Learn

Recently, Fishhook had the opportunity to work with an IUPUI writing class. The students were given the opportunity to secret worship a church of their choice and write about their experience. We will be running a 5 week blog series with their stories and experiences! We hope you're able to get a better feel for the types of things a first time visitor may see or think. 

I haven’t been to church in years, excluding funerals and the occasional wedding.

Much to my relief, the spacious parking lot allowed me to avoid parallel parking. To get the full effect, I walked to the front of the church to enter.  

After pulling open the elegant wooden doors, I was greeted by two things: First, was a smell I can only describe as the soft scent of incense mixed with clean hardwood. The second was a smiling, older church-goer, who offered me a church bulletin along with friendly bits of small conversation. I looked around and saw he was only one of many. Greeters were posted at every entrance and exit, handing out bulletins and shaking hands with other smiling people. There was an unspoken message of community within the entire building. I felt a hand on my shoulder and jumped. It was the greeter. He told me he did not recognize me and asked if this was my first time visiting. I told him it was my first visit. He smiled and said I was more than welcome to sit in the pew near the back where his family often sits. With a pat on the back, he turned around and went back to greeting others.

Once I was sitting, I took my chance to look around further. The bulletin had a simple layout, but it was informational and focused on the day's message along with recent developments within the congregation such as births, marriages, sickness, or death. It gave a sense of family. After I was finished with the bulletin, I looked around to the church itself.

What struck me most was the architecture and décor.

The worn, wooden pews creaked slightly each time I moved. Rather than irritate me, it added to the old, traditional atmosphere of the church. To the front of the church was a beautiful altar with golden accents. Whether or not this was real gold is up for debate. Either way, it was striking. Gorgeous stained glass windows adorned the walls to my left and right. The overall feel of the interior was traditional, yet timeless. A few guitar strums directed my attention to the front. A small group took their places. I could tell service was about to start. All the people conversing filed into their seats. 

The band began to play a soft melody. Once the band began singing, people stood and joined in. Luckily, there was a board to the front listing page numbers for songs. There were multiple hardcover songbooks for each pew. I was so busy flipping through pages that I almost didn’t see the leader making his way to the front.

Once he reached the altar, the music quieted. He smiled and greeted the group. He left the altar to discuss the message: family. He spoke a bit, and a few people came up to read excerpts from the Bible. Once, when it was his turn to speak, he made his way over to a woman holding a baby.

“May I?” he asked. The woman was more than happy to oblige and handed over the little bundle. As he spoke, he cradled the baby in his arms. The baby was completely calm the entire time. Once his message was complete, he handed the baby back. I thought that was a nice touch. It showed how involved, friendly, and trusting all parties were. 

During service, the band would play a few songs in between speakers. With their use of flute, guitar and drums, they had a nice (almost Celtic or folk) feel to them. I found myself tapping my foot frequently. Other people clapped to the beat while many sang along. It was easy to get involved and to feel like a part of the group.  At the end of the service, they played an excellent rendition of “Wade in the Water.”

Donuts, juice, and coffee were offered after. Many people stood around, conversing. The greeter introduced me to the leader, who told me that he hoped I enjoyed service and would be coming back. He seemed more than genuine, which was another great touch to the entire experience.

I would recommend friends to attend, but I would not have them check the website beforehand.

The website gives all the basic information, like times and dates for events. Unfortunately, it does little justice to the friendliness and stunning architecture of the church. It would be one of those, "Just trust me and go,” sort of referrals.