Turning the Corner

Whenever I’m asked to describe where Pleasantville Church is located (for those familiar with the area but not the church), I always tell them that we are on Route 152, Limekiln Pike, just north of County Line Road on the bend of the curve as you come round the corner.

There’s so much to see as you turn that corner: the field across from the church with its growing crops; the old parsonage built in 1892 located adjacent to the church; the cemetery in which so many of our loved ones rest; and now, the new Sanctuary rising up in the midst of the Saints, every day changing in appearance because of the dedication and labor of those working on the project.

There has been a remarkable amount of progress on the building over the summer. Those who have had a bit of vacation time will undoubtedly be impressed by the changes. Even now workmen are facing newer parts of the building with beautiful stonework to match older parts of the building -- another example of the kind of care and attention to detail that has gone into this project.

We have turned a corner in the construction of the new Sanctuary. From where we now stand we can see it all coming to fruition: the foundation, the beams, the roof, the walls, the plumbing and electric, the windows, the painting, the stonework. It’s an awesome thing to witness.

But that which is coming to fruition is not solely the physical aspects of a new place of worship, ministry and mission. What is coming to fruition are also visions and dreams, plans and hopes, deliberations and challenges, sacrifice and steadfast prayer. These are the things that have raised up those sanctuary beams as surely as any workmen on the site.

This congregation has worked exceedingly hard to bring our shared vision to reality. The work began more than 15 years ago – with planning and reflection brought forth from committees with names like: New Century I and New Century II and New Century 2.5 (really). Now we are turning a corner and this corner is bringing it all together.

The word for "church" in the New Testament is ekklesia which means, a people "called out." The church is a people called out. Called out "to be a community of practice, worship and service whose primary loyalty is to God." ¹ We are a people called out to be the Body of Christ for the sake of the world.

By God’s grace the vision we have crafted and the work of building that we have undertaken is coming to fruition before our eyes. We are turning a corner and it may even be safe to say that we are in the home stretch. But there is one thing we need to keep ever before our eyes: we are a people called out – called out to share the good news of God’s love for all people; called out to be ambassadors for Christ; called out to be Christ’s hands and Christ’s body for the sake of the world. It’s kind of funny to think about, but now that we’ve built a place where we can fit in, it’s time to be called out!

Blessings, Pastor Hilary