Severna Park Evangelical Presbyterian Church

Severna Park Evangelical Presbyterian Church in central Maryland is a warm church, full of tradition. Services begin with a somewhat contemporary style worship, full of songs praising God for His goodness. Many in the congregation sang along. Worship was followed by the mutual greeting and responsive reading. (This simply means the congregation, by following along in the church bulletin, responds to what the pastor says.) The pastor led the congregation in prayer for forgiveness of sins, and for His will in their lives. It is a very moving, somber time, yet one can't help but be uplifted by the sense of the presence of our Holy God. Services continued on a lighter note with news of the church activities and prayer, followed by the passing of the offering plate while a female soloist beautifully sang. The sermon followed, which was based on the story of the disciples who couldn't deliver a boy from demonic possession, due to their lack of faith. This prudent message was soon followed by the Lord's Supper, also known as Communion in other denominations. "Bread of the World in Mercy Broken," "How Deep" and "Blessed Assurance" played quietly while the bread and grape juice were distributed, and the already serious atmosphere became even more so. The presence of God was strong, filling this church. At the end of the Lord's Supper, a brief Benediction was sung, ending the service. This experience was wonderful, and will undoubtedly appeal to those preferring an old-fashioned style church experience.