E-Update
3/2/2005
I did not have very much time to make my case for chairs at our congregational meeting; some of you were not present, so I thought I would put some of my thoughts in writing.
First, I believe that in order for the church to move forward it will be necessary to change our sanctuary, thus accommodating the people of the church and visitors. According to our recent church meeting: the main objection to changing the sanctuary is that some people believe that to do so would diminish the charm of the building. If I were not the pastor of this church, I believe I would agree with those who think this way! I definitely can see their point. However, I feel differently than they do, because I believe this proposed change is in the long-term best interest of the church.
People who know me well, might be surprised that I would ever be in favor of removing the pews! I live in a house that contains antique furniture. It features both a period kitchen, and two period bathrooms. (One bathroom started it's career in the Sonnenberg Mansion.) When visiting our home, people often comment on how charming our house is.
Several years ago an author who worked for a national magazine* wrote story about an old woman who was upset that her area was being electrified. The main subject of the story was a person who found it difficult to cope with the changes that were happening all around her. The magazine hired Elaine Verstraete, an Ontario County artist, to find a house that would be suitable to illustrate the story. Our home was chosen as an example because there are no other homes like it. (that is: houses that are not museums) My mother and my son, Andrew posed for the artist; they were featured in the magazine. (You can see heirlooms in the drawing that are from my mother's grandparents on both sides.) Please stop by our house and see for yourself!
When people see our
kitchen stove they ask, "Where is the real stove." Or, "You don't cook
on that do you?" We have received similar comments about our 1930's era
refrigerator. (Due to our family size we broke down and got a "real"
refrigerator last year)Shawn and I like quaintness, and we really enjoy living this way, but as a former real estate broker, I know that our house will not be salable unless we install an up to date kitchen, and bathrooms before we ever make any attempt to market it. 21st century people demand postmodern conveniences in both their homes and their cars. Why would they act differently at church?
Many years ago we purchased and "empire style" couch from Aladdin's Antiques in Manchester, NY. We brought it to Cheshire, and had it reupholstered by Bob Finger. It is a beautiful piece of furniture, and we enjoy it very much. Unfortunately, even though it is padded both on the seat and on the back, it is very uncomfortable. No amount of padding will help, because it was designed for smaller people, and the seat back is too straight for people to sit on it for very long. (19th century designers had no understanding of lumbar support.) When people enter our home they invariably want to sit on our couch. I try to dissuade them and I direct them to a more comfortable chair. They usually insist on sitting on that couch! Before long they stand up to look at something else, or go to the bathroom. When they return to the area, they sit in a more comfortable chair.
I do not believe that anybody in this church would hire a craftsman to replicate the church benches so they could have them installed in their living rooms for their guests to sit on. If they did, the visitors certainly would find an excuse not to accept another invitation.
A tasteful renovation of the church sanctuary would look good, be affordable, and free us from the straitjacket our forefathers have sewn us into. Please pray, and think about it.
The 2005 Calendar Upcoming Sermons |
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Downloads  Notes on Water Baptism |
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| Water Baptism is
scheduled for Saturday March, 26 @ 5:00 pm.
This is an indoor event. Please see
the pastor if you are interested in being
considered as a candidate. |
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| * (Cricket, February 1997, Volume 6, Pages 58--60 | |||||||||
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