Birth Is Not A Miracle

It was my first time visiting this church, I was nervous yet anxious. The pews had beautiful burgundy cushions and plenty of space. I was just thinking in my head, ‘I hope this church is great and not boring’. Ramah Grove Missionary Baptist Church was my grandparents’ church so I was being introduced to everyone. It seems as if as soon as we sat down the choir started singing behind the pulpit. They sung a few songs that didn’t genuinely interest me so I started to daydream about starting a new school the next day and then I heard something that caught my attention.

On the Sunday, the 20th of September I went to St. George Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church located in 4335 16th St NW, Washington, DC 20011. The church rents out the National Theater for service every Sunday. This church is a non-denominational church and it is not at all traditional. The Pastor is Brandon Samuel, a middle-aged man with a wife and kids. The service was from 10:00 am to about 12:00 pm. I am a Christian so this church experience was not new to me, but it was quite different from my church at home as the church I attend back home is a Pentecostal church.

The church service was to start at 11 a.m. and we reached the church around 10:20 a.m. As we walked inside the church I was fascinated by the size and beauty of it. It was a big church with beautiful decorated stained glass like we see in cathedrals and a wonderful music room. This first thing that amazed me was the size of the sanctuary. In Nepal we have small temples where people go to pray and worship various deities. The sanctuary could probably seat more than five hundred people. I felt like I was in an auditorium and about to perform my solo in front of these people. The part

As I walked into St. Matthew’s United Methodist Church, I was welcomed by everyone I passed by. There was a pleasant odor filling the halls that a fresh cooked meal was being prepared making me feel like I was at home. As I walked into the hall members of all ages were there to attend the Wednesday Night Recharge ranging from cute little infants, to

On Saturday 7, 2015, Alex, Michael and I drove to the Holy Cross Lutheran Church located in 11515 Ashcake Road Ashland, Virginia (about a 5 minute drive away from campus). The first thing that caught my attention was the external structure of the church. The architecture of the church is old school and it looks like a wooden house. Inside the church we could immediately tell that there were at least two floors. The top floor was where the altar was located and where the congregation took place. As soon as we stepped into the top floor, a really nice lady approached us and told us to sign a book of guests that everyone that attends the service had to sign. After we signed in, the pastor approached us and we told him that we were attending the service for a research project and that we were students from Randolph Macon College, he seemed thrilled to be able to help us.

Early on a misty Mother’s Day, I attended the Mount Zion Baptist Church’s 7:30 AM worship service to better understand how churches use Gospel music is used. Located in the middle of Seattle’s Capitol Hill, the church is a spacious, multi-story building with distinct African-style architecture, murals, and tapestries. After parking in the parking lot, I entered the building and climbed the stairs to the nave. There, a small, friendly woman greeted me, and I gave her my information, because it was my first time at the church. In the nave were rows of seats. To the right of the stage was the combined choir, accompanied by a pianist and drummer.

A mother and daughter at the alter… Three women having the audacity to come before the congregation… Three women professing how much they crave Him… People interjecting praises and singing without reserve… The imagery of the service was a blessing to witness. The message was powerful and thought provoking. The service made an impression. It was

When visualizing the inside of the church in Salvation, my mind pictures a large white chapel with double wooden doors out front with cement steps leading to the entry. Atop the church a large cross or steeple signifying a house of worship. A place where young and elderly come to share a common ground. If you were to pass by this church during a midweek or Sunday sermon one can almost hear and feel the earthquake caused by singing, praying, and clapping bustling from the church doors and windows. Stepping into Auntie Reed’s home church old wooden floorboards meet your feet making your presence known amongst entering the building. Creaking floors lead to heads turning. A late church attendee will always be noted.

When I first walked through the doors of the facility I was immediately bombarded with noise. Mostly it was the pastor shouting at the residents from his place at the front of the room. It took me a moment to fully realize that most of the residents were at least partially deaf and shouting was a necessary part of his message. I watched and processed from the back corner and listened to the softly spoken, slightly croaky amens and saw the shallow nods of the residents as they agreed whole heartedly with the words the pastor spoke. None of these people (from the back at least) seemed to be discouraged, in fact most were joyful as they praised Jesus with their fellow residents. The room was sunny and filled with a quiet joy that didn’t shatter when the message ended and we were introduced. As we walked to the front and their faces

Then, I walk up to the front row, genuflecting, making the sign of the cross again, next to the oak pew, I was about to sit in. Readings and psalms happen thereafter, and then we stand up to listen to the Gospel, which is the word of God. Once the priest is done reading, we would all sit back down and he would give a sermon, teaching all of us what is important about what was said in the Word of God. After we heard God’s message, we were prepared to take the body and blood of Christ. When it was my turn to

After attending St. Agnes’ 8:30AM, Sunday Mass service, one of my main observations was its strong traditional atmosphere as a result of the participation in many ceremonial and ritualistic practices common within the Catholic church. Attempting a research in the Catholic Mass prior to my attendance, I found myself confused and overwhelmed with the complexity of the details, rules, and history. However, I rested on a

A Christian's ultimate goal in life is to glorify God and to have eternal life with Jesus Christ. “To live is Christ” is saying that we should live our life serving Christ and achieving Christ centered excellence. “To die is gain” means that a Christian's death is, in a sense, a return on their investment. We get to spend the rest of our eternal life with Christ.

All priests know the hassle they will face whenever they make even minor changes to congregational worship. They know they must inevitably endure bitter assaults on their character and motives. Just such an experience, shortly after I left St Timothy's, left Reverent Fran again feeling confused, hurt, and frightened. A few young people had requested a livelier brand of music in the liturgy instead of the staid old organ-based Elizabethan hymns the parish was familiar with. Immediately, she began to re-feel the memory of the previous episode she and I went through. Her heart started racing. She began to sweat. Her muscles tensed up. Cautiously she began introducing new music again, but sparingly. Eventually, she felt compelled to move the guitars and guitarists down to the basement of the church where the complainers couldn’t see or hear them.

Church bells ring, it is time for Sunday School. Children and teenagers sit in classrooms scattered throughout a church, Grace Church of the Nazarene. Bibles are either on the tables or in the children and teenagers’ laps as they begin class. The Sunday School teacher, Bible in hand, begins the class and starts out asking, “How do you define worship?” The children and teens begin to stare at each other or look down at their hands in silence as the teacher waits for them to ponder the question more. After a few minutes a brave soul raises his hand, slowly but surely. The teacher, relieved the silence is about to be broken, calls upon him. The child responds with, “Is it when we sing in big church?” The teacher, smiling largely, informs the child that singing in “big church” is part of worship, but is not the only form of worship.

“Broaden your horizon.” “Think outside the box.” These are just two statements that represent the cultural value to have an imagination and the value for one to stretch themselves. C. S. Lewis makes the case that our imaginations are too small. He states that events such as miracles, speaking in tongues, or visions are real cases. Just because they are outside the scope of our understanding does not mean that they are not possible. In miracles, he focuses on the presence of miracles in the world and how they are real.