Minister's Corner

One year ago, in the early morning hours of April 5th, 2008, while a ferocious rainstorm raged, lightning struck our sanctuary building. Within a few hours, our beloved sanctuary was gutted and destroyed by a devastating fire. All of us were in shock. All of us looked in disbelief at the burned out shell of a building that had once held such love, such praise, such music, such prayer, such worship, so many families, so many lives, and so many life celebrations. We moved our worship services to the Fellowship Hall where we are still meeting on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings. Lillian, bless her heart, even managed despite many obstacles to run the church office from the open parlor there as well. And in spite of losing our sanctuary, ALL of our ministries at Jefferson Presbyterian Church have continued! And not only that, our ministries have continued to grow! The folding chairs of our Fellowship Hall Sanctuary continue to be full. We have had baptisms, and we have added new members to our congregation since the fire. A new Confirmation Class will graduate this month. Our Food Bank is serving more families than ever before. The Day School continues to meet the needs in our community and seek new certification. “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” -Apostle PaulWe continued to host disaster recovery teams from all over the country. The banner we displayed on Jefferson Highway said it all: “Still Spiritually on Fire!” We held a Jazz Funeral for our sanctuary building before it was torn down. We planted grass on the empty sand pit to make it look alive again. We held a bonfire in our empty lot, singing Christmas carols and roasting marshmallows around the flames. The Perkins House has been renovated, giving Lillian and me real offices to use until the sanctuary building can be built. Please come by and see our new funiture!

All along the way, the various members of our Building Committee have been hard at work working with the insurance company, selecting an architect, and developing plans for our new sanctuary. Generous gifts have come in from so many members, friends, families, and people who care from so many places.

Charles Shultz, the creator of the comic strip, “Peanuts,” gathered some of his cartoons into a book called, Security Is a Thumb and a Blanket. the last page shows a small boy kneeling beside his bed at night, and the caption reads: “Security is knowing you're not alone.”

Our Savior Jesus Christ himself was born in a stable; he never owned his own home. In fact, he said he had no place to lay his head. Yet He was not helpless or alone. He was supremely “at home” and has helped all of us also be at home—with him.

And the Apostle Paul said, “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” (Phil 4:12) So no matter what our situation, we are never homeless. We are always at home. We always have a home, in Christ. And we can be content no matter what our circumstance.

In spite of losing our sanctuary building, we did not lose our home. And in spite of the terrible circumstance of the fire, we have not lost our joy as a community of faith. We are still spiritually on fire for God and for our community.

Peace & Blessings,
Rev. Garry