Bible Study at the "House of Prayer" Church

by Grease Coakes

 

Bixyl mentioned that he wanted an article about a church in Second Life, so I thought I’d check one out. Using a random search I found “God’s House of Prayer Church,” which showed a high level of traffic, about 10k. When I warped into the sim, I was inside what seemed like a real-life church that may be in your neighborhood. I looked around and saw a schedule which showed that when I warped to the sim a Bible study was about to start in 5 minutes! 

 

 Walking inside the church I felt positive energy as I followed a lady up into a large room with artwork you might see in a church. I found a seat as I was surprised that it wasn’t 4 or 5 avatars came in attendance but about 20 or so not including the Bible reader Jehoshabeath.  Before the Bible study started Chanasitsayo sang a song with a live acoustic guitar over voice chat. She sang the song “My Life Is in You Lord.” He stopped reading and asked the group do they as individuals feel they are more or less Christian then others? Agape Scorpio said that it depends on family and your upbringing whether you are in a Christian family or not. She certainly makes a strong point as family does help make you a good person along with being a good Christian.

 

Moka, another lady at the Bible study expressed, that she felt as if she wasn’t always perfect at being a Christian. It sounded to me as she was talking over voice chat that she was being hard on herself. I told her to take your time and, “So Moka you should learn about Jesus at your own pace ^.^ .” Moka also said that she wasn’t good with hard things as challenges that God presents to her “Not good with hard things  :s” I answered back to her,“Moka the hard things will still be hard but you will still be able to accomplish them”.

 

The Bible study leader asked a second question about why does Paul say to see God with your heart and not with your eyes? Lots of people answered in various ways. I answered, “God is pure love you can't see love with your eyes or your brain." Another question was how large is God? I answered that he is infinite while Moka said infinite at the same time I answered. I chuckled at that.

 

A lot of the Bible study was discussion based and it was neat to hear what everyone said. I commented that Moka was hard on herself for not knowing so much about God. But also she was participating a lot which made me think that she knew a lot more about God then she may admit or realize. A question that was asked was “Why is praise important?” I answered that God wants to receive love just like we do.

 

The Bible reader Jehoshabeath said he has no kidneys and that will continue to keep serving God until he is called home. Moka’s voice comment about she thanked Jesus of how she is alive and well every morning. That made me think that not everyone in life has the ability to walk that most people take for granted. Not everyone has the ability to walk and that’s something to keep in mind as I worked for MDA aka Jerry’s Kids as a telemarketer in real life.

 

Chana offered an ending prayer and sang a song called “Even If” by Kutless to end the Bible study. As Jehoshabeath quietly said that the bible study was meant to be short but ran over time anyway.

 

God is praised in many ways in Second Life and real-life. I can’t speak for whoever reads this article whatever way towards God is best for you. My experience at “God’s House of Prayer” church was certainly a positive experience. If you are feeling down and out this church seems like a good place to express yourself to God. There seemed to be lots of people there to share their experiences with God. When I wrote this article their Bible study was on 6pm SL time on Tuesday. That seemed like the right time to stop by.

 

When I mentioned I was writing for the SL Newser, Agape Scorpio was thrilled! She also said that tonight’s Bible study happened to have a lot more people than usual. I’ll be glad to share this bible study and the group’s love for Jesus in this article as I had fun.

 

House of Prayer (72, 113, 38)

 

Grease Coakes

Noah’s Ark

I was recently told about a Noah’s Ark build in Second Life. Handed an LM, I later used it to head to the Necros sim. Arriving there, near me was a huge ship on a hill, both taking up much of the length of the sim. Getting inside is via a long ramp, walking past the title “Noah’s Ark” on the side. Three decks high, one enters the ship on the third.

Written on the wall is a brief overview of the story of Noah and the ark. On the table is a list of instructions Noah was given about the construction of the ark, including it’s dimensions of 300 cubits long, fifty cubits wide, and thirty cubits in height. There are a number of tables full of tools around, as well as some gardens. There’s a potters’ wheel here which you can sit on to use, and receive a pot after a few minutes. You can also use a plane on a board or scrub the deck.

Deck two is where the animals are. In the middle are cages with birds and insects. on the edges of the room are stalls with various animals. There’s also a picture of extinct animals, and a pen with dinosaurs in it, a rainbow on the pen when clicked revealing a notecard, the writer feeling there were probably dinosaurs on the ark, referring to the “behemoth” descrbed in God’s conversation with Job (Job 40:15-24). Only a small area of deck three is accessible, the builder of the sim feeling it was used tor storage of food, water, other supplies, and ballast.

Outside of the ark, the path leading down a hill leads under a rainbow. Further away is a picturesque scene with various trees, waterfalls, ponds, and more. A number of these items were up for sale. There’s also a small church, named the “Greenwood Chapel,” next to a cross and a number of bells. People can go into the church and sit on the pews. On the church was a notecard dispenser. The card revealed the creator of the place as a Dragomir Greenwood.

Here I am known as Dragomir Greenwood, on the Internet at large I am BountifulKnight, but at home and church, I am simply George. So why am I in Second Life? When I saw a preview about it on a television show, I had a very strong feeling that if people were coming to this place, then Christians needed to be here too. I determinied that I would come, learn about it and build a prayer chapel here... and so I did. Secondly, I saw some potential here to earn some income to support my family. As of the moment, I'm still in the beginning stages of that venture having learned some lessons the hard way, but it is beginning to show some promise. As the apostle Paul made tents to earn his own keep, so I make things here in SL.


