I'm White
I'm searching around for a church to attend while I'm down here in SoCal. The largest Quaker church in the world is nearby, in Yorba Linda, with 4,000 on any given Sunday. But they are so conservative they were started by the Nixon family, reject pacifism, and seem to have little that is Quakerly about them. The larger meeting, Southwest Yearly Meeting, may be too conservative for my tastes, being the most conservative of the Yearly Meetings in the area. I'd love to find something like Jeremiah Wright in the area, but have found difficulty in that, not in the least because Huntington Beach is way, way white.
I did however come across a highly recommended black church, Second Baptist, over in Santa Ana. The worship was excellent, and spirit-filled. I thoroughly enjoyed myself, and felt at home. The parishioners were very welcoming, and the Spirit was moving in the midst of glorious worship. The only time I was uncomfortable was when I discovered they had roving cameras; I don't like being filmed. At one point I looked up at the two large screens behind the pulpit, and saw there was another white person there in the congregation. And he was very white.
It took me a few seconds to realize that it was me.
I did however come across a highly recommended black church, Second Baptist, over in Santa Ana. The worship was excellent, and spirit-filled. I thoroughly enjoyed myself, and felt at home. The parishioners were very welcoming, and the Spirit was moving in the midst of glorious worship. The only time I was uncomfortable was when I discovered they had roving cameras; I don't like being filmed. At one point I looked up at the two large screens behind the pulpit, and saw there was another white person there in the congregation. And he was very white.
It took me a few seconds to realize that it was me.
Comments
Are you planning to go back?
What Quaker practices do these ultra-conservative meetings adhere to? Post a report to the blog when you get a chance!
Well, the one in Garden Grove isn't too far away, and they seem to follow the Peace Testimony to the same extent that we do at NSF. And they have Open Worship as well. Most SWYM meetings have occasional baptism and communion, which I actually appreciate, and they do too. I planned to check them out this past Sunday, but I've been wiped out with serious flu-like deal for a week now.
Well, last week I went to Garden Grove, for a normal service. I can add in that they have Open Worship, but this was so short as to be unfulfilling- about a minute long. They told me it's usually longer, but since they're doing an extended series on prayer, they've shortened the Open Worship for awhile. Which was disappointing, as that's my favorite part of a Quaker service.