Sunday, Jan 21, 2008

This was my second Sunday at Redeemer OPC here in Oahu. Don't know what happed to my brain last week, but it never occurred to me to post any info about the day. So I'm going to try and make up for it this week.

I'm experiencing a small degree of deja vu. We don't meet at the YMCA as we did when Covenant first began, but we do meet at Pearl City Elementary School in the cafeteria. See the sign below.

After entering the door, which by the way is wide open to let in the balmy breeze (that wasn't nice, was it?), you see the cafeteria in all it's glory. At the far end is a stage with a section of very comfortable chairs set up, which is the "church".

We have a keyboard organist, Cheryl, who is just off to the side of these seats in the picture above and pictured below.

Unlike my church in NY, Redeemer conducts Sunday School first, what is up with that!!! (Don't get any ideas Tim) And like most churches where that's the case, SS is not as well attended as church.

Following Sunday School there is a break, and we too have a coffee bar, Chris!

Before SS begins and in between SS and church, people visit, watch the kids, drink coffee and have snacks, etc. This all sounds kind of familiar. As I said, deja vu.

In above photo, Pastor's wife, Sue Watson, is on the far right. She's very sweet.

In photo below, Pastor Doug Watson is on left.

When I get there, everything is set up and ready to go. But, just as at the YMCA, the people of the church have to tear down everything before we leave, even the soap and towels in the bathrooms. The hymnals have to be lugged home with the family who hosts the Sunday night Bible Study and dinner, the "coffee bar" has to be dismantled, the chairs have to be put away, the floor swept--those of you from the early days of Covenant know exactly what I'm talking about.

But Praise the Lord, there is a place to meet. There are all kinds of churches renting schools and other buildings because buying property and/or a building is so expensive here. Leah tells me that Doug did a lot of research and calling to secure this school.

As I left "church" this morning, I saw this one flower in the hedge right outside the door. Actually there might have been a few more, but not many.

Every Sunday evening there is a Bible Study at one of the homes. We meet a 5, and then eat at 6. Most people stay around for quite a while visiting. It seems like there are as many children as there are adults, although that might be an overstatement.

Many of the families are military, so they're young and just starting their families.

The woman who hosts these Sunday night get-togethers sends out an email in the middle of the week telling everyone what the food "theme" is, and people respond with what they're going to bring. That avoids repetition. This church rivals Covenant with the amount of food at one of these dinners.