Mystery Worshipper: Amanda B. Reckondwyth
Church:
Solomon’s Porch, Phoenix
Location: Arizona, USA
Date of visit: Sunday, 13 October 2024, 12:00pm
The building
They meet in the chapel of Faith Evangelical Lutheran Church. Dating from 1947, the campus is in a modified Spanish Mission style, with a cloister connecting church and chapel. A tall, majestic tower is topped by multi-storied belfries. The chapel is outfitted with an iconostasis without royal doors, behind which is a small altar.
The church
The Convergent Catholic Communion, quoting from their website, ‘honors the rich heritage of the Catholic faith, including its liturgy, sacraments, and apostolic succession... striving to make the ancient truths of our faith accessible and relevant to today’s world.’ Despite the ‘Catholic’ in the name, they are not in communion with Rome. There are Western Rite and Eastern Rite parishes; the Solomon’s Porch congregation are Eastern Rite. They first met on Easter Sunday 2013 and are the cathedral parish of the Connexion of St Maria Skobtsova. The Convergent Catholic Communion is not organized into geographic dioceses, but rather by charism-based models they call ‘connexions’. Solomon’s Porch hosts a chapter of Companions of the Holy Spirit, a religious order rooted in New Monasticism and open to Christians from all denominations. A group called SoulFarer Study Ministry meets weekly to ‘pray, study, have fun, live life, and go on missions – together.’ There is a game night one Friday each month, and dinner and a movie one Saturday each month. They celebrate vespers on alternating Thursdays, and matins on alternating Saturdays. There is one celebration of the Divine Liturgy each Sunday.
The neighborhood
They are located on Camelback Road, a major east-west thoroughfare, at 8th Street, in the area known as the ‘gayborhood’, featuring restaurants, bars, shops, and apartments popular with the LGBTQ+ crowd. The very well respected Brophy College Preparatory School, a Jesuit-run school for boys, is nearby.
The cast
The Divine Liturgy was celebrated in the presence of the metropolitan (bishop). The proistamenos (dean) celebrated, assisted by the protopsaltis (curate), who preached.
What was the name of the service?
Weekly Liturgy with Holy Communion.How full was the building?
I counted 40 chairs. Aside from the clergy, pianist and soloist, there were three adults present: myself, a young lady, and a young gentleman with two small children.
Did anyone welcome you personally?
The proistamenos asked me if I had been there before. When I said that I hadn’t, he introduced himself and introduced me to the bishop. He showed me where I could find the hymnal and service leaflet. After I was settled in, the protopsaltis came over and filled me in on what I could expect.
Was your pew comfortable?
It was a chair, and yes, it was comfortable.
How would you describe the pre-service atmosphere?
The clergy puttered about getting things ready. At service time, the protopsaltis censed everything copiously with a sweet, smoky incense in one of those jingle-bell thuribles common in Eastern churches.
What were the exact opening words of the service?
‘Blessed be the reign of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.’
What books did the congregation use during the service?
A service leaflet contained all the prayers and the service music. A hardbound hymnal, Lead Me, Guide Me, was used for the hymns. Judging from the introduction and credits, it is a Roman Catholic publication, although it lacked the imprimatur and nihil obstat. I had not seen it before.
What musical instruments were played?
Grand piano, in good tune and well played. There was a gentleman who led the singing.
Did anything distract you?
The metropolitan could pass as the identical twin brother of the president of the choral group I belong to, although a bit chubbier. Truth be told, though, the president is no Slim Jim either. I was also distracted in a most pleasant way by discovering how many Western elements I found in the liturgy – read on!
Was the worship stiff-upper-lip, happy clappy, or what?
They use a locally adapted version of the Divine Liturgy of St John Chrysostom. I’d call it ‘Eastern Lite’, although it was more Anglican than anything else. Everything was in English except for the occasional Kyrie eleison or two or three. The clergy were vested in what appeared to be a cross between Eastern and Western attire. I was surprised to discover that most of the service chants were set to familiar Western tunes: ‘Balm in Gilead,’ ‘Doxololgy,’ ‘Ye Watchers and Ye Holy Ones.’ The Sanctus was the Proulx setting Episcopalians know so well. Unlike other Eastern Rite churches, they practice open communion, with all baptized Christians welcome to partake. We received a wafer of bread in the hand and intincted it into a chalice of wine or grape juice as we wished. No spoon-fed eucharist as in other Eastern churches. No antidoron.
Exactly how long was the sermon?
12 minutes.
On a scale of 1-10, how good was the preacher?
10 — The protopsaltis spoke clearly and referred to notes only now and then. His sermon was well organized and I found it very moving.
In a nutshell, what was the sermon about?
The Second Council of Nicaea restored the veneration of icons to the Church. Icons are not graven images, but rather windows into heaven. Icons give us a glimpse into God. The councils were intended to bring Christians together, not divide them. Today’s world is divided politically, often over differences that are nothing but stupid. Politicians wish to control people different from themselves. They often espouse views for no other reason than to make their followers happy. Violence and hatred are everywhere. Churches that preach love are empty, and churches that preach hatred are full. But even in troubled times, miracles can happen. Jesus’ ministry was not for the elect, but for all. Whenever we feel abandoned, we must let Jesus speak to our hearts. Pray that God will show light to the world. Jesus will always be there.
Which part of the service was like being in heaven?
Eastern liturgies have often struck me as being aloof and exclusionary. So much takes place behind closed doors and drawn curtains. I have been to services where non-Orthodox were made to stand out on the porch – not being welcome inside. But here was an Eastern liturgy especially designed to make us feel welcome and a part of it. Aside from everything being in English and the service music and prayers being so familiar, the hymns were all old standards: ‘Blessed Assurance,’ ‘My Faith Looks Up To Thee,’ ‘Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence,’ and others. What a pleasure it was to sing them.
And which part was like being in... er... the other place?
My only lament is that the congregation was so small. They are still trying to bounce back from Covid, I understand.
What happened when you hung around after the service looking lost?
The proistamenos and protopsaltis both shook my hand and thanked me for coming, as did the soloist and the gentleman with the two small children. There had been no collection, so I told the proistamenos that I had a confession to make, that I was there on a mission – and I handed him the Mystery Worship calling card. He said that he was somewhat familiar with Ship of Fools and that he had read other Mystery Worshiper reports. The protopsaltis recommended that I come back for Holy Week and Easter – that I wouldn’t be disappointed. I departed feeling very good about the morning’s experience.
How would you describe the after-service coffee?
There was none. I had already had lunch, and so I left for home, where I busied myself getting this report ready.
How would you feel about making another visit (where 10 = ecstatic, 0 = terminal)?
10 — What a warm, welcoming experience this was, along with the beautifully executed but surprisingly accessible liturgy.
Did the service make you feel glad to be a Christian?
Yes indeed.
What one thing will you remember about all this in seven days' time ?
How Anglican it all seemed – and singing those old favorite hymns.