An interesting Biblical build on the Grid.

To get to Noah’s Ark, head to Necros (191, 175, 68)

“May God bless and keep you and draw you close to Himself that you may live in His abundant Love.” - George (Dragomir/BountifulKnight)

Bixyl Shuftan

Saint George’s Church

While at one of Gemma & Quark’s parties recently, I ran into someone with whom I got into a talk about Easter. She mentioned a church building in Second Life would be decorated for the holiday: Saint George Church in the Larsson sim. So on Easter weekend I hopped over.

The sim itself was white with snow, trees both bare and evergreen covered with ice. stone steps lead up to the Eastern Orthodox style church, which has white walls and blue domes with crosses of shining gold. There is no closed door in the front, but an open archway leading inside.

Inside, there are a number of icons, Eastern Orthodox religious paintings, on the back wall, called an iconostasis, along with a number of paintings on the ceiling. There are also numerous lit candles, including incense candles. Some are on candlesticks or holders on the ground. Others are in a chandelier on the ceiling. Behind the wall of icons is the sanctuary, which houses an altar. In real-life. Traditionally, there is only one ceremony a year inside this room.

The notecard I was given, which can also be found by clicking a plaque near the entrance, did not describe St. George’s as being based on a single real life church, but rather based on the style typically found in Eastern Orthodox churches.

This church is one of the the most accurate and detailed in SL. The building itself is almost entirely hand-made, photoshop techniques have been used sparingly and only to accent the build. All icons and trim come from RL Eastern Orthodox churches in Europe and the US. The building itself is done Byzantine style with elements from the Serbian, Greek and Russian churches. St. George is 100% accurate down to the choice of icons and their placement in the church; one may even peek behind the iconostatis and find an altar area ready for a liturgical service.

Another aspect of this church is that it has been a group project. Various members of the "parish" community have contributed at different times, each giving something according to their ability; things, ideas, Linden$ and labor. The process has been very "real' in the sense that we have all learned to "live" and work with each other ..... and in the end value each other; it is a community composed of Serbians, British, Americans, Germans, Italians, Swiss, Bulgarians, Russians, Australians, Greeks and Dutch.

The church will not be used for actual liturgical services but instead as a place for learning about the Byzantine/Eastern Orthodox faith and cultural influences. The intent of the St. George community has been to provide a warm, welcoming spot in SL that is in a natural setting. The choice of a snow sim was accidental, but the church has become the jewel in the monochromatic setting and now the building has taken on an organic quality to it linking it to the snowy surroundings. The grounds are extensive, and include a pilgrim's chapel for private prayer and a wilderness trail that can only hint at the beauty of God's creation.

Eastern Orthodox icons are images which give us glimpses into the spiritual word, images that bring us into a more complete, unbroken reality. Icon writers (they are called writers not painters) understand this fundamental concept. Yet, icons are not only boards with images; humans are icons as well, made and called to reflect that complete, unbroken reality. So we offer St. George to SL as our icon, written by a community seeking that Complete, Unbroken Reality.


St. George’s Church is at the Larsson sim at (113, 71, 103).

Bixyl Shuftan

Alvastra Monastery

One of the newest, real life places to be reproduced in SL is the Alvastra Monastery, located at Omberg/Alvastra Monestary, Gigli Aragami (99, 139, 22). One of the things I like best about SL is that it allows me to see places that I wouldn’t otherwise get to see, like this historic Swedish treasure.

SL resident Ewa Aska lives near the RL Alvastra Monastery, and she has done an outstanding job of replicating it in SL. This lovely, tranquil spot is a tribute to the RL restored Alvastra Monastery, located in Alvastra, Ödeshög Municipality, in eastern Sweden.

The original Monastery was founded in 1143 A.D. by French monks of the Cistercian order. They came from Clairvaux, France, to the province of Östergötland, Sweden. At its peak, Alvastra was the largest monastery in Sweden. It thrived for almost 400 years, but it was demolished during the Lutheran Reformation in the 1530’s. The Monastery in RL has been restored and is open to the public.

When you arrive at SL Alvastra, look to the right to see the replica of the ruins. At the landing spot there are signs where you can join the Group or donate to its upkeep. On my most recent visit a stage was set up there in preparation for a party.

But once you walk through the stone arches, you’ll find the Monastery is filled with lovely flowers, such as Black-eyed Susan’s, Foxglove, and wild garlic. You can relax with sound of a nearby waterfall and singing birds. The arches and columns create small rooms that are fun to wander through. Off to one side you will find the monks’ garden. In another small alcove there’s a quiet spot where you can kneel to meditate or pray. Here and there you’ll find a bench or a table and chairs. Bring a book and a glass of wine. There are some perfect spots to relax or just soak up some Swedish history.

Outside the ruin, past the landing area, a stone path leads up the mountain and opens into a beautiful meadow. Ewa had done a wonderful job of showcasing Sweden’s natural beauty here. Keep climbing to reach the top, but remember to bring an umbrella and wear a jacket. It’s still cold in Sweden at this time of year.

Grey Lupindo