churches – Page 2 – Romance from the Heartland

Standing Tall

May 17, 2016May 13, 2016 ellenparkerwrites

The Reformation did not come peacefully to Great Britain. Land, money, and valuable assets were at stake. Monasteries and convents suddenly were under attack, instead of protection, by the crown.

Clergy converted. Or scattered. Or died.

Their buildings were left behind. Some in better condition than others. The best built remained standing in their communities. After the roofs were removed, some of them collapsed. Others were viewed as convenient stone quarries for other building projects. (Need some dressed stone for a bridge? Build a road or barge it from the old monastery.)

A few remain in ruined splendor to this day. This example near the border of Wales and England has become a tourist attraction.

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Conservative Celebrity

May 6, 2016April 29, 2016 ellenparkerwrites

Photographers appreciated her long before the movie debut.

Students studied, joked, and prayed within her walls.

The entire English town has a reputation for excellent education. A visit would not be complete without a visit to at least one of the grand buildings.

So I paid my fee and entered with several others from our tour group. A beautiful, serene quadrangle greeted us. And then we entered the cathedral. Captivated by stained glass windows and intricate wood carving on pulpit and choir, I failed to notice when the others departed.

No harm done. I remembered my way to the market and lunch.

The exterior was featured in a popular movie series. But the interior has her own sort of ability to awe and charm.

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A Remarkable Day

March 25, 2016March 24, 2016 ellenparkerwrites

According to the records, it happened within twenty-four hours.

Before sunset the party of thirteen – a teacher/prophet/miracle worker and his twelve closest followers – gathered for a holiday meal. The leader taught by example when he washed dust off the feet of the others. They ate their meal. Prayers and a special blessing were placed on bread and wine.

One man left early on an errand. The others went together to an olive grove for prayer and meditation.

Then the arrest. A religious trial. A civil trial. A trip to another government official and back to the civil authorities.

By daybreak a mob outside the courtroom was clamoring for the death penalty. Insults and beatings did not satisfy. The prisoner was escorted to the place of execution.

He suffered. He died. A few faithful followers took his body to a tomb before sunset.

Christians throughout the Western world meditate, pray, and remember this remarkable day – the one we call Good Friday. However, you need to stay tuned for the events on Sunday. And again forty days later. And ten days after that. To make the meaning clear and the description truly GOOD.

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Public Enter Here!

March 22, 2016March 21, 2016 ellenparkerwrites

Elderly hotels have them extend to the street. Classy apartment buildings of a certain age wear them with pride. I associate them with busy city centers with lots of sidewalk traffic.

It marks the front door. It offers shelter from rain, snow, or searing hot sun.

At this building the vast majority of visitors and employees arrive by automobile. But for the last bit of their journey it offers shelter and shade. A hint of the message preached inside. Welcome. I’ll protect you. Comfort you when life throws problems in your direction.

Faith is a powerful force. Whether the building proclaiming the message is spare and sleek or of a more traditional construction.

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Designed by a Master

November 3, 2015November 2, 2015 ellenparkerwrites

Missouri, all of the United States, is a relatively recent political creation. If you want to view or tour structures or buildings more than two or three centuries old most people plan a trip to Europe. Or Asia. Or the northern shores of Africa.

There are exceptions — Pueblos in the American Southwest or structures built by Aztec, Mayan, and Incan civilizations come to mind.

Did you know Missouri has a gem designed by Christopher Wren? Yes, the very same brilliant architect who designed St. Paul’s Cathedral in London.

No — he didn’t time-warp to a different century. One of the several smaller churches he designed and built after London’s Great Fire suffered severe damage during WWII. It was moved — stones numbered for reassembly — all the way to the campus of Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri.

Today it’s in use as the campus chapel. All the interior wood work is newer, in the style of Wren’s times. It’s also a portion of the Churchill Museum, welcoming visitors from around the world.

