Norm’s Notes May 27, 2016
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A Trip with Pastor Norm
Yesterday was the first “Trips with Pastor Norm” for the summer. I took a group on the Historical Church Tour of Steuben County, we toured 9 of 19 churches that were built before 1900. Everyone should do this tour. It was very inspiring to be in the churches that helped build the spiritual foundation for our county. Here are some highlights of the tour:
At the Baptist church in Pleasant Lake Alda Antrup, who was on the trip, said she taught the pastor of this church, George, in her Sunday school class when he was a child.
At Mount Zion UM Church we noticed our own Glenn Flint’s picture is on the bulletin board. He will present a patriotic concert there Saturday evening, July 2.
Hudson United Brethren Church is where our own Susan Ferrell was raised. She is now our Daycare Director and has been for over 25 years.
The Salem Center Presbyterian Church looks like it belongs in Colonial Williamsburg with its white pews, divided down the middle, and its large pipe organ.
At North Scott Christian Church, just down the road from FMC, the wall hangings caught my attention. There was an aerial photo of the church on a Sunday, probably in the 1960’s judging by the cars in the picture. 30-40 cars, large attendance then. The picture of their 100th anniversary in 1986 had some young looking FMC people in it. Also on the wall was a quilt and in the blocks of the quilt were the names of the families who attended over the years. I saw several family names of present FMC attenders meaning that their grandparents and maybe their parents attend that church. Their family spiritual roots are there. On the pulpit was a tin “birthday cup” with a lid on it for people who had a birthday that week to put in money. This was just like the church I was raised in. The person giving the tour there was a high school classmate of Cora Vee Caswell who was on the tour with us.
Much more could be said about this trip. In each church that had a Bible open on the communion table, I read a passage of scripture from that Bible right where it was open to. In the churches that did not have a visible open Bible, our group repeated the Lord’s Prayer or Psalm 23.
In each church I said a prayer thanking God for the spiritual foundation laid by that church and the Godly heritage that is there and I prayed that the same spirit that rested upon the founders of that church would also rest upon the present congregation.
Since FMC is a “salad bowl” of God’s people from many different backgrounds, I would think that there are many people in our congregation whose spiritual heritage is in these local historical churches that were built before 1900. Those people were faithful to pass on a Godly heritage by which we are blessed today.
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Quilt Garden Tour Trip
There are two openings left for the Wednesday, June 15, Quilt Garden tour in Middlebury / Shipshewana. Sign up at the Connection Center. Cost is $50 plus lunch.
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The lakers arrive back this weekend. Welcome back, lakers. It is good to have you with us again.
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The date for the Fairview Family Florida picnic is Saturday, February 11, 2017, in Sarasota, at the same place as in previous years.
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It’s great to be your Caring Pastor. See you Sunday.
Norm
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