Glendale Church of the Brethren

You can see both of these ships at Long Beach when you walk along the shore.   What a contrast!  The Queen Mary speaks of a time of elegance, unsurpassed service, beauty, legend (she transported troops during WWII), and also of class distinctions, and snobbery.  While the Carnival Cruise Line speaks of fun, egalitarianism, families, and also of being dirty, run down, drunk cruises to Mexico.
These distinctions are also a metaphor for me of the current culture of the Christian Church in the United States.  The wonderful old mainline denominations had class, beautiful theology, and the the worship services were breathtaking.  Also, the old mainline churches served a noble purpose – they saved the world from World War III through the rebuilding of Europe and Japan after the war.   Unfortunately these wonderful churches have also become known as (perhaps unfairly) a little snobbish, stuffy, and not a lot of fun. 

Today we have giant carnival churches (Mega Churches) that are family friendly, fun (Want some espresso to go with your worship? How about a wonderful Abba melody to worship with?).  Unfortunately these churches often shallow, built around a personality (Ted Haggard?), and can leave you a little hung over.

 When I took my sabbatical year off I found that I never once rose up on a Sunday Morning and wished I was going to a Mega Church.  I found myself drawn to a new kind of mainline church.  One that kept the best of the past and embraced what is good about the future.  You will find that here at Glendale Church of the Brethren.  Okay, you won’t get espresso to take into worship, but on the bright side, you will also not have to listen to old Abba tunes either.

Peace,

Pastor John