My First Mega Church - The Chapel in Akron

This past weekend brought me some good Halo time with Mike, Cory, and Lan, some good BBQ time with the S. Block, and of course, a new church. 

I decided to head on over to Akron's biggest and baddest church, The Chapel. This wasn't the first time I had been to The Chapel. In the days before I became a serious Christian, I'd pop into The Chapel to get rid of the guilt of not going to church and boozing it for the last 3 weeks. Call it a Protestant's form of confession, minus the Hail Mary's and Our Father's. 

The Chapel is located in downtown, historic (I can verify that), Akron, Ohio, right near our lovely university. 

Ignoring fears of swine flu, I headed out to see what a Wandering Reverend would find. 

First of all, as anyone who has ever been to The Chapel knows, the place is huge. Making matters worse, I think they've added on over the years, so the hallways are reminiscent of 

the Labrynth (lucky for me - no Minotaurs). Thankfully, there are plenty of signs to help guide you towards your destination. 

As I had expected, no one really greeted me or even acknowledged I was there. I mean, the place is frickin' huge. There's no way that I know of that they could do anything different. Just too many people to know who is new and who isn't. If you're just looking to sneak in and sneak out (as I was doing back in the day), then it's the perfect place. If you're looking for people to welcome you and give you a free gift (I was), then keep moving. 

To counter this, however, they really push their Adult Bible Fellowships (ABF's for those who love acronyms), which are small groups that meet during the week. I've never been to one, so I can't really speak for it. But they sound good.

 

Another lucky thing for me - this Sunday was the Sunday that they take communion. Winner, winner! Chicken dinner! They did this very well, with lots of time for personal reflection and prayer. 

Next up was Knute Larson's (or as I call him, K-Nute-Dawg)  sermon. The Chapel attracts a lot of people because, well, Knute is a great preacher. Great message. Good jokes. Very down to earth. His message was on freedom in Christ, from Galatians 5:1, which for a newly wandering Reverend, it was just the thing to hear. I took a lot away from it. 

After this, it was over. I wandered out of the crowded foyer onto the mean streets of Akron. While the worship was great and the message awesome, you definitely do miss out on the Christian fellowship if you're not a member or in a small group. 

It's easy to get lost in this place or be a "Sunday Christian" if you're not looking to get involved. However, if you're looking to get moving, they have plenty for you. Plenty. 

But no free mug or candy. 

Your Wanderer, 

Reverend