Glenwood Pioneer Memorial Community Church

We attended church Sunday morning at the community church in Glenwood, for me partly for sentimental reasons and partly because the White Salmon ward meets from 10 am to 1 pm and we would not have been able to spend much time with the relatives at Lorene’s. It was an interesting experience. The church seems to have lost its Presbyterian affiliation, and has a “born again” new-age pastor. It is designated as a “mission” church which we thought must mean that some outside body besides the members of this congregation were paying most of his salary. We attended a Sunday School class at 10 am (6-7 adults attending) and the preaching services at 11 am (20 or 25 adults with a handful of kids).

The first half of Sunday School was a film about a young Christian father and husband who took a terrible fall while mountain-climbing but lived and made a seemingly miraculous recovery, which was ascribed to the grace of God in order that he could make a stronger witness of Christ. The Minister-led discussion seemed to be around what God’s purpose might have been for this miracle. Our reaction to this was: 1) that this kind of happening seemed to be treated as a rarity, when we see these kinds of miracles constantly, and 2) there was a hint of self-aggrandizement the narrative (God loved me a lot–he singled me out for this exceptional miracle). Otherwise the discussion seemed reasonable regarding possible purposes God might have for intervening in our lives. Was it for the victim? his family? the non-believer who dropped the belay rope that lead to the fall?

The preaching service had us rolling our eyes a little. The music was led by the minster’s wife as she play a guitar and sang loudly in a mike, Joan Baez-like. (They said that the man who usually played the bongo drums for the hymn-singing was out of town.) The hymns were not traditional but syrupy, modern stuff. The words were projected from a computer onto a screen. Everyone stood, and some tried a little to sing along, but it was obvious that most of the songs were not well-known. We also stood as the minister said prayers off and on again during the service.

The most formal activity and the only one that involved any of the congregation was the passing of the collection plates. It reminded me of how the scouts perform a pledge of allegiance. A man came to the front and called up two other men, who then marched up to a cabinet at the back of the platform where two large collection plates rested conspicuously. Each man took one and solemnly walked back to the audience and presented the plates one by one to each row in the congregation. They had a chart posted conspicuously in the entrance, that showed the contribution amounts received over the last few months.

The sermon was based on the Beatitude in Matthew 5:9–Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God. We were asked to consider–Are we peacemakers or are we troublemakers?–in our relationships and actions. A good lesson, but maybe short on specific applications. At one point we were told that you can’t be a both a Christian and a troublemaker, then asked for a show of hands how many had been saved (i.e., were Christians)?

Most people came dressed in Levi’s, slacks, and other casual attire. No white shirts and only a handful of ties. The music lacked the dignity that I have come to find uplifting and inspiring. I thought the Sunday School instruction and the sermon mainly reflected true principles, but did not experience any real confirmation by the Spirit of Truth. I for one did not leave these services feeling particularly rested or refreshed. But I did have a feeling of gratitude for the church I have.