Calvary Presbyterian Church

Disclaimer: I debated whether to actually post a church review this week. I did attend worship services at Calvary Presbyterian Church, but I have not been sleeping well, and Calvary is a church in transition (an interim pastor arrives next week). It is entirely possible Calvary is a better church than my mental image would suggest. 

Of all the churches I visited in Hollywood, my favorite was the Presbyterian church just up the road from Roscoe's Chicken 'N' Waffles. I wrote about them several times, and continued to visit after terminating my Hollywood church blog. The minister made the church special, merely by refusing to talk down to the congregation. The congregation was active during worship, singing and praying and generally attentive to what was happening. They offered two forms of worship. The traditional service skewed older but was well attended, and the contemporary service was a younger, more diverse group (but it featured a praise band that was not to my liking). Since I liked one big Presbyterian church, I opted to try a big one here in the Inland Empire.

Calvary in Riverside is adjacent to a hospital, and parking is complicated. It is also built higher than the parking lot, which made some of the elderly congregants sigh as they traversed the stairs leading to the entrance. As with the church in Hollywood, Calvary offered two services. I went to the later traditional worship service. Reviewing the attendance information in the bulletin, most of the congregation attends the later service.

The interior is church-like, with stained glass and dark wood adorning the room, which is long and tall with massive arches. One feature that hinders the church is a bump-out to the side of the alter area; it is a hindrance because it sucks up the audio and spits it back out as an echo-filled jumble. They had a decent sized choir and pipe organ, but both were perched in front of the church, so sounds fell into the pit of the aforementioned bump-out and came out distorted. The same was true for those who spoke or read in front of the sanctuary, but -- oddly enough -- the handbells sounded really good. Moving the choir to the balcony might help, but they are in need of a sound engineer to fix the audio issues.

The sermon was delivered by a female minister, and it has been a while since I'd seen/heard one of those. I've never had a problem with women having an equal role in a church, but it is a sticking point for many. A woman orator with genuine skills has the power to command any room she is in. This minister was not overly commanding, but again I was having trouble focusing due to lack of sleep. And judging the church by one pastor when another one will be there next week isn't fair.

At several points during worship, we prayed to "Father God" and "God the Father," or just simply, "Father." Fathers have a bad reputation in my book. My late father's birthday would have been today as I compose this. Not to speak ill of the dead, but he was not a very good man. He gave me life, and -- part of the time -- provided for me. He was also half crazy and had a foul temper. Perhaps this is evidence of a crisis of faith on my part, but God the Father oft' times reminds me of my own dad. He also gave me life, and -- part of the time -- provides for me. And the less said about His temper, the better. I bring this up because while the imagery of a paternal deity might bring comfort to some, it really doesn't work for me at all.

We don't know what God is really like; the phrase "made in His image" is vague. Wars have been waged over different interpretations/definitions of God. And, as is the case for me, in a lot of instances, the bad feelings stem from internal issues. In my search for a church to call my own, one aspect I would like is a feeling of belonging, if not a feeling of family. I think many humans spend their life struggling to find a place to, if not fit in, at least feel comfortable standing out. I felt more of that sensation at the Presbyterian church in Hollywood than the Presbyterian church in Riverside.

Amen.

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Sunday Scorecard:

What is the contact info for the church?

Calvary Presbyterian Church
4495 Magnolia
Riverside, CA 92501
(951) 686-0761
http://www.calvarypresch.com/

What was the denomination?

Presbyterian

What Bible verses were referenced?

1 Timothy 6:17-19, Mark 13:1-8

What are the demographics of the congregation?

Mostly older white folks, but a few families with younger children

Was the atmosphere formal or casual?

Formal church, casual dress (the acolyte wore shorts and flip-flops as he lit the candles on the altar)

What was the music like?

Organ, choir, and handbells.

How was the use of PowerPoint?

None at all, but speaking in terms of technology, the church is crying out for an acoustician