Good Shepherd, Silver Spring, MD

The thing about going to a new church every week is that I know exactly what I am getting, but in reality I have no idea what I am getting.  The parts should all be there: songs, readings, homilies.  Ritual.  Order.  But it is of course the variables that make the difference.   I added a whole new variable this week and checked out an Episcopalian church.  

This week I went to Good Shepherd in Silver Spring.  A friend of mine invited me. It's pretty cool to hear what attracts people to a particular church.   She loves that it is small and multi-generational.  On Saturdays, they have a group called the Needlers, where people hang out with their needle crafts.  Their narthex was crowded with fundraising for Heifer International.  There was talk of a game night.  

The church is small and has skylights through the middle and exposed red bricks.  There are four columns of pews across the church.  It has kneelers and a communion rail.   The structure of the service was much the same as a Catholic mass, except kneeling at what I would consider to be the wrong times.   Today's second reading and the Gospel overlap.  The sermon was a light presentation about sin and started off with a story about Disney World, so I was hooked.  

There were lots of little kids, including one in front of me who was making a tall tower of hymnals.  At the sign of peace, people left their seats to greet everyone.  And there's no New Roman Missal.  I hope this doesn't set me back.  

No plans for next week yet.  I'm looking for a reconciliation service, but combing through parish websites for that has proved difficult.  Let me know if you find one.