Mystery Worshipper: Brandi Anderson
Church:
Riverbend Church, Bend
Location: Oregon, USA
Date of visit: Sunday, 5 January 2025, 11:00am
The building
The Riverbend congregation have been in the building since 2016, when they were given their 60-year-old building – known as ‘the white chapel’ – by an elderly congregation. The building was renovated in 2020 to become a central hub for all the church activities, including space for prayer meetings, offices and community services. With white walls, arched windows, stylish globe pendant lights, original wood floors, and black carpet on the stairs, the building feels hip, intentional and welcoming. It’s fully accessible and inviting to all via stairs and a ramp at the front entrance.
The church
Riverbend is a church plant, dating from 2016, which was brought about by A Jesus Church, in Portland, which had planted several congregations in Oregon, Washington, and California. A Jesus Church itself was founded in 2004 by a couple, Phil and Diane Comer, and was originally known as Solid Rock Fellowship. Riverbend has two Sunday services, prayer meetings and a youth evening during the week, and an Alpha Course.
The neighborhood
The church is located in a neighborhood near downtown Bend and the Deschutes River. Old houses and some new ones are situated right next to the church. Bend is a city in the high desert of central Oregon, and is named after a fordable bend in the river.
The cast
A 30-something man led worship, and the lead pastor of Riverbend preached.
What was the name of the service?
Sunday gathering.How full was the building?
It was completely full, with limited open seats. A packed house.
Did anyone welcome you personally?
It was more than a greeting. A gigantic hug by a middle-aged, stylish woman with an English accent, who asked, ‘Can I give you a hug?’ She reminded me of an angel, my grandmother, and best friend all in one. I smiled and felt welcome and cared for.
Was your pew comfortable?
There are no pews in this church. Black plastic stackable chairs arranged in rows.
How would you describe the pre-service atmosphere?
Celebratory. A birth, wedding reception, a gathering of kind people seeking a message of hope and renewal for the year. Kids running up and down and all around. A fire pit in the front… people belonging to this place. Kombucha served on tap. Love.
What were the exact opening words of the service?
‘Welcome, we are glad you here.’
What books did the congregation use during the service?
No books. No hymnals. No Bibles. A projector and black background and simple white font were the only book we needed. They gave us words to music, scriptures, and quotes.
What musical instruments were played?
An acoustic guitar to begin, just one guy with a beautiful voice and an edgy, tattooed look. During communion, the edgy guy moved to an electronic keyboard. He asked us to sing loud while he played the keyboard. This was his way of saying he was going to make some mistakes, but he did not. He was humble and cool at the same time. With a heart for Jesus.
Did anything distract you?
Nothing. Not the squeaky black chairs or the movement of kids and parents in front of me and behind me. Not even my seat mate drawing illustrations of the message.
Was the worship stiff-upper-lip, happy clappy, or what?
It was holy, celebratory, forgiving, welcoming, and loving. It was not stiff, and it was not hell fire and damnation. It was pure love. You could hear a pin drop during the entire sermon. Eyes fixed on the pastor. The music was upbeat, progressive, some hands raised and voices singing praises for Jesus.
Exactly how long was the sermon?
1 hour and 19 minutes. No joke. This was lengthy but did not feel like it.
On a scale of 1-10, how good was the preacher?
9 — The pastor showed up in authentic way and was relatable. He talked freely like a theologian and brother. He was not entirely happy with everything that has gone down in the Christian faith and the hypocrisy, abuse, hunger, retaliation, egos, and hatred that can be found in the church. I liked that he used research, books, theory, and the Bible to share his message. At one point he mentioned analyzing all of the sticky notes from a New Year’s service the week before. I thought to myself, he’s even a qualitative researcher. His hunger for God and experiencing God was what made him good.
In a nutshell, what was the sermon about?
The sermon was about remembering we are spiritual beings having an earthly experience. It began with a lectio divina, where we read 1 Corinthians 16:8-12 four times together. It gave a recap of the growth at River Bend in 2024 and prayers and plans for 2025. Through stories, quotes, reflections, and meditation on scripture, the sermon was about creating a spiritual experience, an encounter with the love of Jesus, at River Bend.
Which part of the service was like being in heaven?
The feeling, the, sermon and the communion. I felt like I was in heaven. The communion was holy – meaning I felt like I was breaking the bread of Jesus. It was not prescribed or forced. We ate bits of crackers and drank the grape juice from plastic cups. The end of the service was another feeling of celebration that I can imagine feels like heaven in some ways. I don’t know if it was because people were tired of sitting in plastic chairs for 1 hour and 40 minutes, or if they were still genuinely excited to be there.
And which part was like being in... er... the other place?
After the first round of music and before the sermon, we engaged in the dreaded meet and greet. They said, ‘we do this because we value friendships and we want to be friendly,’ but the meet and greet that lasted two minutes felt like two hours. Being a new person in a new space, with no friends, I looked behind me and in front of me, nodding, smiling, shaking hands with people and getting names that I would never remember.
What happened when you hung around after the service looking lost?
I did not linger long.
How would you describe the after-service coffee?
I did not have it, but there was coffee in the sanctuary, and we were encouraged to get a cup during the friendly meet and greet. After the service was a free lunch for new believers and people interested in learning more about River Bend. I skipped the lunch, although I am sure it was impeccably good, organic and progressive, and possibly vegan. Because that’s the way this church feels and rolls.
How would you feel about making another visit (where 10 = ecstatic, 0 = terminal)?
10 — I am ecstatic about this experience and church. I cannot wait to return to catch some of the goodness of people and feel the Holy Spirit fill the room. I want to meet Jesus there, again.
Did the service make you feel glad to be a Christian?
Most definitely yes.
What one thing will you remember about all this in seven days' time ?
Heaven is on earth. God is in me. I am not alone in wanting to seek and experience God. There are people at River Bend making room at the table for everyone. Chasing God with a mission to be healed and transformed.