This morning I worshipped for the third time this year and seventh time overall in Oklahoma. My prior experiences include:
- My Visit to First Christian Church in Edmond, Oklahoma (May 2025)
- My Visit to Our Lord’s Lutheran Church (February 2025)
- My Visit to Mosaic Community Church (June 2024)
- My Visit to Trinity Presbyterian Church (May 2024)
- My Visit to Westminster Presbyterian Church (March 2024)
- My Visit to Mayflower Congregational UCC (January 2024)
About St. Paul’s Lutheran
St. Paul’s Lutheran Church (ELCA) has been part of the Oklahoma City community since its founding in 1945. The congregation moved to its current location in 1978 and has expanded this campus through multiple building campaigns.
St. Paul’s currently offers a single weekly worship service on Sunday at 9:30am.
Welcome
My wife and I arrived on the church campus about 15 minutes before the service began. After parking in a well maintained lot in front of the buildings, we entered at what was clearly the primary entry.
Inside, we observed a number of people engaged in conversation in a commons area. Passing this group, we received a program from a greeter on our way into the sacntuary. After selecting a pew, we spent the next 10 minutes reviewing the program, watching announcement slides, and becoming familiar with our surroundings as more and more people entered the sacred space.
Worship
The 65 minute service was easy to follow. While the printed program provided the spoken and sung components of the service, anyone could participate fully without it thanks to the same information being displayed on two large television screens at the front of the worship space.
As just under 100 people had gathered and others were still entering, Pastor Stefanie Rowinski stepped forward to offer words of welcome followed by multiple announcements before formally starting the service.
All congregational singing was accompanied by the organ and featured well known songs from prior generations, including Blessed Assurance and Sweet Hour of Prayer.
The only unexpected part of worship was that instead of preaching a sermon, the Pastor conducted a conversational interview with Ron Wallace. Ron has been in church ministry for 50 years, including the last 16 at St. Paul’s. He shared some of his own faith journey and related stories of his time as the congregation’s organist.
Finally, Pastor Stefanie took time to invite all people, including guests, to partake in Communion. She provided information about options for bread (regular or gluten free) and for wine (wine or grape juice).
Notably, the pastor was assisted by two students who served as acolyte and crucifier. Additionally, choir and other musical groups were still on their summer breaks.
Reflections
While we were not greeted prior to the service beyond a “hello” from the greeter as he handed us bulletins, we were welcomed as soon as the service ended by multiple congregants. Additionally, as we exited the sanctuary Pastor Stefanie paused her engagement with a regular family to wave and offer a welcome.
I am grateful for the ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). For the last 13 months I’ve been serving as the Interim Senior Pastor of an ELCA congregation that is similar in size to St. Paul’s in Arlington, Texas. And, previously, I served a much larger ELCA parish. Finally, the ELCA is in full communion with the denomination that ordained me and in which I now hold ministerial standing: United Church of Christ.