Sabbatical -- Day 11 -- Friends Matter

I got up very early this morning to go to worship at St. Paul's United Methodist Church in Lawton, OK. It was a three hour drive. Easily the longest commute I have ever made for worship. Their new pastor is Dr. Sonja Tobey. We were Doctor of Ministry classmates at Phillips Theological Seminary. She and her husband Mike and I have become very good friends. Sometimes friends drive three hours to see a friend graduate, or to attend worship. Today was Sonja's fourth Sunday with the congregation.

Lawton is in the southwest corner of the state. Owasso, where my parents live is in the northeast corner. The topography changes from Tulsa to Oklahoma City through hills and oak forests to rolling plains around the capital was interesting indeed. But the topography changes near Lawton were stunning. I probably had not been to Lawton since 1982 when I was a student at TCU and student minister in Archer City, TX. I had forgotten the Wichita Mountains towered over Lawton.

Worship was good. St. Paul's building is very contemporary. Here's a few pictures.

The space has flexible seating and was very open. It had the feeling, to me, of a living room in a house. I was very comfortable there. The exposed rafters leave a lot of space for creatively hanging worship banners and the like. There was a single contemporary worship song and the rest were traditional. The words for all things were on the screens.

After lunch we went to the Wichita mountains for a long, refreshing drive. What an amazing landscape. Here's a bunch of pictures.

I drove back to Owasso tonight. It was a good Sunday.

I am trying to visit a lot of varied worship spaces while on sabbatical. Today was a good one. The blend of contemporary and traditional was interesting. Also, the way they made room for the service dog was great. They had a Welcome Center with good information. I was well-greeted. I really liked the space too. Their choir doesn't sing during the summer and they have a casual early service at 8:15. I think I learned something today. Sonja is very creative with worship decorations. 

I mentioned previously in a post that I discovered on Day 1 that this sabbatical was going to be about the people I encountered. Larry Stewart, a member of the church recounted for me today how he was stationed in Kentucky in the Army. Sonja and Mike matter to me. Friends matter. I don't have a whole bunch of friends outside the church where I serve. I just don't. When I get a chance to feed a friendship I think I need to do what I can to feed it. I am resolving to do better with that. I am grateful for the friends I have, especially those who know me the best and yet continue to agree to be my friends. And, I made a new acquaintance today that was more than fun. Sonja and Mike's daughter, Briana, was with us. What an interesting and intelligent and faithful and energetic young woman she is.

Also, today I missed Graham. I had a lot of time to think while driving: 6 hours. I sorta talked to him about a preaching idea I had and tried to hear his reply in his voice. I learned a lot from him.

Peace and Love,
Jerry