|
What do I wear?
Whenever you come to our church, we ask to please wear clothes! But beyond that, please feel free to dress as you wish. You will undoubtedly see some folks rather dressed up ( i.e. in dresses, shirts and ties and the like), especially when you come to worship at 11:00am on Sunday (that’s our “traditional” service). But, you’ll also find folks of all ages dressed much more casually at both of our Sunday worship services (8:50am & 11:00am) as well as at all other times of day. What’s much more important than what you wear to church is that you come to be a part, check things out. (fyi, the Pastor is very proud of her fabulous collection of ‘70s polyester pant suits…you just might come to church and catch her wearing one of those!)
What is “holy communion”?
On the one hand, “holy communion” is what we believe happens when we gather together (and it can be just two people, or more) and we ask God’s Spirit to be with us. There’s a sense of connectedness with one another and with Divine Presence that you can’t explain, but brings amazing peace, power, healing, and love.
On the other hand, “holy communion” is a sacred act (a “sacrament”) of our Christian tradition in which we share a special meal of bread and wine (actually, in the Methodist Church, we use grape juice) with Christ and all who wish to gather around the table. The bread and wine/juice remind us of the body and the blood of Jesus, the death he willingly endured on the cross, and the wish he had to be with us always, even and especially after he died. How does that work? The gospels tell us that Jesus created this special meal of “bread and cup” with his disciples (i.e. his followers) on the night before he was to be crucified. He told his followers that to eat this prayed-over bread was to take in his very body. He wanted his Spirit-filled presence to be that pervasive throughout one’s whole being. He told his followers that to drink from this prayed-over cup was to take in his blood. As grotesque as that might sound, the truth is that sharing blood symbolizes true togetherness (like those “blood oaths” you may have taken with your friends when you were young), plus it is a symbol of forgiveness. (You can read about that in the Bible). Jesus created this meal before he would go to his death on the cross (in large part due to the weaknesses and fears of the disciples, who did nothing to stop what was going on); in creating this meal and having them drink the prayed over wine/juice/cup he signified he already forgave the disciples for the awful things they would soon to do him, and he told them that receiving this wine/juice/cup/blood would bring them special strength to go and likewise forgive others.
What can be really amazing about the sacrament of Holy Communion (the bread and cup “meal”), is that it really does engender love: love for God, love for your own self, love for your “neighbor” (i.e. the people also participating in Holy Communion, people from your own life who are on your heart and mind, people with whom you are having difficulty, the whole human race. You might find yourself overwhelmed with love!
At SLOUMC, we celebrate “the Sacrament of Holy Communion” just about every week, and at both services. You don’t have to be a United Methodist to participate, you don’t have to be a member of this church. You merely need to honestly seek Christ’s loving Spirit and direction for your life.
What if I only want to come once and awhile?
Of course, we hope that you’ll want to come to church all the time! There’s nothing like thinking about God, praising God, learning about what life really is all about, what the Bible is talking about, and having a place to ask all sorts of questions, with the pastor and with one another (that’s what worship at SLO United Methodist Church is all about). But you may only want to check things out occasionally, your schedule may make coming to church every week too difficult, life may happen while you’re busy making other plans (including coming to church). We would love to see you whenever. Plus, if you can’t make it to church but would like to hear Pastor Jane’s sermon, you can go to Sermons under the Media link above and hear her preach, from the comfort of your own computer!
What if I feel shy?
When you come to worship (or for any other gathering or event at the church), we will give you a warm welcome and answer any questions you may have, but you won’t be “singled out” as a newcomer or anything like that. You can put on a “nametag” so we’ll know your name, or you can choose not to, it’s no big deal. Take whatever seat you like in our sanctuary, be yourself, feel free to dart out immediately after the service or hang out for a bit to enjoy tasty goodies and meet some fun and friendly people. (At least that’s what we think we are, we’ve been told we are … fun and friendly… come and see for yourself!)
Do I need to make a donation?
In the church we call donations “offerings,” because they are gifts we freely offer up to God. Offerings are both intensely-felt “thank you gifts” to God for all the love and care that we experience God providing; they are also offerings to help our hungry and hurting world find peace, joy, justice, healing. During our worship services, we always give everyone the opportunity to make such an offering; however, you are NEVER compelled to do so. (It can feel really good, though, to give to God and to the world in this way…)
What if I am not a Methodist?
Good question! Actually, you might mean the question to read: “What if I am not a United Methodist? That is the official name of our denomination (i.e. “church flavor”). We invite you to our church no matter what you are – whether you come from a “United Methodist” background, or if you’re Presbyterian, Lutheran, Catholic, Evangelical Free, no matter. No matter whether or not you’ve ever been in a church before, been to a Sunday morning worship service. Whether or not you believe in God! As we say in our motto: “Our hearts, our minds and our doors are open.” And that means to YOU, too.
What is “Methodist”?
Actually, the word “Methodist” was meant as a put-down in 18th century England. A passionately spiritual man named John Wesley wanted to create a personal regimen of spiritual practice that would keep one’s “soul muscles” well exercised as well as keep one continually going out in the world to make it a better, more just and loving place. Wesley’s regimen consisted among other things of daily prayer and bible reading, and weekly worship and tending of the poor, the hungry and oppressed. Those who took on this kind of intense discipline were laughingly called “Methodists;” however, this “method” proved very effective: practitioners found themselves loving God more, experiencing God’s guidance more, keeping the focus on helping others more, loving their neighbor more, enjoying the gift of life more. We at SLO United Methodist Church believe in Wesley’s “method” (although, to be honest, we’re not nearly as strict on its adherence as John Wesley was back in the 18th century). We are constantly looking for new ways to support one another in our spiritual practice and teach those who would like to take on such a “method” for their lives, their families, the world.
I have a family. What do I do with my children?
The first answer is: love them! Love your children! When you come to church, you can love them in a number of ways. If your children are quite young, you may leave them in our charming and well-tended nursery (located in close proximity to our sanctuary). When you come to church on Sunday, feel free to ask anyone to direct you to the nursery; we’ll be happy to set that up for you. If you come to our 9:00 worship service, and your children are a little older, (ages 3 and up), you are welcome to have them participate in our Sunday morning Church school program. You can find out more about our church school by going to our web pages under the “Young People” heading. No matter what age your child or what service you attend, they are welcome to remain with you in worship. If you wish, we will gladly provide your young child with an “activity bag” for their use during the service. (Of course, your child may also want just to listen to Pastor Jane’s sermon and take the whole experience in!)
|