Let me step
back a little, in 2006 I became the pastor of the Wheeling, WV Community of
Christ congregation. I served in that
role until my husband, Blair, and I knew in early 2016 that we would be moving
to the Salt Lake City area. We realized since
the Wheeling congregation was very small when the two of us left the
congregation, more than likely, it would close.
Even after we
moved and we went back home for Christmas we volunteered to plan, preside and
speak at the Christmas Eve service (my favorite service of the year!)
By the summer
of 2017 the congregation had dwindled to 6 to 8 people. The decision was made to close the
congregation and sell the building. A
Methodist denomination purchased the building. It was one of the denominations
that we worked with to provide an Ecumenical Vacation Bible School in the
community.
The decision to
close and sell the building made me sad, but because I was over 1,800 miles
away I was able to put it out of my mind, until this past Christmas Eve. Blair
& I was able to “go home” for Christmas so we decided to go and join the
Methodist group in “our” building for their Christmas Eve service.
It was very
difficult to see the building that we had lovingly built, cared for and
worshiped in for so many years “belong” to someone else. But as we sat and heard the familiar story of
the birth of our Lord and Savior the scripture came to mind from Doctrine and
Covenants Section 161 verse 5 “ Be respectful of tradition. Do not fail to
listen attentively to the telling of the sacred story, for the story of
scripture and of faith empowers and illuminates. But neither be captive to
time-bound formulas and procedures.”
In the telling
of sacred story, we became bound together. In two different groups coming
together to listen attentively as one body, we were united as one. We may not
believe exactly the same but we came together and listened attentively to the
telling of the sacred story in the scriptures.
Even though my
heart was sad at the selling of a building and with the recognition that some
of the old traditions will never be the same, I do not want my heart to be
captive. I want to be open to new
possibilities. Change is not easy but
neither do I want to be closed off to new possibilities.
