An Oasis in the Wilderness

The oasis in the wilderness of Ein-Gedi

The time comes when ever pastor must travel. It might be for business, like a conference or convention. Perhaps, though, it is for fun, and you get away for a few days of vacation. My family and I were recently traveling for a bit of both, and unfortunately, that travel was going to cause us to be gone over a Sunday. Thankfully, my own pulpit was covered, but the question became, “While we’re on the road on Sunday, where were we going to stop for the Divine Service?” And it wasn’t an option. My older son had just been confirmed the week before. Even if I had thought of skipping or getting by with hotel Matins, he assuredly wasn’t going to let me. He is still freshly zealous for the vow he had made, thanks be to God!

But that was the issue. We were traveling through the South, South Carolina to be exact. Not only are Lutherans few and far between in our parts, it was one of those dreaded “second Sundays,” and you know what that means! If it’s not 1st, 3rd, or 5th, no Sacrament for you! On top of that, we have a reputation down here of not having very historic, liturgical congregations in large numbers. So I began the search for a place that would celebrate the Sacrament of the Altar as our Confessions say we should while also not scandalizing my boys (and my wife on Mother’s Day!).

That’s when I found it. As we were eating breakfast on Friday of that week, it was right there in the locator. (And yes, I’m aware of the other locators for liturgical congregations, but not everyone who should be on them is actually on them.) Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Columbia, South Carolina, popped up. My first thought was, “It cannot be. Could there exist a faithful, historic LCMS congregation within a stone’s throw from the Gamecock campus?” Sure enough, it exists, and more people need to know about it, especially if your children are looking at attending college besides Luther Classical College or one of our Concordias (Nebraska for the win).

Last Sunday, we stopped at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Columbia. It is a small congregation, but it is not a dying congregation. The amount of young families is what caught my eye right away. We were greeted right away by a young father of four. When we made our way into the nave, there before our eyes was an amazing stone crucifix that hangs to the right side of the altar. What a sight to see!

Then the Divine Service began, and even though Holy Trinity is a smaller congregation, there stood by the Presider a Deacon and Subdeacon who were well prepared and reverent. A Kantor stood in the balcony and led the Introit, Gradual, and Sequence. The Sacrament was celebrated reverently and in order. I was also shocked to not see an individual cup in sight. Everyone communed from the Pastor’s hand.

Now, of course, this is not the way all of us do things, and that’s OK. Despite all of the headaches that often come with travel, I’m glad we stopped where we did. If you’re ever traveling through that area, be sure to stop in at Holy Trinity. If you live nearby (and even if you have to drive a ways) it’s well worth it.