Size: Jumbo, SuperSize.. Synonyms: Behemoth. Battlecruiser. Beehive..

Amen Factor: 5+. (New Song remains far and away the Amen king by several orders of magnitude, probably owing to a congregation whose median age is 10-15 years younger).

Architecture: I'm guessing Sixties Modern, (with one personal odd note. When I was a kid I remember walking downtown near Meier and Frank, and built into the sidewalk there were these big squares of strange thick glass panes divided into smaller squares, like coke-bottle or Mr. Magoo glass. There was light below, and it always amazed and sort of creeped me out that there was something under the sidewalk. What? A hidden civilization of munchkins? A secret base? Some unknowable place? At PCC these seemingly same glass squares have been blown up, turned on their end, and placed against the wall of the stage. And, there are even lights inside. But it didn't creep me out.......)

Mucic: Perfect 10. The choir came in and kept on coming, and coming, and coming.....until it seemed the entire population of Philadelphia was on stage. When was the last time I saw not just one but three or four tympani in the church band, along with a trombone? The best thing about the music (and I'm starting to appreciate just how important it is to any service) is how well-rounded and complete it was. Everything from old-time hymns to 'contemporary' music ('someone' said that good contemporary Christian music is an oxymoron) to mass-choir kick-butt to a great soloist. Loved it. Especially liked singing "Praise God To Whom All Blessings Flow" after the offertory. Hadn't heard or sung it since I was a kid, but the words to such hymns are always right there, which is amazing since I can't even remember what I had for breakfast.

Diversity Factor: 1. Maybe a 1+ because the Pacific Islander dong the solo (Mark Wilson?) was fabulous.

Personal Notes:

There are no doubt a few churches as big as this one in PDX, maybe one or two that are even bigger, but I would have to see to believe there are any that are as busy. It reminded me of one of those National Geographic specials on African ant colonies, but in a good way. People are bustling about their various missions, which are many. Huge Sunday School population. Singles breakfast (which just outgrew its old meeting place). Study groups. It's dizzying.

How big is this congregation? Uneducated guess: 3,500.

I've been in luck (no, no 'luck' involved with this. Sorry about that) with this service and the Weds. night study group topics. The sermon was very personal to me, focusing on the damage that vicious words can cause. Too bad I didn't drag a certain someone to this about a decade ago, or learn how to better deal with it then.

Ray Noah is eager, a boy scout (no, wait, he's the scout master; the singles guy is the scout...), full of energy. Wilson no doubt was there once, but strikes me as one who has fully matured, serene, the eye of the storm, centered. Here's a guy who cuts to the chase, who, I suspect, will tell you in a heartbeat the way things are and not the way you might want to hear them, in the 'you shouldn't have asked me if you didn't want my answer' mode.