Of St. James Methodist Church 156th Anniversary
This past Sunday I had the pleasure of joining with the congregation of St. James Methodist Church to celebrate their 156th Anniversary. Members and guests were invited to dress in Victorian or Western attire, adding much to the festivities of the day.
As I had not previously visited St. James, I arrived early to scope out the digs. As I entered, I was greeted by three lovely young ladies who extended an invitation to visit the reception hall. I peeked inside the room to find many hands hard at work decorating tables and preparing cake and punch for after services. Not wishing to interrupt their labors, and most anxious to see the inside of the sanctuary, I climbed the staircase to the second floor. The colorful designs on the walls and stained glass windows are breathtaking. Several church leaders gathered near the altar and organ; an organ that fills nearly the entire front end of the sanctuary, and as I learned later, was added to the church in 1899, nearly forty years after the completion of the church. Through a small doorway, I spied a flight of curving steps that I assumed led to the balcony. I snuck up the stairs and from the vantage point of the upper level, I gazed in admiration and reverence at the scene before me. It is difficult to imagine the amount of work and skill that went into the construction and maintenance of such a beautiful edifice.
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