are met and taken care of and the sheep in turn provide for the shepherd. Without the sheep the shepherd would have nothing.

• We are sheep, Jesus is the good shepherd
• Sheep are dumb and follow the flock. They only need to know one thing: what is in their best interest... which side of the bread has butter?
• the government is supposed to work for US. They are being ad shepherds.
• Know what is in your best interest and follow the one who has your best interest at heart (this can only be Jesus)

Some good points were made but I didn't really like being called a sheep that needed to follow anyone in general. Now maybe I misheard it, maybe he meant that it is human nature to follow the crowd. I wouldn't support a message saying that it was our duty to follow the crowd, however.

OVERALL: 8/10 candles

This was a pleasant experience and I really enjoyed it overall. the music of course being my favorite aspect of it. The messages were pretty hit and miss but there was nothing particularly abhorrent about them. Most of them applied mainly to Christians, which is appropriate being that this is a Christian gathering. Sometimes though you can find things applicable to everyone such as live a good life, be kind to others, and so on. I might recommend this church if any of you are interested in checking out a more liberal Presbyterian sect.