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Ancient Words

When a new place of worship is built, it is customary to consecrate that space. To consecrate something means to set it aside for holy purposes. So part of the process of bringing our new Sanctuary into being will be the act of consecrating it, setting it aside for a holy purpose.

In many ways the consecration of the building has already begun. Every aspect of the design has been carefully and lovingly discerned. The Building Committee, comprised of members of the congregation, has worked tirelessly on our behalf. Their labor of love has been to bring into reality a vision cast by this congregation, working together with the architect and the builder.

The construction crew comes to us from Lebanon, Pennsylvania. Included among them have been several Amish men who worked together with elegant efficiency to raise the massive beams that support the new Sanctuary roof. Those of you who saw it go up know that it was like a holy barn-raising.

Not long ago, one of the members of the congregation told me that he regularly stops by at night to stand in the still-under-construction Sanctuary and pray. We have every reason to hope that our new Sanctuary is, even now, a hallowed space.

Over the course of the past few weeks we have added another layer of blessing to our new worship space – a space which will, in time, be hallowed by gathered prayer and baptism, Word and Sacrament, confirmations, weddings, funerals and the hymns of the Church sung by the faithful.

Every Sunday since the Church Picnic, members and friends have been invited to write prayers of blessing or favorite passages of Scripture on the cement floor of the new Sanctuary so that, when the space is completed and the carpet laid down, we will know that beneath the things which can be seen are countless prayers raised up to God that this house of worship might come into being.

If you haven’t had a chance to walk through the new Sanctuary and read some of these prayers, I encourage you to do so. It’s awe-inspiring. There are prayers from some of our youngest members and some of our oldest members. The names of the Saints in memory are written there, and the ancient words of scripture shimmer in the summer sun.

Blessings, Pastor Hilary

Each summer, many of the children at the shelter go to local summer programs so parents can work. This year there are ten campers who need to bring lunch and snacks with them and very often these children go empty handed. We would like to collect items for these children from now until mid-August. Some suggested food items: 100% juice packs, granola and cereal bars, peanut butter/cheese and cracker packs, fruit cups, raisins, chips, cookies, and pretzels in single serve packs, large jars of peanut butter and jelly to make sandwiches. A box for donations will be on the stage in Lentz Hall.

One of the things I like best about Pleasantville people is their willingness to try something new. We value our traditions but we don’t make an idol out of them. I have heard the leaders among us say more than once, "Well, let’s try it and see how it goes!" It’s a great approach that can lead to so much creativity.

This year, we are in a position of having to try some new things. The space we ordinarily use for our Church Picnic has been transformed: it is now a building-under-construction and we are greatly excited about it. For some churches that might be enough to cancel this year’s picnic…but not for Pleasantville. The can-do spirit of this community continues to inspire me!

So we are having a picnic this year! And we are having it in new and creative ways – with clever methods of transporting food all the way from the kitchen to the far end of the cemetery where there’s plenty of grass to enjoy our time of fellowship together. And we are having tours through the new building. And we are finding new ways to be the people of God gathered at Pleasantville Church – even as the contour of our church is changing. You inspire me!

One of the traditions of the Church Picnic that I will want to share and continue is the practice of honoring and remembering beloved friends. By decorating their graves, we borrow that tradition from what used to be known as "Decoration Day" and is now known as Memorial Day. Decoration Day began after the Civil War. It was designated "for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village, and hamlet churchyard in the land." Whether you lost anyone in that war or not, the day was meant for remembering and signs of remembrance in the strewing of flowers.

It pleases me that when we gather for our annual picnic we are in good company – adjacent to the churchyard, surrounded by the Communion of Saints. On Sunday June 6^th , in addition to the salads and the cakes and the deviled eggs that we’ll bring to the church picnic, let’s bring one thing more: let’s bring flowers! Without organization or Committee, let’s just strew flowers – to celebrate the continuity of life, to thank God for those who have gone before, and to honor the Communion of Saints that surrounds and sustains us on our way.

                                                                                                                                                                                               Blessings, Pastor Hilary

A Special Invitation to the Men of Pleasantville!! On Saturday morning, May 22, there is a special treat for the men of Pleasantville. There will be a breakfast followed by a discussion time led by Dr. Steve Treat. We invite all the men and their friends to this dialog about "how to be a Christian in our everyday lives." The Men of Faith are sponsoring this event so mark your calendars and plan to join together on Saturday, May 22 at 8 A.M. for a scrumptious breakfast and meaningful discussion and fellowship! The donation for this event is $10. Sign up on Christian Ed Bulletin Board.

The Color Purple

There’s a scene in Alice Walker’s novel, The Color Purple, where the characters Celie and Shug are walking through a field replete with purple flowers talking about God. They’re talking about how God loves admiration. How God loves it when we sit up and take notice of something wondrous in the world. That’s why things are made so beautiful: to get our attention. Shug says to Celie something like: I think it tics God off when you walk by the color purple in a field and don't notice it.

It would be mighty hard not to notice the color purple in the field next to our church. I know I’m not alone in taking strange delight at seeing this big purple church rising in our midst. Purple is my favorite color and it is so thoughtful of those builders to know that!

Here on my desk lies the Friday, April 16, 2010 edition of The Intelligencer with a photograph of the new sanctuary under construction along with the title: "Growing congregation." We’ve had to endure some challenges in the logistics of getting into the building lately, but there is something truly magical about watching this project come to fruition. We have so much to be thankful for.

It’s important for us to notice and celebrate the wondrous deeds of God in our midst. It’s important for us to take time to thank those who have dedicated so much time and energy, devotion and ingenuity, love and (let’s face it) sleepless nights to the fulfilling of our common mission. Every other Wednesday morning, a faithful and undaunted group of individuals meet together with the builder to address ongoing construction questions and to understand the next steps in the construction schedule.

Here on the Staff we, too, marvel at the changes around us. Pastor Amelie put it aptly: "It’s so real." And being so real, it is time for us to be in conversation about the many worship issues that will require our attention as we transition to a new worship space and continue to worship in our existing sanctuary.

The Worship Transition Team will begin its work to help our congregation move into a new time in the life of the church. It will be important to hear the wisdom of many as this future unfolds. The Worship Transition Team will hold its first meeting in June and will meet monthly. It will be a gathering of staff and lay leaders with the same goal: to think together, and well, so that our common worship experience in the new space will be hospitable, gracious, and dedicated to the glory of God. If this is a conversation that you wish to be a part of, there’s room for you here! Please be in touch with me if you are a good detail person and want to join with us in reflection.

Purple: it’s a hard color to miss. And that’s a really good thing. Because sharing the story of God’s love for all the world is what we’re all about.

Blessings, Pastor Hilary