Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Religious Faith

Religious Faith/Stewardship/Second Street Community Church/Lamm, Gregg/The spirit of church appears, wherever they are gathered/OregonLive.com/Portland/OR/USA/25-Feb-07//The morning dawned equally gray Sunday as members of Second Street Community Church made their way to the old National Guard Armory in Newberg.

Lamm jokes that the notion of peace-loving Quakers holding services in an armory is like the Communist Party meeting at Neiman Marcus. And it's that easy, open spirit that he brings to the 300-member congregation, a part of the Northwest Yearly Meeting of Friends.

The church band -- complete with horn, keyboards, guitars and drums -- warms up the congregation in this gymnasiumlike room with rollicking Christian rock tunes.

Lamm, a fleece vest pulled over his flannel shirt and a small silver hoop in one ear, sits with his mostly jeans-clad flock.

He walks to the front with a microphone clipped to his vest. He speaks of the differences between pride and humility, lies and truth. And he leaves them with Bible passages about the proper path.

"As followers of Jesus Christ," he says, "let's be an example of doing good and invite others to join us on that road."

He closes with the $2,500 gift.

The men and women taking in his words smile, nod and murmur their approval. And as they gather afterward over coffee, the sentiment overflows.

"It's true we don't have a lot," said Nance Drill, a single mom and full-time student who keeps the church's books. "But from my viewpoint, to give is amazing." ...

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