This morning, we worshiped at Myers Park United Methodist Church (MPUMC) in South Charlotte. This is a beautiful church in the heart of Myers Park, which is what one might call a very comfortable part of our city. The streets are tree lined and the homes are spacious. This church fits well in the environs of Myers Park. The service we attended was at 8:45 am and was called Church in the Round, a contemporary service.
Beth was raised as a Methodist and attended MPUMC some years ago. I went to another church in Myers Park for twenty-five years. David did Cub Scouts at this church for years. We live in South Charlotte. In short, we are demographically typical of the people that attend MPUMC. As such, it was the type of church and type of service with which we were very familiar.
MPUMC is one of the many liberal churches that closed for Covid-19. The service today gave me the sense that they are not yet accustomed to being opened back up for worship.
Here are some of the vistas of the Myers Park section of Charlotte, including a few of the church itself.
It is a well-established church that serves an equally well-established constituency. And like many churches, MPUMC is making an effort to undergo an evolution in their format by holding a contemporary worship service. We attended Church in the Round in what is called Jubilee Hall, a smaller part of this very large church.
When we entered, we were reminded of the recent re-masking of Mecklenburg County:
And we enjoyed the interior of Jubilee Hall, it was very nice:
We made our way up to Jubilee Hall itself, where the service was close to commencing. There were the ubiquitous purple lights behind an assembled band on the stage.
The band eventually started and played some good songs. The crowd was sedate, with most people appearing to be in a mode that could best be described as observational.
The sermon was given by Dr. James Howell, who has been the Reverend at MPUMC for nearly twenty years. He is a learned man and speaks in an educated and patrician tone. I read some of his writings years ago and was very impressed. Here is a video of Reverend Howell talking about a family of geese (I forget how this fit into the sermon).
The central theme of the sermon was fatigue and weariness. Not literal physical fatigue, but soul weariness that seems to be proliferating in society these days. Covid-19. The recent botched exit of Afghanistan. Political rancor at an all-time high. Uncertainty in so many places.
His sermon spoke to the deep distress that so many people are feeling these days. Fear is at a very high level in society right now and it was evident in the sermon. People are tired. Exhausted. Weary and worn out.
Dr. Howell did eventually end up saying that we can take solace in God's redemption and the truth that gives us hope... It was exactly the sermon that some people needed to hear. As such, it was an excellent sermon. Meeting people in their pain is absolutely an essential component of the Gospel.
Despite its relevance at that time and in that place, I couldn't help but think that it provided a deep contrast to other recent services that we have attended. We have witnessed churches celebrating with enthusiasm in places as diverse as Florida, Peru, Utah and Kansas. What happened at MPUMC was an example of people commiserating with one another instead of celebrating their redemption. That it was in a community so very free of material deprivation made me feel a reduced compassion for the perceived suffering of the worshippers.
But - some people were clearly hurting and the sermon spoke to their experience. That is all I need to say about it.
Yes, people *are* hurting deeply. Let's help them see the reason for the joy that we have.
Above all, I don't feel weary and tired. Candidly, I have never felt more alive. This is due entirely to the presence of the Holy Spirit, plain and simple.
That is not to say that everyone is feeling as upbeat as I am. Quite obviously, most people are not feeling happy at all. It was hard for me to share the feelings that this crowd seemed to be experiencing. I am simply not in that place on a personal and spiritual level.
I go to church to praise.
As we were leaving, there was a large crowd assembled for the next service. Young men in blazers and women in sun dresses. Intact, attractive families. People of means. Beth commented that it was nice to see people dressed nicely for church, something that we are both accustomed to seeing.
Because I dressed nicely for this service at MPUMC, I wore one of my good shirts to Freedom House later in the morning. Beth, as always, looked beautiful.
This was a nice service, it helped us to know better a church that we have been acquainted with for decades. I trust and hope the collective mood may improve at MPUMC. May they feel the celebration that is upon us - because, after all, Jesus is Risen!
And that is grounds for celebration, no?
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