The Sacrament of Pink Shoes

By Helen Branch

One of our founding members, Helen Branch, offers this story of what she imagines someone's first visit to St. Dunstan's (and an Episcopal Church) might be like.

     An older friend of mine had died and I wanted to go to her funeral. It was to be in an Episcopal church but I had never been to an Episcopal church before. I had heard that it is sort of formal and you need to know how to do some things. But I really wanted to go so I figured that I could just watch what other people did and maybe get it right. I was very anxious but I decided that I could make it o.k.  

     As I was getting dressed to go, I didn't know what to wear -- dressy clothes or my best jeans. I figured that if I wore what I wear to work it couldn't be too bad. I found the church, a small building in a wooded area.It didn't have stained glass windows and I thought all Episcopal churches had stained glass windows. When I got inside, it looked great to me. They didn't need stained glass because the windows looked out on a beautiful variety of pretty plants. Somehow they knew they didn't need stained glass.  Nature provided the beauty.  

     I went to sit down and worried that I might sit in the wrong place -- maybe where some regular person always sat. People who were sitting near me smiled, so I guessed I was o.k. I saw a pipe organ and I worried that I wouldn't know when to sing and when to listen. I would just do what the people in my row did. The church was not full so I feared that I would be conspicuous. I would be careful to do just like the others.  

     I looked at the bulletin that I received as I was entering, and read that there will be Holy Communion. Oh Lord. What do I do now? My little country church didn't often have Holy Communion so I really wouldn't know what to do here. I prayed hard that I wouldn't do anything terrible.  

     After a while the organ began playing. What a beautiful sound. Then I saw a procession of what I guessed was the choir, being led by a big cross held by a young person in a white robe.  Most of the people bowed their head as the cross passed so I did, too. That seemed nice, showing honor to the cross. At the end of the line was the minister in a white robe. I guessed that it was the minister.

     At some place in the service bulletin it said something about the Peace. I surely didn't know about that. I was really surprised to see people all over the church shaking hands with someone. Fortunately, the people on my row quickly took my hand and said "God's peace be with you," so I made it through that unknown.

     When it came time for the Holy Communion, I was beginning to feel that this place is all right. But I still had one unknown to dread. I was afraid when, during the Holy Communion, everyone went from their seat to the rail up front. All of that was beginning to giving me a peaceful feeling of God's presence. I know why my friend was so fond of it and always went to church on Sunday.  When my row went, I went along, too.

    I held my hands just like they did. When the minister put the piece of bread in my hand, she had a very gentle look on her face and I felt less anvious.  

    But when I looked down toward the floor, I really felt wonderful. The priest wore PINK shoes. Surely, I didn't have anything to worry about anymore! Anyone who would wear pink shoes and the beautiful white robes would not think badly about my not knowing what to do in that service.  

    I think that I will go to that church next Sunday and get to know the people there.