VANCOUVER, WA (Day 2).  This morning we attended Westminster Presbyterian Church (PCA).  Its location is far off the road, and we drove right past it on our first attempt.  The road has barriers along the center, so no U-turn is possible (or allowed).  We then turned left at the next intersection where U-turns again are not allowed.  After a few side streets we got turned back to the first road and found an opening in the barriers to allow us to enter the road leading to the church.  Thus, we were late arriving for the worship service.

The first thing we noticed about the service was the very nice bulletin they handed out.  It was a 16-page 8 1/2 X 11 inch booklet, with nice printing and attractive graphics on the front cover.  The weekly preparation of the bulletin must be quite an operation.  There are even instructions on the first page inside to familiarize worshipers with how to participate in a liturgical worship service.  This was the first indication that this would be a conservative church.  It is on this page that they "fence the table" for the taking of communion that would be part of the service.  It is also here that they state their practice of allowing "baby noises and wiggly children" in the congregation during worship.  After experiencing what was to follow, we disagree.  Little was done to quiet or control what were very rebellious kids, making it difficult for adults to participate in worship or even to hear the sermon.  We have never understood the logic of placing a higher value on childhood misbehavioral liberty than on the edification of adults.  It seems to us that instruction more suitable for them elsewhere would be more appropriate, and allow adults to hear the sermon and more fully to participate in worship without so many distractions.

The structure of the bulletin was quite promising.  Everything was founded on and read from scripture, with copious selections from the Psalms.  The Trinity Hymnal primarily was used, though a new selection from Keith Getty and Stuart Townsend named Oh For a Closer Walk with God was also used.  A very good violinist and cellist were accompanying the electronic piano throughout.  There were Old Testament and New Testament selections read (and printed out in the bulletin).  There was a Declaration of Faith taken from the Emden Catechism 1544 (new to me).  Following the sermon, the old translation of The Apostles Creed was recited ("Holy Ghost," "quick and dead," etc).  There was a Public Confession of Sin, using a selection from The Valley of Vision.  Then communion was celebrated, followed by The Lord's Prayer and a hymn.  Following the benediction, the congregation sang the Threefold Amen, just as we do back home.

When the time for communion came, they had everyone leave their seats and line up around the outer wall of the building.  Then the elders came around with the elements, first round with gluten-free bread cubes, then second round with real wine (except the inner circle of glasses which were grape juice).  We noticed that any tiny child that requested was given the elements.  Hard to believe that a child that young was able to "discern the body" (I Cor 11:29).  We then were instructed to return to our seats, without instruction on where to put the empty glasses.

The pastor is on sabbatical caring for his wife who has cancer.  The stand-in for the summer has been an army chaplain based at Fort Lewis in Tacoma, WA.  One would not guess that he is an army officer, since we was dressed in an off-red pair of pants, a brown-gold tie, and a sports coat that was a "coat of many colors."   I spoke to him after the service and asked if he was from California.  No, he is from Tennessee, and considered that coat to be "Southern Preppy."  Huh?  It was a collage of paint chips gathered together in a sort of cubism.  His dress, and the fact that the sermon was delivered by walking around on the stage, then into the audience, then back up to the stage, a while behind the pulpit, then back out, would make you think that the sermon was without merit, but it was interesting.

The actual message of the sermon was not bad.  The text was Psalm 1, focusing on "Blessed is the man ... nor sits in the seat of scoffers."  He made numerous references to American history, saying that we became a nation because we won a war that if lost would have resulted in the execution of our founding fathers for rebellion and treason.  And we still would rather "dump the tea in the harbor" than obey law or rule, including the law of God.  One might ask how that accounts for such disobedience in every other country, but after driving many days through California, land of scofflaws, I was attentive.  It does seem that Americans are becoming more rebellious, with the return of "Don't Tread on Me" flags and bumper stickers.  And the younger they are, the more rebellious.  Just look at the kids acting up in this church during the worship service.  I would ask how much time these parents spend at home with these kids in "the nurture and admonition of the Lord" which they vowed to do at each child's baptism.  I have found that when kids misbehave this way in church, it is because the things of God are foreign to them, and they react against the unfamiliarity of the things of God in the worship service.  That was my sermon for the day.

Tomorrow we leave for Silver Lake, WA, where we shall stay for three days.