8427 FM2673, Canyon Lake, TX 78133
Is it possible to attend a church service thinking you are going to one church, but after sitting through the service, coming home and talking about the service, you only discover this church isn’t what you thought? Yep…happened to me. I thought this was one of two Presbyterian churches in Canyon Lake. Instead, the church I attended today is non-denominational. That could only happen to me, for sure. Not only did I get the church wrong, but I also got the time wrong, as well.
After more careful consideration, perhaps I looked up “Presbyterian churches in Canyon Lake” and had seen Canyon Lake Presbyterian Church on Shepherd Hills Drive, then when I passed by this church a few days later, I thought this was yet another Presbyterian Church? I think having one church on Shepherd Hills Drive and one church called Shepherd of the Hills just threw me a curve ball. Hard to say, but I also had a 10:30am service time stuck in my head for Canyon Lake Presbyterian Church, but this one started at 10:00. When things like this happen to me, I just throw up my hands and go with the flow.
I came close to driving away, but another family drove up as I sat thinking about my decision to stay or go; the family then started toward the door. Well, I’d driven 30 miles out of the way to attend this service, so here was my chance, so in I went. Remember: After visiting 50 different churches in one year, I’m comfortable being uncomfortable.
Arrival
The small church sits behind some wonderful smelling cedar trees. Not much of a parking lot here; cars park in their drivers’ own mentally drawn lines upon a gravel incline in front of the building. I enter the service at the point of prayer for Memorial Day, called Remember our Heroes. I tiptoe to a chair spotted at the back of the service, and quietly sit to bow my head in prayer with the rest of the folks.
Then it’s time to stand for music. After all, it’s a non-denominational service and its what they’ve come to understand that non-denominational churches do — stand for long stretches of time and sing words off a screen while a band plays. The pastor conducts the music before he preaches, so the church must be composed of a relatively small staff.
This time of stand-up singing offers opportunity for me to look around and count about 40 to 50 people in today’s service. I see a few women in dresses, but no men wear suits. This, after all is a lake area and people here dress the part. You’ll find many church goers in jeans, shorts and polo shirts. Even the pastor dons jeans and a Cuban guayabera-like shirt, with two crosses on each shoulder and one larger one embroidered across the back. (NOTE: The bulletin on the seat didn’t list the pastor’s name. The church also has no website that I could find, only a Facebook page that also does not list the pastor’s name. So, apologies for not sharing that information.)
Then after that song, comes another one, also while standing. The church band is loud and the music is propelled by four guitars, one drummer, a pianist, an organist, and three singers. After that song, the pastor/music leader moves into the third song while we stand and sing along. Then it’s time for children to depart for Children’s Church in another area of the building, then the congregation moves into today’s message.
Sermon – “What you do comes back to you”
Unlike any other church I’ve encountered, the pastor utilizes Power Point slides during his sermon, including one snippet of video. Today, he discusses two truths: 1) You reap in this life what you sow in this life, and 2) You reap in eternity what you sow in this life. I quickly surmise that this group is quite conservative when I hear the pastor say that we only have one life; there is no reincarnation, despite what others say.
Then, using a video of a man who decides to throw caution to the wind and toss a match on a gas-soaked burn pile, the pastor drives home the areas of today’s focus:
- What you do comes back to you in your personal life.
- What you do comes back to you in your business life.
- What you do comes back to you in your spiritual life.
The only concept that I walk away with today is the idea that Christianity is possibly the only major religion that has always sought to elevate the stature of women in society. Of course, some denominations still debate and argue women’s stature in church leadership to this day, but for the most part, I think the pastor is likely correct. Will need to research that.
Parting Thoughts
As the service ends, I again note, as happened at last week’s Hope Presbyterian Church service that it, too, puts no outward emphasis on offerings, only a parting large screen slide displays the call to drop off tithes and offerings. I put away my chair at the back of the building, but no one says a word to me, although I don’t say anything to anyone either, since I arrived quite late. So, if you are reading this and trying to decide whether to attend this church service, do so with fresh eyes and knowing that my experience was a bit strange today. It’s not often I go to the wrong church and get the time wrong, as well. But in my book, anything is possible. It’s what keeps life interesting and always makes me smile.
Next week, I’ll be attending the last Presbyterian Church in this series of church visits — Canyon Lake Presbyterian Church and I’ll get to do so with a family cousin by marriage, whom I see far to rarely even though we live about 40 minutes apart.
Steeple Stretch 