The cornerstone on our brick sanctuary says 1900. In case you were wondering, that means it was built without central heat and air. To help the folks stay warm for those cold Georgia Sundays (I estimate 3 times per year), there’s a pit below the sanctuary where, I assume, a coal furnace used to reside. In contrast, to help ease the suffering of the summer heat, the sanctuary has a high, vaulted ceiling and windows that can open to capture a cross breeze. One Sunday over the last 120 years, and only God knows what Sunday that was, those windows were opened for the last time. They’re sealed shut now by several years of varnish and fragile, brass hardware.
My best guess is that the current HVAC system was installed about 50 years ago. It’s been upgraded since then but with an old, non-insulated building, the system struggles in the sweltering summer heat. Our immediate solution has been to keep the largest doors closed until after worship is over and to add a few fans to circulate the air. Beads of sweat still roll down my back as I preach but the air is tolerable for an hour.
I love that old church. I really do. I love the nostalgia. I love the floors that creak and the lights that flicker. I love the old stained glass. I love the idea that, over the last 120+ years, that well-worn pulpit has heard vows of matrimony, soaked up the tears of prayerful saints, and witnessed lives changed for eternity. How many souls have passed through the waters of baptism? Jesus is the focus. It’s his righteousness in which we stand. It’s his blood which covers our sin. It’s his name which we honor and glorify. It’s his mission we seek to accomplish. I love Jesus.
But you know what else I love? The people of FBC Senoia. We are family. We have some folks who have lived in Senoia their entire lives, some who’ve migrated from other parts of the south (an unusually large contingency from Mississippi), and we even have some yankees. I love them all! We are family…and I don’t mean we’re like family, I mean we are family.
Being hot-natured, I typically prefer fall, winter, and early spring. I like to slip on my boots and walk around outside without the worry of mosquitos, wasps, or snakes. A hot cup of coffee just seems to fit better when there’s a crisp chill in the air. The fish are biting, the deer are running, the turkeys are playing, and of course…football. My family also likes to snow ski. So yes, count me among those who enjoy colder weather.
However, I’ve learned to tolerate the summer with trips to the lake or week-long mission trips to colder places. I also like to sit in the air conditioning and cheer on the Braves. But one thing I’ve come to appreciate about the summer are fresh tomatoes. I’m not a gardener myself but we have some in the church who bring me tomatoes in the summer; cucumbers, pears, and other delicacies, too. For a moment, whenever I slice those tomatoes and put them between two pieces of white bread, along with a healthy(?) dose of mayonnaise and a little salt and pepper…life is grand!
God has blessed me and blessed our church. There’s more to this story. There’s more that hasn’t been told, and there’s more yet being written. As I have the time, I’ll tell it. For now, there’s not much better than family, family who shares faith in Jesus and fresh tomatoes.
Ragamuffin Warrior 