SSPC Weekly Update : February 4, 2021

February 4, 2021

The final major step of our sanctuary renovation is now officially underway. Yesterday, the A.E. Schlueter Pipe Organ Company rolled into town from Atlanta with a crew of workers and truck full of organ components. Given the scale and technical aspects of this piece of the project, we are being told by the organ company to expect the installation to take approximately five weeks to fully complete. Nonetheless, it is very exciting to see this last remaining part beginning to come together!

As the renovation heads towards the finish line, your session and worship planning teams are also simultaneously looking ahead to plan for worship through the rest of this winter and into the spring. With the renovation of the sanctuary still ongoing, we will continue offering both an online and outdoor worship service (weather permitting) every Sunday for the foreseeable future. That said, with the construction fence now fully removed from around the church, we are exploring the possibility of moving our weekly outdoor worship from Frederica Academy to the shaded lawn on the Ashantilly side of the church campus in the near future. Please stay tuned for more information in the coming week or so about that possible shift in location.

Looking further down the road into mid/late-March, we are cautiously hopeful that once the new organ is installed and we have a little time to learn the space, we will be able to begin offering some form of indoor Sunday worship service in the new sanctuary. Any indoor option will, of course, be dependent on the public health situation continuing to improve over the next month or so (get that vaccination and wear a mask!) and incorporate all the necessary safety protocols (limited attendance, distancing, masks, etc.). Regardless of when we are able to begin offering an indoor option, please know that it will happen in addition to our online and outdoor worship services so that everyone in the congregation is able to gather for worship in whatever way they are most comfortable.

Enjoy your newsletter. There are lots of worthwhile events and opportunities for faith formation coming up. We are especially excited to welcome new members on Sunday, February 21 – please email or call me if you are interested in joining and/or have questions about becoming a member of SSPC. Mark your calendars too for Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of Lent, on February 17. And finally be sure to also check out the photos and videos from last week’s Kirkin O’ The Tartan worship service – a big thank you once again to all those who helped organize and lead us in that special service!

Peace,

Rev. Alan Dyer

Pastor

Upcoming Events

Sunday Worship

January 31, 2021

Musical Notes

MUSICAL NOTES

Thanks to all who helped with Kirkin’ of the Tartan. It was a beautiful day with great music and wonderful words of faith and inspiration for us to take in and lean on. The First Coast Highlanders were so happy to be there for us. They are one of just a few bands that are playing in the United States right now. No band is playing in Great Britain right now that they know about. The Highlanders stay in touch with the pipers and drummers that they met while in Scotland a couple of years ago. They plan to go again in 2022, God willing. Art Tenney, the band manager, gave me the instrumental parts for the Chancel Ensemble to play along with them this year – I think we have a new tradition now!

The Island Concert Association series kicked off last night with great success. If you missed it, you really didn’t! It’s still accessible online on our website. Thanks for all who made it possible!

Each Tuesday night in February is concert night! 7:00 pm at http://www.islandconcertassociation.org

The organ is here! There were a few obstacles to overcome – COVID hit the workshop and they had to shut down in the new year, there were other family illnesses, and to top it off I just learned that the intersection of Kings Way and Frederica was shut down Tuesday evening to build the roundabout. My bets are on the organ being finished first. What do you think?

On Sunday, I have gathered a small group of the women in the Chancel Choir to sing a timeless classic – Lift Thine Eyes to the Mountains from the oratorio Elijah by Felix Mendelssohn. The hymn is 803 My Shepherd Will Supply My Need.

My colleague and friend, Nancy Parker, has a regular Friday posting on Facebook. Here’s what she posted in January – “Here it is folks, the first Friday of the New Year. So before we begin, let’s review the dance rules. 1) no looking backward ‘cause that’s over with – eyes front;

2) during joyful times, dance with wild abandon;

3) when times are hard (spoiler alert, there ARE gonna be hard times), don’t stop dancing until you come out on the other side; and

4) If you don’t think you can make it, just grab the hand of the dancer next to you, and we will all dance together.

Ok, are you ready to greet this New Year? Dance everyone, it’s Friday!” I have enjoyed watching the careful, creative dancing that we all have been doing to keep SSPC going not only as a church family, but in the community as well. It’s a beautiful thing. Let’s keep dancing!

Love & Gratitude,

Rhonda