After Matt left we checked out of our hotel and headed for church at St. Gregory of Nyssa. Once a month I meet a Catholic friend for breakfast. I consider her a soul friend. For Christmas she gave me a book called "Take This Bread" by Sarah Miles. It changed the way I think. The book is based on one lay woman's experience at St. Gregory's when she started a food ministry.
St. Gregory's is an Episcopal church with a different kind of liturgy. The walls are covered with dancing saints. Some of them you would expect -- Jesus and St. Gregory. Most of them are unexpected -- Lady Godiva, Malcolm X, Anne Frank, William Shakespeare.
The worship space is twofold. In one area you stand and dance. In the other place you sit and pray. We started by standing around the communion table and singing. Then we moved to seats for scripture reading, incense burning, sermonizing, praying, and more singing. Then we literally danced back to the other area. We took communion and then danced to the hymn "Rock of Ages."
This congregation believes in inclusion and that was very obvious. This congregation believes in welcome and that is obvious. This congregation believes in art and that is obvious. This congregation believes in feeding people and that is obvious. I love it when what a church believes is obvious.
After worship we were genuinely welcomed by laypeople and priests alike. One layman teared up as he described how he found this church. Before each dance congregation members strategically placed themselves to help the guests. I was smitten with this congregation and her people.
We returned to Oakland and met Brett and Brendon for lunch at a Mexican restaurant. It is hard to leave family but we finally kissed them good-bye and headed down the 101. We got off the highway at Salinas for gas and decided to find John Steinbeck's childhood home.
We are spending the night in Morro Bay again. We love this place!
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