Roman arches. Clear glass. Two features which never age.

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Somber Season

March 31, 2015March 30, 2015 ellenparkerwrites

Dark before Dawn.

Sorrow preceding Celebration.

Trial before Triumph.

Christian churches are exploring and remembering this entire emotional range this week. Palm Sunday (two days ago) was celebrated with joyful songs, waving of palm branches, and readings of Jesus welcomed to Jerusalem by an adoring crowd. Today Lent continues. Defined as: a 40 day period of penitence and fasting from Ash Wednesday to Easter observed by many Christian churches.

Lent is a time of introspection. Repentance. A customary time to shed a bad habit — or develop a good one. Purple reminds the faithful that this is a somber season. On Good Friday the color deepens to black.

Reminder to reflect on our actions and motives.

Do not despair. Sunrise Sunday white will replace black and joy overpower sadness.

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Retail Religion?

March 24, 2015March 22, 2015 ellenparkerwrites

Toothpaste. Towels. Toys.

A dozen years ago, all of the above could have been purchased in this “big box” store. Then the corporation built a larger box a few miles away.

What do you do with a roomy, one story building adjacent to a large parking lot?

You could open a restaurant? Or a roller rink. (Oops. They aren’t the rage this decade.) What about a church?

But…but…aren’t they rectangles with steep roofs? Perhaps a bell tower or an education wing glued to one side.

Think outside the box (or maybe inside). Move interior walls. Hire a plumber. Add, subtract, and modify windows and doors. Move in a pre-school. Create a fitness center for the community. Add classes, discussion groups, meeting rooms, and music lesson areas. Top off the week with worship services.

Ample parking. Handicapped accessible. The building has gone from brooms to Bibles.

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Chalet Chapel

March 17, 2015March 11, 2015 ellenparkerwrites

“In a chapel, in the wood…”

No, no, no. That should be cabin if it’s the silly song I learned in 4-H. (A bouncy ballad that ends badly for a rabbit.)

This building on a wooded lot is adjacent to a busy street and about half a mile from my home. I’ll bet some people in New England wished for this roof line in recent months. Snow, rain, and all the other moist objects from the sky slide right down to the ground. Leaves too. The salesman for the non-clog gutters will not see potential in this building.

Roofs of this shape serve a purpose during worship also. Sounds of prayer and praise rise up. Worshipers naturally raise their eyes to the high interior of the peak. God is in His heaven. Let us give thanks.

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More than One

March 10, 2015March 6, 2015 ellenparkerwrites

Saint Louis, Missouri is defined to much of the United States, perhaps the world, by an arch. The Arch as it’s sometimes called in casual conversation. No question among St. Louis residents as to which one you mean.

It’s tall — 630 feet. It’s wide — north and south legs are 630 feet apart. It towers over the Mississippi River (thanks to the natural bluff the legs rest on) and the stainless steel skin shines bright on a sunny day.

Contrary to local opinion, it’s not the only arch in town.

Walk into a building created as a place of worship in either the 19th or 20th century and you’ll likely find several. Is the altar area set off from the congregational seating? Look for an arch in the ceiling. Check the windows. And the doors. Decorative carvings on wood or stone. Elegant stitching on banners.

Roman. Gothic. Flat.

I found these simple triangular arch windows repeated throughout a place of worship designed with function, as well as beauty, an obvious concern.

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Subtle Symbol

March 3, 2015March 2, 2015 ellenparkerwrites

The buildings, and the organizations they host, are a component of most American neighborhoods. The church on the corner. Or perhaps in the middle of a block. They vary in size from a tiny chapel to a great cathedral and appearance from a modest storefront to towers and steeples adorned with art.

In recent weeks I’ve taken special notice several that I pass frequently. How much does the outside matter. Does it invite a second look? Stir your curiosity?

Look twice at the first one. It blends in during daylight. For a few weeks, when dark hours outnumber sunshine, it glows with invitation.