Worship on Cypress Lake Drive, actually. No lake (or cypress trees) in this affluent neighborhood of Fort Myers, Florida. Three modern churches, lined-up on the same block like big offensive line football players , invite me to worship Sunday, so I do. 8:30, 9:30 and 11AM, I try all three.
I needed to be in worship, so I was glad for familiar rituals and time for prayer and praise. But I didn't need three services to get that! I also wanted to know how different churches and different preachers would address the historic inauguration of President Obama. Would they quote Martin Luther King, Jr. whose birthday would be commemorated the next day? Would they offer prayers for Obama?
In the United Methodist Church I was greeted by no less than eight designated greeters (brass name tags tacked onto white blazers--all eight of them, white blazers with matching white shoes!). The sermon on Revelation 2 was part two of a series about "Church: 1) Jesus knows the church; 2) Jesus believes in the church; 3) Jesus holds the church accountable". No mention of Obama, the Inauguration or Martin Luther King, Jr.
In the Presbyterian Church, a "Contemporary Service", the pastor himself greeted me and, when I explained I was curious about how preachers would deal with the historic week, shared that there really wasn't much to say about it. What the pastor did preach about was Mark 6 and how 1) Christ calls us, wherever we are; 2) Christ says "Follow Me"; and Christ calls us to use our gifts.
Finally, after being greeted by nothing but the strong smell of aftershave at the Baptist Church I was asked to remain seated while all the members serenaded the visitors, all two of us, with "Nothing But the Blood". Awkward feeling. The pastor offered a broad prayer for our new president, our government, and for the unborn--the sign outside today said this was "Human Life Sunday", so it figures. The Bible topic was Acts 9:36-43 with a focus on Tabatha, but he managed to condemn Muslims ("they are not "pro-life") and mothers ("mothers are the biggest culprits of abortion"). And no, Martin Luther King wasn't mentioned.
Yes, I know worship is about God and not about politics. Yes, I know that worship is where we hear preachers teach the Bible and not a personal agenda. As I say, I was glad for prayer and praise before hopping in the UHaul truck on my trip from Florida to Massachusetts. But I imagined that other preachers in other parts of the city managed to preach the gospel while also perceiving the gravity of our current reality.
