Having just come home after an afternoon of giant flakes and tricky driving – one of New England’s little surprises – and an annual meeting at which 26 hardy souls managed to gather, I’ve been recalling some past winter scenes at BPC. I’ll share a few here, not merely to reminisce, but because they are signposts of the vitality of the church family:
Snowy Sunday mornings – I remember one in particular – when the group of us who gathered in the entryway really enjoyed seeing who made it, and who had come the farthest, and the fellowship was so good nobody moved toward the sanctuary until finally time for worship.
Shoveling off the church roof…there have been 3 or 4 times during these 35 winters when the trustees deemed it important to clear off the 3 feet or so of heavy stuff. The first couple times it was definitely all volunteer, young and old up on the roof, quite a lot of us, pushing the stuff over the side, and the atrium filled all the way up to the roof line and above.
Cold spells, really cold, when the concrete floor beneath the pews just wouldn’t warm up and the assembled worshipers were urged to stomp their feet in rhythm to warm themselves up a little.
An Advent Sunday, my first December here, I think, when I set off to walk to church through a foot or so of the white stuff (with a backpack carrying bread and grape juice for communion). A snowplow stopped, asked where I was headed, invited me into the cab and dropped me off right in front of the church. Nobody came…but I was ready!
I do remember a long time ago sledding at Simonds Park with the youth group; at the time, someone had a toboggan or two. I’m sure we headed back to church for cocoa.
A snowy Christmas caroling expedition when we couldn’t make it all the way up one especially long, steep driveway, but left our cars and walked the rest of the way to enjoy singing to Marjorie Murphy.
This is not a church that calls it quits at the first sign of winter challenge. It is a vital church, full of good will and “doers,” blessed as it is with the presence of God’s Spirit. And I know you can look forward to many more winter adventures in the years to come!
(Thanks for letting me reminisce…you might expect some more in the next few months!)
Presbyterian Church in Burlington 