Mystery Worshipper: Amanda B. Reckondwyth
Church:
The Church at Cactus, Peoria
Location: Arizona, USA
Date of visit: Sunday, 7 December 2025, 10:30am
The building
A large, flat, rather plain building with a children’s play area to the left. Inside, one enters a spacious lobby furnished with stuffed armchairs. The sanctuary and parish hall open off the lobby. The sanctuary is a rather small but pleasant triangular room. The Advent wreath and two ceramic chalices sat on a table. A platform held music stands and Christmas trees. Wreaths and banners decorated the walls.
The church
Their website states: ‘We affirm that all people are created in the image of God, and as beloved children of God, all are worthy of God's love and grace. We welcome the full inclusion of all people in the life and ministries of the Church.’ In keeping to that goal, they are affiliated with the Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists. Their ministries and outreaches are well described on their website. I’ll just mention Love Notes, a table where (quoting from their website) ‘envelopes have been prepared with the names of individuals who could use some encouragement.’ Each Sunday there is Bible study followed by fellowship and the worship service. Each Tuesday there is ‘Stretch Class’ (whatever that may be) and Bible study. Holy Communion is celebrated on the first Sunday of each month.
The neighborhood
Peoria is a sprawling suburb to the northeast of Phoenix. The church is located on Cactus Road at 83rd Avenue, a primarily middle class residential neighborhood with the obligatory strip malls scattered here and there. Cactus Road is a good choice for travel east-west, as it tends to be less congested than the other major east-west thoroughfares through the area.
The cast
The pastor opened the service and preached. She was nattily dressed in a purple patterned blouse, black slacks, black shoes, and a black jacket. Several others performed various roles during the service.
What was the name of the service?
Holy Communion.How full was the building?
I counted 50 chairs and they were all full. About a half dozen extra chairs were brought in. It was mostly an elderly crowd, with a smattering of young adults and a few children.
Did anyone welcome you personally?
Yes indeed. As soon as I entered, a gentleman said, ‘Hello, good morning, welcome. I’m [name] and this is my wife [name]. Here is a bulletin for you. Please go in and enjoy some refreshments before the service.’ Several other people also bade me welcome. In the sanctuary, several people working the room stopped by my seat to say hello, welcome.
Was your pew comfortable?
A chair – yes, comfortable.
How would you describe the pre-service atmosphere?
Lots of visiting. Soft recorded music was playing, and announcements were projected. Just before the service began, two loaves of bread were ceremoniously carried in and placed on the table. But I’ll have much more to say about communion in a moment. Only one Advent candle was lit – do they have their count wrong, I wondered. Isn’t this the Second Sunday of Advent? But more about this later as well.
What were the exact opening words of the service?
‘Good morning. How are you?’ by the pastor, who proceeded to give about 10 minutes’ worth of announcements.
What books did the congregation use during the service?
The Holy Bible, New International Version, was in the pews, and there was a printed order of service. But everything we needed was projected.
What musical instruments were played?
Grand piano – a Tadashi, a make I was not familiar with. It was in tune and sounded good. Also a digital keyboard, an acoustic guitar, an electric bass guitar, and drums. There were three vocalists who were joined by nine choir members who walked up from the congregation to sing the anthem.
Did anything distract you?
Some of the lines of the opening hymn, ‘Come Thou Long Expected Jesus,’ were sung with a syncopated first syllable. I was not used to singing it this way, and it took me a moment or two to catch on.
Was the worship stiff-upper-lip, happy clappy, or what?
A dignified but light-hearted hymn sandwich: prayers, short meditations, readings from scripture alternating with hymns and an anthem. A bell was rung four times as the service began. During one of the meditations, the second Advent candle was lit. Their website states: ‘Our music ministry incorporates many different kinds of music from traditional to contemporary.’ All of the selections were traditional but were played by the worship ensemble in a light, jazzy way that was not at all distracting. At communion we all recited the words of institution – a practice I had not experienced before. The loaves that had been ceremoniously brought in actually turned out to be hollow, with morsels of bread broken up inside of them. We received a morsel in the hand and then intincted it into a chalice of grape juice.
Exactly how long was the sermon?
30 minutes.
On a scale of 1-10, how good was the preacher?
3 — I’m afraid I can’t rate the pastor any higher. Although she spoke in a very casual, animated style, referring to notes only occasionally, and her sermon appeared to be well developed, nevertheless I’m afraid I understood very little of it. I don’t know why – perhaps it was the quality of her microphone, or her enunciation, or the cadence of her speech. I had no trouble understanding anyone else.
In a nutshell, what was the sermon about?
So far as I could determine – her text was Isaiah 40:1-11 (‘Comfort, comfort my people’) but she also referred to the Gospel reading: Mark 1:1-8 (John the Baptist foretells the coming of Christ). The opposite of peace is not only war, but also unrest: famine, drought, flood, economic collapse. Peace is widespread justice, well-being, care. We shape the future by comparing the present to the past. Mark in his Gospel used Isaiah to frame the arrival of Jesus. In our time we need comforting words – and what is more comforting than the knowledge that the Prince of Peace is about to arrive? He will carry us home.
Which part of the service was like being in heaven?
The dignity with which the service was conducted was heavenly. Also, the young man who played piano was quite accomplished. He played with a jazzy style that brought life to the music. And the choir, bless their souls, also sounded quite good for a bunch of elderly ladies and gents.
And which part was like being in... er... the other place?
I was beginning to think that I would have nothing hellish to write about, but then something truly hellish happened. As communion ended and the eucharistic ministers were tidying up, several morsels of bread fell to the floor. Instead of picking them up, the ministers simply left them there for the duration of the service. Indeed, one of them kicked them out of the way with her shoe.
What happened when you hung around after the service looking lost?
The aforementioned treatment of the Body of Christ so scandalized me that I beat a hasty exit during the closing hymn. I badly had to use the facilities anyway.
How would you describe the after-service coffee?
Pre-service refreshments were good: perfectly serviceable coffee, cake, and cookies. I had a cup of coffee and a piece of cake. I don’t know what refreshments there may have been after-service.
How would you feel about making another visit (where 10 = ecstatic, 0 = terminal)?
7 — I have commitments for the next several weeks through Christmas, but I will pay them a return visit in the New Year. But I would like to try to hear the pastor more clearly, and I should hope that the Body of Christ does not receive the same treatment it did at this service.
Did the service make you feel glad to be a Christian?
Yes.
What one thing will you remember about all this in seven days' time ?
Unfortunately, how the Body of Christ was treated.