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“Hope, Peace, Safety, and Service”
The Chapel was recently nominated by the Longboat Key Chamber of Commerce to receive a “Business Resiliency” award, highlighting the efforts of businesses and organizations that persevered through last year’s hurricanes. We’re one of three nominees, the other two of whom are great friends of ours, Design 2000 and Ace Hardware.
It’s nice to be nominated. It caused me to reflect on the reason why we were nominated. After a few moments, it clicked in my head: We were probably nominated because of Christmas in the Garden, an annual event of Christmas lights and decorations in the Chapel gardens.
Normally, we begin to decorate in October. Last year, because of the destruction caused by Hurricanes Helene and Milton, we were unable to follow our schedule. In fact, we weren’t certain we could even put the event together, for obvious reasons. Everything had been destroyed. However, after much discussion, (plus blood, sweat, and tears), we decided to proceed, hoping to provide the community a place of peace and tranquility during a very chaotic and tumultuous time. Everyone chipped in, especially the Longboat Key Garden Club and lots of folks from the community.
The result? The Christmas Garden last year exceeded our expectations. It was beautiful. Its beauty, however, wasn’t just because of the trees, decorations, and lights. The real beauty could be seen on the faces of people who visited. It wasn’t just their smiles. It was also their expressions of relief, peace, and calm.
That seems like eons ago. Of course, I could be wrong about the whole reason we’re being recognized. We may have been nominated because of the Thanksgiving meal we hosted last year, when so many folks in our community didn’t have access to a working kitchen. Then again, the Chapel also hosted Arts in the Garden in April, a community-wide event that brought lots of people together.
I don’t know for sure why the Chapel should be highlighted. There are many people and businesses that fought tooth and nail to stay open. Granted, everyone in our community still feels the impact; money is thin and energy is thinner. However, throughout this past year (and the last 70 years), the Chapel has stood on Longboat Key as a place of hope, peace, safety, and service. That’s important, because when it comes down to it, God’s House should always be a place that welcomes everyone with open arms.
Are you looking for a place to be, serve, and volunteer? The Paradise Center opens this Monday, September 29. Christmas in the Garden has their first planning meeting next Wednesday, October 1. Forty people from the Chapel depart for Greece and Turkey,
October 2. Choir practice begins Sunday, October 5.
The Chapel may not have everything for everyone, but in our community, the Chapel is a great place to start (or start over). Even after 70 years, the Chapel is still Longboat Key’s place of hope, peace, safety and service.
Blessings, Rev. Brock
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