4th church was another big EPC church with the same theology and a different feel. This church was back in St. Louis, where I returned after my first nursing job. This church was very well-established in the conservative Christian community here. I started attending there because of a boyfriend. I felt disconnected from 1st church, having been away for about five years and not knowing the congregation/leadership nearly as well anymore, and 4th church seemed a natural place to land because of my boyfriend’s establishment there.
This church was never a great fit for me though. It was just a little too…preppy. There was (is) a lot of money there, and a lot of showing off how much money you have on Sundays. It felt like everyone was trying too hard. It was more “high church” with some of the same elements as 2nd church (pews, liturgy, etc), but a lot more buttoned-up. (Some people went to 2nd church in tennis shoes – no one went to 4th church in tennis shoes.)
My boyfriend and I generally attended the Sunday evening service, which was the more casual service held in the fellowship hall with a projector and folding chairs. To this day, I still feel more comfortable in that sort of church setting – all that fancy smanshy stuff feels intimidating to me. I’m learning to appreciate the historical elements more, but as a teenager and twenty-something, I thought “low church” meant less intense/less pushy/less conservative theology, which is just not true at all. All theologies can be found in all worship styles. If anything, the externally “serious” churches are less rigid theologically, and visa versa. (Right? Show me an evangelical church that has a “narthex.” 4th church was fancy, but it had a foyer).
4th church offered a class for engaged couples and couples considering engagement. I was a hopeless romantic, so the evangelical church’s push to marry everyone off ASAP suited me just fine. My boyfriend and I took the class. We were not engaged, but I was chomping at the bit and hoping to umm, push him over the edge. Well that did not work out. He broke my heart and he moved to Atlanta. He wasn’t around obviously, but I no longer had any reason to attend his church that was never particularly appealing to me.
Thy mercy, my God, is the theme of my song // The joy of my heart, and the boast of my tongue // Thy free grace alone, from the first to the last // Hath won my affections, and bound my soul fast. — John Stocker
5th church was an enormous Acts 29 church. It was very much like 3rd church in terms of theology and culture, but this was the deluxe version. More people, more lights, more sound, more influence. It was in the city, down the street from the apartment I shared with my roommate, and it felt edgy and cool and concerned with social justice.
The campus I attended was the church’s main hub, but it had about six locations around the St. Louis area, and the lead pastor was incredibly charismatic. His sermons were recorded and delivered via video broadcast at the various campuses – it was a rare treat to see him preach live if you didn’t attend the main site. He was gifted preacher, no doubt. The church was built around this man, and it was the meggiest of mega churches.
I felt like my cool points increased significantly going to 5th church, but I wasn’t there long, because I started dating a pastor who worked at 6th church.
Come, Thou Fount of every blessing // Tune my heart to sing Thy grace // Streams of mercy, never ceasing // Call for songs of loudest praise // Teach me some melodious sonnet // Sung by flaming tongues above // Praise the mount, I’m fixed upon it // Mount of Thy redeeming love — Robert Robinson
Photo credits in order:
- Photo by Karl Fredrickson on Unsplash
- Photo by Matt Botsford on Unsplash
