Looking Back
I have always found Episcopal churches to be among the most beautiful parishes, small enough to retain their hometown feel, while displaying a grace and architectural style that inspires awe and reverence for God. The grounds of St. Paul's Episcopal, in New Smyrna Beach, FL are a reflection of the charm these old churches have.
Though small, care has been taken to ensure that beauty abounds outside the church, as well as inside. (I have not been inside yet, but hope to be able to attend a service sometime when I have a Sunday off.) As a child, I went to two Episcopalian churches; one on Long Island, and one here in Florida. As a teen, I spent many hours with friends praying in St. Barnabus Church in DeLand, FL, while I attended Stetson University. Each had a similar beauty, with hand painted, stained glass windows, and wooden pews with velvet cushions, but each was also very different in layout and size.
My first church, St. James, on Long Island, in the little town of Brookhaven, was a tiny, mission church. Going back as an adult, I realized just how small it was! Still, it was stunning, with its gothic style decor, and large, ornate, stained glass window behind the altar where I used to sit near while singing in the choir. I can still remember the priest, Reverend Gray, who was a kind and humble man. He was fairly young, and lived in the rectory next door. One Sunday, as he was giving his sermon, one of his children, a toddler who had escaped from his mom just before bath time, ran right down the aisle, with not a stitch on, amidst the laughter of the congregation, and the embarrassed delight of his father! (To be honest, I was about 5-9 years old when this happened, so I don't remember for sure if it was a boy or girl child, but I do remember the bare bottom running down the aisle to see Daddy!)
When we moved to Daytona, I went to St. Mary's Episcopal, which is in the heart of Daytona, on U.S. Hwy 1, better known as Ridgewood Ave., at the corner of Orange and Ridgewood. I felt at home there, since it was like a larger version of St. James. Instead of the lovely stained glass behind the altar, though, there was a large, wooden crucifix, that had the image of the resurrected Christ on it. It was pretty, and similar to the crucifix in St. Paul's garden, but I still missed the stained glass of St. James.
St. Barnabus Episcopal Church, in DeLand, FL, is a stunning parish. When I was in college, it would be open 24/7 so people could go in to pray. Some of us Christian kids on campus- most NOT Episcopalians, would keep vigil there sometimes, since there had been a rash of break ins at the liturgical churches, and the host (the bread or wafers, and wine used in the Holy Communion,) had been stolen by kids involved in Satanism to use in their own rites. Once while in the church late at night with a friend, we heard footsteps on the roof, and running outside to catch the culprit, saw no one! Needless to say, we were spooked. It WAS the sound of human footsteps, not an animal on the roof, or a tree scraping it. While one stayed inside, the other would go outside and look around the grounds, and no one seemed to be there. It was creepy, and gave us all the more reason to "guard" the church! As I understood, the same kind of thing had happened in the Catholic church several blocks away.
I no longer consider myself an Episcopalian, although I will attend a service now and then. It reminds me of my roots in the faith, and keeps that sense of awe and reverence for the Lord in me. Some churches seem to make God seem more like your good buddy than God Almighty, and to me, while God is a personal God to us, He is still GOD! Despite rituals which seem outdated and distant to many Christians, the liturgy of the Episcopal church, and the atmosphere in many of the individual places of worship, bring it home for me. I feel closer to the majesty of the Lord there than in many other churches. It will always hold a soft spot in my heart.
Looking Back
I have always found Episcopal churches to be among the most beautiful parishes, small enough to retain their hometown feel, while displaying a grace and architectural style that inspires awe and reverence for God. The grounds of St. Paul's Episcopal, in New Smyrna Beach, FL are a reflection of the charm these old churches have.
Though small, care has been taken to ensure that beauty abounds outside the church, as well as inside. (I have not been inside yet, but hope to be able to attend a service sometime when I have a Sunday off.) As a child, I went to two Episcopalian churches; one on Long Island, and one here in Florida. As a teen, I spent many hours with friends praying in St. Barnabus Church in DeLand, FL, while I attended Stetson University. Each had a similar beauty, with hand painted, stained glass windows, and wooden pews with velvet cushions, but each was also very different in layout and size.
My first church, St. James, on Long Island, in the little town of Brookhaven, was a tiny, mission church. Going back as an adult, I realized just how small it was! Still, it was stunning, with its gothic style decor, and large, ornate, stained glass window behind the altar where I used to sit near while singing in the choir. I can still remember the priest, Reverend Gray, who was a kind and humble man. He was fairly young, and lived in the rectory next door. One Sunday, as he was giving his sermon, one of his children, a toddler who had escaped from his mom just before bath time, ran right down the aisle, with not a stitch on, amidst the laughter of the congregation, and the embarrassed delight of his father! (To be honest, I was about 5-9 years old when this happened, so I don't remember for sure if it was a boy or girl child, but I do remember the bare bottom running down the aisle to see Daddy!)
When we moved to Daytona, I went to St. Mary's Episcopal, which is in the heart of Daytona, on U.S. Hwy 1, better known as Ridgewood Ave., at the corner of Orange and Ridgewood. I felt at home there, since it was like a larger version of St. James. Instead of the lovely stained glass behind the altar, though, there was a large, wooden crucifix, that had the image of the resurrected Christ on it. It was pretty, and similar to the crucifix in St. Paul's garden, but I still missed the stained glass of St. James.
St. Barnabus Episcopal Church, in DeLand, FL, is a stunning parish. When I was in college, it would be open 24/7 so people could go in to pray. Some of us Christian kids on campus- most NOT Episcopalians, would keep vigil there sometimes, since there had been a rash of break ins at the liturgical churches, and the host (the bread or wafers, and wine used in the Holy Communion,) had been stolen by kids involved in Satanism to use in their own rites. Once while in the church late at night with a friend, we heard footsteps on the roof, and running outside to catch the culprit, saw no one! Needless to say, we were spooked. It WAS the sound of human footsteps, not an animal on the roof, or a tree scraping it. While one stayed inside, the other would go outside and look around the grounds, and no one seemed to be there. It was creepy, and gave us all the more reason to "guard" the church! As I understood, the same kind of thing had happened in the Catholic church several blocks away.
I no longer consider myself an Episcopalian, although I will attend a service now and then. It reminds me of my roots in the faith, and keeps that sense of awe and reverence for the Lord in me. Some churches seem to make God seem more like your good buddy than God Almighty, and to me, while God is a personal God to us, He is still GOD! Despite rituals which seem outdated and distant to many Christians, the liturgy of the Episcopal church, and the atmosphere in many of the individual places of worship, bring it home for me. I feel closer to the majesty of the Lord there than in many other churches. It will always hold a soft spot in my heart.