Pastor’s Ponderings
Dear friends,
In September, we celebrated the 150th anniversary of the church building.
In the service, we rededicated the building and elements for worship. We “built” our sandwiches at our luncheon afterwards.
It was great, too, to see the history of the congregation that Arlene and Clare Price put together and presented, with a little help from their friends.
This building has nurtured and housed our ministry for well over 150 years. It is the place where our church family gathers for worship and fellowship, learning and eating. Here, we extend a warm welcome and foster the diverse conversations that take place.
From here, we reach out to the community around us with the annual Rummage Sale, Ice Cream Social, the new children’s Peace Fair, and a hospitality tent at parades down Main Street.
In the past, the CHOW pantry, and after the 2011 flood, the church building served as a hostel for mission teams coming to the area to help with the post-flood cleanup.
Mission-Inspired Action
The building itself, though, is a ministry to the community.
It has nested the congregations of Unity of the Southern Tier and the Christian Scientists. In the Sangha room, the Binghamton Buddhist meditation group, 3 Jewels Zen meditation group, and the B.U. chapter of the Binghamton Buddhist meditation group meet each week.
And there’s more: Conversations with God, A Course in Miracles, and Conscious Evolution classes delve into their spirituality in the church Parlor.
The Spiritual Book Group gets together on Wednesdays to discuss whatever book they’re currently reading (and discussing) together — in October, that will be America’s Original Sin: Racism, White Privilege, and the Bridge to a New America, by Jim Wallace, writer, founder, justice activist, and Founder of Sojourners magazine and community.
The Fellowship Hall is the practice space for the Mason Warrington Orchestra, and the spot for the Two Rivers Photography Club to share their works.
The Eden Room nurtures bodies (and minds, and spirits) with Tai Chi, book studies, and Unity and Taize services.
The building is also home to the Sophia Spirituality Center and Southern Tier Solar Works.
And we can’t forget to mention the Jazz Vespers!
So much happens here! (Learn more about our Mission-Inspired Action here.)
In recent years, out building has been the location for special events, too, such as the MICAH Prayer Service for Racial Unity last March; the Spiritual Happenings event occurred here for the past two Springs; and the Face It! Theater Group had performances here last Autumn and expects to have more here in the future.
FCC congregation member, Doug Garner, has organized special community discussion forums throughout the year.
Our facility offers a marvelous ministry, but it can’t do so separately from the congregation. These events need member involvement to assist the organizations in charge and to provide access and security to the building.
The ministry wouldn’t be possible without the wonderful support of Cindi West-Davidson and Lisa Roth.
May our building continue to shelter, nourish, and support the ministry of our congregation and the community beyond our walls for the next 150 years!
Grace and Peace,
Lisa
Get the rest of the news – Download the full edition of The Forecaster – October here.
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