Boat-in Worship 50 years old

Today we attended the boat-in worship at Oakwood Resort on Lake Wawasee. We try to do this at least once in a summer. With cloud cover most of the time and a slight breeze, it was actually comfortable on shore despite the extreme heat we have been experiencing. 

The worship leader, preacher, and musicians are on board the Lily Pad II. The sound projection is quite good. Some people arrive by 7:45 a.m. to board at the Frog Restaurant and then worship from the boat. The service starts at 8:30.

Today I would guess there were about 40-50 boats that gathered around the Lily Pad. Some boats had two people, some whole families, including the family dog. A few boats are there every week to distribute bulletins and dog biscuits and collect donations.

On shore there is a fishing net to collect offerings. Most folks give a few dollars to keep this ministry operating. It has been going for 50 years. Lake Wawasee has lots of summer homes.

The service lasts for 30 minutes. During that time, there is special music (today a gospel quartet), prayer, a short sermon, the recitation of a believers' creed, the group saying the Lord's Prayer together, a benediction. Before and after the service as the people gather and then disperse there is recorded Christian music.

Today's sermon was on the Good Samaritan. Each week a different pastor of the ministerial association exposits. The theme and passages are already decided before the season starts. These are really short devotionals rather than sermons. 

It is about a twenty-five minute drive from our home in Winona Lake to the resort. Today we got a prime parking spot even though we didn't arrive until 8:20. Rain was predicted for later in the morning, but now at 3 p.m. nothing has materialized. Worshipping  al fresco is a relaxing change from our air-conditioned church. We are fortunate that the weather cooperated.