Monday, June 22, 2020

Jesus Bids Us Shine!

The link for this week's worship service is:https://youtu.be/zRoMZVVYghc




Light is a major theme throughout the Bible. God created light "and it was good." Jesus is the "light of the world." The the nation of Israel was to be "a light to lighten the Gentiles." 
The last three months have felt like a time of darkness for church buildings -- no worship, no meetings, no fellowship. Like a Broadway theatre, we have gone dark. But we have not forgotten about light, literally.


The lighted "hope" sign on the front of the building was originally a symbol of Advent, but, while the nasty virus has descended like a dark cloud on our spirits, it has been reinstalled as a message to cheer our neighbours.



Other, physical lights of SPPC needed attention too. The spotlight on the cross on the north wall of the church has not been working for some time. 
 It was hard to to disassemble, but eventually it ended up in the handyman's basement. All the dirt was wiped off and the wires checked.
 A blackened lightbulb told its own tale. A new sodium bulb was obtained, and voila!--light in the darkness.







The lights in the upper reaches of the sanctuary and the hall have many burned out tubes. Since these lights are inaccessible from a ladder, a closed church building was the perfect time to rent a "genie lift" and restore them as well.

 Getting the screens out proved to be troublesome, but eventually all was completed and we have good light in the sanctuary once again.

Of course, the "boys" couldn't let a perfectly good opportunity for some fun go to waste.  
One of our newest elders with a halo
The preacher from a very high pulpit

It turns out, you'll need all those new lights to find your way around when the building reopens for worship.
In order to get physical distancing and keep parishioners as safe as possible, the interior of the sanctuary has been re-configured. Back wall, pews, pulpit, piano and cross have all been moved. 




From a physical perspective, "church," when we meet again in person, will be a different experience, but Jesus still bids us shine. 
Since the middle of March, our weekly video services, personal devotionals and even this blog, have encouraged us to keep the light of Jesus alive in our own hearts and to share it with our neighbours. Since we must shine from a safe distance, let us keep our lights extra bright.

Thank you, Elizabeth, for the beautiful flowers.



https://youtu.be/zRoMZVVYghc

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