Our Stories: Laurie Theis
Written by Laurie Theis, Published on July 16, 2018
While living in London, England, in the early ’70s, I became interested in the Anglican Church. The liturgy and music were deeply meaningful to me.
On our return to Minneapolis, we joined the Cathedral of St. Mark, where our son was baptized in 1977. Soon after, we moved to Des Moines and began to search for another church home. St. Paul’s was the closest to us, so we began there.
Some important considerations for me were the music and liturgy, the acceptance of women for ordination in 1976, opportunities for study, a welcoming congregation, Christian education, weekly communion and excellent preaching.
It was here that I began my journey to discover what it meant to be a Christian. For me, an integral part of my worship experience is music, so I joined the choir. In those days, we sang on Sundays and also staged several plays including Noye’s Fludde, The Story of Daniel and others. These piqued my interest to delve further into the Bible.
So I joined the EFM (Education for Ministry) study program. Through four years of EFM and various prayer and study groups, I learned much history and began to develop some understanding of what it means to be called a Christian. I appreciate all the opportunities here to learn and grow in both knowledge and fellowship. Weekly communion is especially important to me. I feel humbled, grateful, remorseful, penitent and loved as I contemplate this act, dating to the earliest days of Christianity, and celebrate that the Church continues to endure.
Through wonderful Wednesday potlucks, the rummage sale, the Shrove Tuesday pancake lunch, the choir parties, and home groups, I have learned the joy of living in a caring community.
In the past 40 years, I have learned so much from all the priests at St. Paul’s. They have been a great comfort to me through the deaths of my parents, my divorce and the recent loss of my dear husband, Steve.
So why do I stay at St. Paul’s? For me it has been an integral part of my faith formation, the music is marvelous and inspirational, the preaching provocative, the acceptance of all God’s children, the caring community, and the deep roots in Christian history. It is my spiritual home.
