Plains Presbyterian Church

Today we worshiped at Plains Presbyterian Church, 326 Plains Church Road, Cranberry Township, PA 16066, 724.538.8785, www.plainschurch.com, Rev. Ed Heller, Pastor.


Bob’s thoughts:

The church was warmer, brighter, and more modern-looking than I expected.

I don’t know about their normal attendance, but a few people asked if we were there for the Baptism attendance was probably boosted somewhat because of that. I told them that we of course were there for the Baptism, we just didn’t know anything about it beforehand. We were invited as visiting Elders (along with all other Elders in attendance) to come forward to welcome their newest member.

Each side of the Chancel has an offset with indirect lighting, adding a lot of depth around a large cross over a round window.

I felt the instrumentals were a little too loud, but the small choir was excellent.

I would suggest projecting the words from the red hymnal as they were somewhat hard to read in the Sanctuary light level.

The sermon dealt with some historical meanings of Baptism from Old Testament forward, Baptism and Communion being the two sacraments recognized by the Presbyterian Church, and how the rules added almost overwhelm Christ’s calling for Baptism.

There were some points I’m not sure belonged. The presentation was detached and I suspect something much deeper is going on in this church to warrant such an unimpassioned presentation.

Jan’s thoughts:

I’m not sure how old this church is, but I knew it was older the moment I saw the headstones in the front lawn. The building is clean, well cared for, and there is signage (to restrooms, at least) to aid visitors.

Several people greeted us, and since the Sacrament of Baptism was celebrated today there were plenty of children around, including one right in front of us who was enthralled with my polished fingernails.

When I was a young mother taking the children to church I was always afraid someone sitting nearby would be bothered by my kids’ friendliness. Now that I’m a grandma, I’ve seen that children can be ministers just like adults, sometimes better. They’re often unafraid to approach someone new – an understandably scary thing to Mom, but something that can help a visitor feel a little more a part of the Church.

The Sanctuary boasted some very vibrant stained glass and a large wooden Celtic cross in the Chancel. The circle in the center of the cross was opaque glass, giving it an attractive and different feel. The bulletin was informative and user friendly.

As I said, we enjoyed the privilege of witnessing a Baptism today. Just as the sacrament ended and while the parents were still in front of the congregation, the pastor invited all ordained Elders, whether members or visitors, to come forward and greet the parents, so we accepted the kind invitation. I don’t think I’ve ever seen this done before, but it was a strong visual reminder that, even though we were visitors at this church, we are still part of the Church. (Seems like the theme of the day!)

The message was entitled, “Baptism by water and Holy Spirit is for everyone.” One topic he touched on was that in the Presbyterian Church Baptism is one of only two sacraments (Communion being the other), and suggested that there should be a third sacrament. I’ve heard this stated by other pastors who usually advocated foot washing. However, this time the activity being put forward was Teaching. An interesting idea, to say the least, and perhaps not that far out of line. I’ll need to think about that.