An era is coming to an end; no more services on Wednesday afternoons! For sure, you all dutifully revved up your computers on Sunday mornings at ten to watch the online version, but starting this Sunday, services will happen live at the church at the regular time. It’s the beginning of the New/Old!
Anyway, the end of an era deserves some attention, so I thought I’d give you a glimpse behind the curtain, so to speak, and illuminate these intimate gatherings.
Every Wednesday for the past many weeks (I’d have to open up a calendar to figure out just how many) the SouthWest recording crew has assembled at the church to put together the service. We imagine you all sitting in your comfortable pews, but the church is always empty. Beryl is there of course, as am I, and most Wednesdays, Katherine rolls up on her bike with Percy in his seat behind her. Koji sets up the elaborate recording equipment (a tablet fixed to a stand he made specially for the purpose), and Amy is usually still in the office downstairs. Really, the atmosphere is very much more than pleasant.
Percy charms us all! He first dedicated himself to a detailed reorganization of all printed matter in the church, chiefly hymn books. So, if you heard the odd thump, it was invariably produced by the connection between a couple of books in freefall. He has taken crayons to draw, snacks to eat, but really, his most favourite activity of all has been to help Amy downstairs. They stuff the newsletter envelopes so they’re ready to be delivered, and Percy takes great pride in his contribution. So, if you’ve noticed a distinct absence of background sound in recent weeks, it’s because he’s having a great time with Amy in the basement!
You all know Koji, and appreciate his style, elegance, perfection, and humility. He’s simply an all-round, super nice person. He gives the sign to start, and stands calmly throughout.
What words to describe Katherine? Stylish and elegant work pretty darn well with her too. Easy-going, dependable, enthusiastic, and most of all…she sings beautifully! Katherine works from home and spends afternoons taking care of Percy. They + Sam live close by in Verdun, thus the bike. I have really, really appreciated her ability and her presence.
You definitely all know Amy! She has come up the stairs to sing as well, and once with Katherine too. Quite a treat. We were talking about kids one day, and Amy and I were recalling the days that Theo would come to the church for piano lessons. Just about every lesson started with a couple of timed races – from the stairs up to the choir and organ space to the back of the church. Now, of course, he’s a strapping six feet tall! The message to Katherine? Time goes by so quickly!
It really does.
We’re looking ahead to a return that at first will seem quite daunting to many of you. It’s been such a long time, and those old familiar routines feel like last winter’s slippers. Now they do, but once you bridge that divide between last March and this September, so much of that time-warped awkwardness will merely evaporate.
If you concentrate on the essential experience of a church service at SouthWest, you’ll be just fine, and everything will be as you remember and so wonderfully familiar. By that, I mean sitting in that familiar space, hearing the familiar creaks of the roof, looking at the sun play its way through the stained-glass windows at the front. There will be a message, and there will be music. You’ll feel the connections with those who are there, and heightened connections with those you will miss so terribly. Community.
The trick is not to dwell on the peculiarities of the experience…the face masks, the distance between people, and the sore lack of coffee and cakes afterwards. With a little luck, the weather will accommodate and we can move outside after the service, knock elbows and commune with the sky.
The thing is, the small Wednesday service group started to gain some normalcy simply because we’d done it so often. The same will happen with our New/Old services, I’m sure. And, in a few weeks, it will seem commonplace to see Vernon and Doug with masks on, and wonder if they’re scowling or smiling!
Thank you Wednesday crew,
and Hello Sunday!
Sarah