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Good afternoon to all!
I am back from the “lower neck” of the Northern Neck of Virginia, in a place named Kilmarnock, and a congregation known as St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church. Do take time and look at the photos, and, if you will, pay attention to the sanctuary images (above and below). I will tell you later why.
St. Andrew’s is on Church Street—a great name for the street because I passed two Baptist churches, a Catholic church, a Methodist church, and I think an Episcopal church as well, all while heading to St. Andrew’s. In my defense, it is hard to drive while reading building signs!
I hope I caught a good picture of the front of the church, with the steeple pointing toward the blue summer sky and white clouds (above). All the churches I passed had fine buildings, but St. Andrew’s stood out—its sign and entrance were especially welcoming. While classic architecture is beautiful, there’s something striking about St. Andrew’s modern design.
Inside the middle section of the building is the sanctuary, where you will find a few photos for your viewing. The view from the narthex is the front wall, the blue accents leading your eyes to the cross in the center. This room felt inviting and huge, as hopefully you can sense from the other photos. The high and open ceiling seemed to say to me, “Come, those who are weary, and I will give you rest.”
As this was Communion Sunday, we learned through the liturgy that St. Andrew’s would later be taking the elements to a neighboring community for those unable to travel.
Fellowship time followed worship, with great snacks and conversation. I need to ask a St. Andrew’s member to write up a short article on “how we came to be a congregation,” as what I heard from some was, to my ears, quite unique. One thing I do remember is that the fellowship hall was the sanctuary in the beginning, and then, as the church grew, the new sanctuary was built and an additional wing for offices, classrooms, and workplaces.
I ask those congregations I have visited in the past to forgive me if I missed this next tidbit of ministry at your church, but St. Andrew's is also home to a “Little Free Library,” providing a means of being a blessing in the homes of those nearby.
I had asked that you all look at the photos of the sanctuary at the beginning. If I have done my job well, you are thinking, “Maybe I should go there to see for myself.” Now, and this is news to St. Andrew’s, maybe we could ask them to host a presbytery meeting, knowing that from the west, north, and south, “they will come.” For now, just ponder this question, but sometime in the future—well, who knows!
Blessings to all,
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