St. Stephen's Urbandale 10/24/10

This past Sunday we worshipped at the St. Stephen's www.ststephenlutheran.org 10:45 contemporary worship service. This is the first contemporary service that Ryan and I have attended together on this journey. It turns out as a discussion point, we really like both contemporary and traditional.  As we entered into St. Stephen's we were in the door just a second when we were greeted by a Peter Larsen. He welcomed us joyfully and directed us in.  We entered into the sanctuary and saw that they had a projection screen for the words for worship.  I have not worshipped with a screen for sometime and found that I really liked it.  I mostly liked it because it got me looking up.  I was able to see that the paramounts said 'Feed them' and spend more time looking at the people, rather than my bulletin, hymnal, and Bible.  It was like when you go on a good strenuous mountain hike and find that you've spent most of the time looking at the ground so you don't fall that you have to be conscious that you look up and see the view or you could miss it.

Sawyer got a preschool play bag and again we were welcomed by the people around us. The music was well done and I believe the singers had fun singing it.  I know, like, and respect Pastor LeAnn who is at St. Stephens, but I didn't know that she was off this weekend.  So who comes up during the processional, Pastor Diana Sickles and Pastor Fritz Wehrenberg. Here's the fun part (now I don't believe in coincidences) Pastor Diana and I worked together at Faith for 3+ years and Pastor Fritz is one of my best friends from college's dad. Small, tiny, Lutheran world.  We enjoyed the music and how Pastor Fritz read from the world almost theatrically. The Gospel was on the parable of the tax collector and the Pharisee. He challenged us to think of who we are in this story.  Most would say that they are the repentant sinner tax collector, but often we're the Pharisee.  There was no communion at this service. I would of liked to see how they did it.  But we certainly felt welcomed and it was good to hug Diana.  They are in a call process for a new Associate Pastor, I'm excited to see what that brings for St. Stephens.