[ad_1]
Oran Tillman Moses wears sandals resting on the sand of Magnolia Beach and holds a Bible in his hands.
The breeze brushes his neck when he talks to a few dozen people gathered around him in sun loungers and lounge chairs, and he tells them about Jesus.
There is no church building, no steeple, no dress code or pastor in a beautiful costume. There is no big chorus, oversized video monitor or sophisticated lighting system.
In Church Marker 48 – named after the chain mark in the water closest to the place where the faithful meet on the beach. You are people.
"You experience things on the beach that you can not meet sitting in a building," said Moses, 45. "Every week, someone says they are moved to be in nature, they can see the clouds, they can see the waves behind us and we experience the glory of God." [19659002] Moses, a licensed non-denominational minister, who recently obtained the license after finally deciding to act for his ministry, did not plan to run the beach church.
The day he is heavy equipment operator in Port Lavaca, a bald, bald, outdoor man who is wearing a rag. When he speaks, his voice wears masculine skin, and he does not apologize for his love of fishing and hunting.
"I'm not the typical pastor, I keep my head shaved and wearing sunglbades, and I preach in shorts and beach shoes," he said. "But since we grew up, I spend a lot of time with the parishioners during the week. Basically, from Monday to Friday, I carry cranes with Maxim Crane to Port Lavaca, and in the evenings and on the weekends, I am the friend and pastor of whoever needs me. "
Jenny Weigel, who lives on the beach started hosting a small group at her home several months ago before deciding to organize in church, said Marker 48 formed of a personal need
"My husband was diagnosed with cancer, and I asked a few people to come to my home and pray with me. I am a believer and I believe in the power of prayer, "said Weigel, mentioning that the group continued to grow each week. "I do not think we considered becoming a church, but that's what happened."
Church members always meet near Weigel's house, near the marker 48 in the channel of the vessel
. Moses began to pursue his ministerial license, and the group reached out to him to talk about a message at a home meeting.
"I brought a message for a few weeks, and he started to grow up.And finally, they grew up a little more," he says.
Eventually, they wanted to formally organize , and Moses became their pastor.
Currently, about 35 regulars come in sandals and beachwear on Sunday mornings to hear about Jesus.
Members and visitors arrive around 11 am on Sunday and begin to serve as most do, members of Weigel's band HWY 316 – playing country and clbadic rock throughout the week – move on to acoustic versions of traditional hymns such as "The Old Rugged Cross "and" I'll Fly Away. "Then, a message from Moses from 15 to 20 minutes.
" When we started this, we wanted it to be for people who wanted to go to school. church, but for some reason they did not go there or n & # 3 9, did not like to go, "He said, mentioning the entire service is about an hour. "It's different from any other church, that's for sure, but the Bible does not say you have to have a building, it says you must have two or more."
Moses, who recognizes irony in his surname As a preacher who teaches near the sea, said one of his members even gave him a wooden stick to go with his new role as minister.
"I get jokes all the time," he said. "When they gave me the stick, they told me that it was for if ever I had to separate the water."
And while the church was not No walls or official organizational papers, the backdrop of the Gulf and the occasional observation of dolphins the sermons, is more than enough to remind the faithful that God is the creator of all and hear their praise.
"If it stays that way and it does not grow, it's fine with me, and if it grows up and we have to find a bigger beach, it'll be fine too," said Moses. "We just want you to worship and understand that Jesus is our Lord and Savior."
[ad_2]
Source link
