E and I went to the 10:30 am service at Ocean View Baptist Church yesterday. The verdict? A wash. On the plus side, there is an awesome children's choir, who performed beautifully. I was very impressed, and I have no doubt that my grandparents (all choir singers) would have been as well. The children's choir/worship director was a youthful bundle of enthusiasm, and quite inspiring. The facility is nice- surprisingly intimate and comfortable despite the imposing outside facade of the building. The congregation was pleasant enough, though I didn't linger afterward or attempt to socialize beyond the usual and customary "meet and greet" during the service.
There wasn't anything bad about the experience, but I found the sermon underwhelming and irrelevant. It wasn't painful to sit through, and the pastor seemed sincere, but it just didn't speak to me. I'll probably give it another few tries, but maybe I'll check out one of the other local churches before I go back.
I'm perhaps more intrigued with St. Peter's Episcopal Church- from what I understand (my mom was raised Episcopalian), the denomination is similar to Catholicism- it can be somewhat formal, with more ritual that the average Christian church- but I'm not opposed to that, and it may win over R. More importantly, the Episcopalian Church has taken a stand and ordained gays and lesbians. A quick perusal of St. Peter's website indicates a history of positive involvement in the community. I need my church to be one that cares about the community- not just in thought but in deed.
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