A Tour of Emporia Part I

Emporia is a city of churches.  I am a 'visiting member' of Main Street Methodist Church.  I think this is intended to mean that my real church home is some distance away preventing me from regular attendance.  My take on it is that I am exempt from the treaded tithe or regular attendance.

I am presently on a voluntary leave of absence pending spiritual revelation.

Earlier in my religious life in Emporia our family had been members of the First Presbyterian Church.  I sang in the choir and attended the adult Sunday School Class.  In the Presbyterian Church the first prayer in the service is a kind of confessional, attesting to the fact (said in unison) that we are poor, pitiful sinners, no better than a pile of poop.  By the end of the service, however, all was well, especially after Communion when, if contrite, all is forgiven and we are free to sin again.

During the occasion lull in an exciting service I wondered why God, in all his glory, would create such a dysfunctional being, especially if we are made in His image.

Christ Church

So, we left and went back to the Episcopal Church in the country side (Grace) after first attending Christ Church. Unfortunately, the congregants, led by the reverential and truly godly Colin Cooper, decided the Episcopal Church wayward and voted to join the Anglican Church.  The straw was the recognition by the New Hampshire Episcopalians that a gay guy was a good guy able to lead them and did not need to renounce is sexuality.  We can silently sanction a war but not recognize some one's different orientation.

This led us to the Methodists who, like AB Negative, will not reject anyone in need of spiritual succor.

Monumental

Other fine churches include Monumental Methodist, a beautiful sanctuary with more columns than members and First Baptist Church with a fine new parking lot created at the expense of the old parsonage with a slate roof and, on the other side, the Safelle House with a wonderful wrap around porch.




First Baptist

 The houses were replaced with Informational Signs.      Speaking of information signs, Emporia, per capita, has more road signs than anywhere in Virginia.  The local folk are proud of the town heritage, all of which is included in the Emporia Historical Museum, additional parking available alongside for buses and tour groups. When finished, tourists are free to eat across the street at Logan's, a local eatery with rockers along the front.