Size: Small: Fifty seats

Architecture: New building, perplexingly small. Light, open, airy, very inviting, intimate; nice stained glass.

Amen Factor: 0

Diversity: 0

Music: Too small for a choir. Music is good, familiar old-time hymns, like "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God."

Order of service: Prayer, liturgy readings from brother Martin; hymns, sermon.

Nice touch (is this just the Lutherans? I remember this from my youth): Just before the sermon, the pastor calls all the kids up front, sits with them, and tells them a bible story (using hand puppets this Sunday). Service is dignified, almost contemplative. Another nice touch: Communion is every Sunday.

Slickness Factor: 0

Personal notes:

It's been 30 years since my last visit to the church I took the full ride in. Hey, what's not to like about Martin Luther? Guy was a radical, taking a meat cleaver to Catholic doctrine of semi-divine Popes and the notion that man can't communicate directly with God. For a stern German he was pretty cool, and he could write those hymns, which still sound fine and powerful today.

Latent prejudice? It was strange to see a woman pastor and assistant pastor. Not bad, just strange. I can't help thinking of Paul's letters to the Corinthians (Book II, if memory serves) where he said something like, "It's an abomination for a woman to speak in church." I think perhaps Jesus had a gentle little chat later and lovingly suggested that he lighten up a little.

And, in the small world department, the guest pianist was from my own childhood home church - a last name that I remember well and a relative of a neighbor when I was just a dinky Binky. Next, maybe I'll have the guts to go back to my old church and watch the congregation (many of whom will still remember) stroke out in shock, convinced that there simply must be a snowball fight in hell going on. The last time I was there as an acolyte, the pastor's kid and I played pool during the sermon in a room above the narthex. Every time we'd miss a shot, the cue ball would smack against the wall and WHACK the floor right above the pastor's head. Now, that German, while pretty cool too, did have some limits to his sense of humor..........