Good morning to the James! Hope that the summer is beginning well for all. This past weekend, I was leading worship at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Richmond, Virginia. Westminster is one of our “urban” congregations, situated on Monument Avenue, a historic road with trees, green spaces, and big homes! Driving there, I passed a lot of joggers and dog walkers—all doing so before getting ready for church, I am sure.
A small “oops” to report. I arrived early, but once inside, a lot was going on, which means I forgot to get pictures! (Please enjoy these images which were publicly available!)
I entered from the side of the building, which provided a view of the hallway down to the fellowship hall, with offices and classrooms on both sides. On my immediate right was the church office, and to the left was the hallway to the front of the building and sanctuary.
Westminster’s sanctuary is a very grand, open space. No pews, but chairs, set up with a coffee spot in the back, rows of seating for worship, and small tables in those rows for drinks or books. The front of the sanctuary is open. There is a raised section there behind the communion table, where at this time the band was rehearsing
They have a balcony where their wonderful pipe organ is visible. Both the organ and band have roles in worship, which resulted in a nice blending of musical styles. It seems Westminster prefers that nothing just sits idle! The large screen in the front of the sanctuary displays portions of the liturgy, though paper bulletins are also in use here.
Their pastor was at a continuing education event, and they had asked if I could take this Sunday to lead worship and celebrate communion. Their practice is for all of the leaders of the worship to gather in advance to go over the liturgy and other parts of the service so everyone knows what and when they are to bring their portion of the service. As I’ve noted in other visiting articles, a worship service takes many people to prepare and present. That is certainly true here at Westminster, and it stands as a testimony to how any community of faith should approach worship.
Turning my attention to the atmosphere in the room, it was warm and welcoming, with many coming to greet me. In the many open spaces from the main entryway and into the sanctuary, you could see smaller groups of folks chatting and connecting. The attendees this Sunday gave witness to both young and old in worship, and a goodly number of those in between.
I wholeheartedly invite readers who may be near Westminster on a Sunday morning to stop in and share a Sunday with them. This part of Richmond, along with churches and grand homes, also has many cultural and historic sites to visit. I am thinking that there is a good chance some of you will indeed “be in the neighborhood,” so, as a good neighbor, stop by and check in with Westminster!
Till my next travel.
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Kerry
