Shirttail Methodism

[Haruo]

This morning I attended worship at First Church, as First Methodist bills itself in Seattle by virtue of its 1853 founding. I went because a couple weeks ago I got two letters, postmarked two days apart, thanking me for my contribution to their mortgage-reduction drive and letting me know that my name was on a plaque that would be dedicated this morning. Now, I had only worshiped in that sanctuary once, two or three years ago, and I had no recollection of having donated to their building fund or whatever. So I decided to go look at the thing.

It was a fine service, beautifully appointed, with a moving message from Job ("Skin for Skin"). and wonderful herb communion bread. I enjoyed the hymns, but was looking forward to my first chance to sing EAST ACKLAM only to find they substituted AR HYD Y NOS in "For the fruits of this creation". Here are a few pictures ...

The plaque is presented

My name on it

Lining up for Communion

[Haruo]

I'm going back next week for German Church!

And here's their organ, handbells, and pulpit.

And the Afghanistani tapestry they used today as a tablecloth on the Communion Table.

I'll admit I'm a bit of a coward at times, but heck, it's my diet to blame...

Der Mann ist was er ißt!

[Haruo]

Something came up last Sunday that kept me from going to German Church, but I made it today. Es war wunderbar. I think the total attendance was 18, including three grade-school-or-younger kids as well as a few older-than-I types. A mix of native speakers, fluent non-native speakers, and people like me who could barely put three words together auf Deutsch. (I don't think I'd spoken more than a sentence of German per occasion, not counting greetings etc., since 1973, and it's definitely rustig.)

The pastors (a husband-and-wife team) were not in town; I may go back next week to meet them, and to see if they'll sell me a hymnal. I'm sure I'll be back at some point.

[Dave Roberts]

Looks like quite an interesting church with which to worship.

[Tim Bonney]

Haruo,

Did you know if the German speaking UM church has a Evangelical United Brethren background? In this part of the US that is often what that would indicate.

[Haruo]

I don't think so particularly. I think it's a recent church plant, maybe three or four years old now, probably roughly contemporary with First Methodist's move to their current building.

There's another German Protestant church in town, , which is UCC; founded 1881 as "First German Reformed Church". It joined the Congregationalists in 1896. From what I heard yesterday, it's very old-school, not very welcoming especially to non-germanophones; and predictably, aging and dying. I think I'll visit it next week so I don't slander it on hearsay.

This one is UMC, . Their offering goes 50% to the local Methodist conference, 50% to refugee assistance in Europe. (The pastors are of course paid by the conference.)

[Tim Bonney]

[Haruo]

There are apparently nearly 20,000 German speakers in the Greater Seattle area, and while most of them are not churchgoers, and the vast majority are fully functional in English, they do form a sizable potential mission field. The young black lady who read the scripture and then left to do junior church with her two young, recently baptized sons in the narthex, I'm told, is a native German speaker and lived there until after she graduated from college. Diversity is far more diverse than we generally give it credit for.

[KeithE]

[Jon Estes]