November 20 - The Beginning and an End

November 19, the First Sunday Service -
Someone with calendaring skills noted that it was sixteen months and a few days ago that the work started. This work was not cutting hay as had previously been done here. Rather it was eliminating the hay field and turning it into a church yard. Now, sixteen months and a few days later, that building is first able to be used for its intended purpose.

Sunday school, starting at 9:15,  claimed the distinction of being the first activity in the new building. In the dining room there was a class at every table. This photo demonstrates again that it is never a good idea to take pictures through the glass door with reflections.

 Five additional classes were held in the sanctuary.

By the start of the 10:30 service the sanctuary was full. The audience included many visitors from neighboring congregations that came to help us celebrate this special moment.

Markus Lohi preached the sermon using Psalm  122 as his text. That Psalm begins, "Let us go into the house of the LORD" which seems a most fitting text for the occasion.

At the conclusion of the service, the congregation stood to sing hymn  #353. (Let your imagination loose here and open your virtual ears.) The house is full of people with joyful hearts. The song words are splashed on the front wall. The room with its abundance of hard surfaces reverberates with the sound from our beautiful, powerful, gee-whiz virtual organ. The song then erupts, "To our blest Creator thankful praises flow."
I suspect that more than a few in attendance joined me in struggling a bit to read the words through the tears of joy.

It has arrived. The day is really here. Our church, the labor of sixteen months and a few days. is now available for use as a church and not just a building project. Thanks be to God.

The Chronicler Fadeth -
Sixteen months and a few more days ago, I was asked to take pictures so we would have a photographic history of the building project. Being old and considered hazardous with tools, it seemed a good way for me to participate. A short while later, once the work started, I was asked how the congregation would be able to follow my picture history. I did not have an answer for that but someone suggested a blog. I was totally ignorant about blogs. Someone suggested Blogger. I did about four minutes or so of intense study and started this blog.
While the church is not totally complete, lacking a working kitchen for example, it is nonetheless available for services and other congregation activities. Sam announced at the end of the service that the work crews are being disbanded. So it seems that this may be a good time to discontinue regular updates of this blog. Now as the folks depart from the church, I bid you adieu and gently fade away.

To those who have followed along, thank you. I have enjoyed your company. A special thanks to those few brave souls that added comments to the blog. It was nice to hear from you.

A Post Script to Follow -
I asked the project leaders who have borne the heaviest loads during the planning and building of the church if they would like to add their thoughts. It seems appropriate to do this. They have promised to send something so I can share it with you. So, stay tuned for one more post. I am pleased to give these leaders the last word here.