On Sunday we had our first worship in the sanctuary since the demolition of the altar and choir platforms, side walls, and choir screen. Without the wall and shelf behind the altar, we had to figure out where to put the things, like flowers and chalices and bread baskets. The altar guild and Chris Johns creatively put several tables to use with simple white tablecloths, and it was beautiful. The area around the altar felt spacious and open and everyone, even those in wheelchairs, had full access as never before.
The worship was beautiful on Sunday and the improvised setup of the altar space worked very well indeed. Behind the white plastic wall, the construction is proceeding. The new floor for the attic above the sacristy should be built by the end of the week and then the walls of the organ’s swell chamber will be framed. As I was talking to the construction superintendent, he said, almost reverentially, “We are building a musical instrument,” and that is exactly what they are doing.
The construction will go on for several more weeks and each Saturday we will be figuring out how to worship in the space again. Our experience so far is encouraging, and I thank everyone who is helping each week to turn a construction zone into a worship space.
Yours in Christ,
David+
