Tearing it down
Today I went by the old building to work on saying good-bye. Today was cool and the building smelled like I remember. I walked through the downstairs and looked at each of the classrooms, the kitchen, the old office. I walked upstairs and looked closely at each of the six ‘Allelulias’. I stood on the stage and noticed how small the room feels. I paused in my very bare office.
And I remembered.
I remembered singing at the top of my lungs and preaching three times on a Sunday and writing hundreds of sermons and laughing and baptizing big guy Brent and little people like Kate.
And I ran my hand along that front kneeler wall and remembered setting props on it for Easter and leaning over it to say hi and sitting on it after the service to pray for people and standing just behind it while I preached with people sitting in folding chairs that were close enough to reach out and touch.
So I decided to keep part of the wall. I ripped the top plank off– it was in 4 sections. I ripped out the front tongue and groove. And I put it in the shed. Not sure what I’ll do with it, but there are too many memories to say a permanent good-bye right now.
If you drive by our property, you’ll notice a backhoe digger and 2 porta-johns. The contractor will start prepping the site for demo on Monday. If everything goes according to plan, the building will come down some time after August 5th. We’ll tell you the day before and we’ll probably gather in the parking lot the evening before to say one last goodbye, one more thank you God, and tell each other a few more memories.
I am so thankful for the four and a half years we had in that building. A miracle happened there: Restoration.
-David
July 27, 2013 @ 1:01 pm
So glad we had that space, with all of its quirks and creative adaptations.
July 27, 2013 @ 1:30 pm
Me too Jeff. It is such tangible evidence of God’s kindness to us.
July 27, 2013 @ 11:47 pm
Last glimpses. Savoring and sealing. It’s tough, fleeting, but also important. Sights, smells, sounds, senses give such weight to memories. Sigh. It’s nice to know that even while you’re excited for the next chapter, there are so very many good memories packed into that small space that draw you back for one more tête-à-tête.
I think this must be why the Lord commanded His people to build so many altars, physical places of commemoration to mark His involvement in their lives.
July 28, 2013 @ 7:13 am
That is really well said, Erica. I think what I am trying to process is why 1815 Quincy Street feels like ‘home’.
God is doing good things in our church while we are guests at Little Falls and while my office is in the middle of Falls Church. He is everywhere and He has not changed.
But when I get on-site on Quincy and walk through the building, there is an aching sense of gratitude– ‘I am so thankful that you did that here, God. I still am amazed that you used these people to do this work.’
So yes, the altar connection is spot on. I want that wood from the front wall to remind me of what happened for a long time. I don’t want to ever forget.
I also want some of ‘what was’ to work its way into the new wineskin of ‘what will be’. I can’t see it yet, but I walk in faith that after 5 years in the new building, it will feel like home too.
And walking in faith is what God wants for His people too. So, I’m learning.
July 28, 2013 @ 11:15 am
Thanks for sharing your reflections on “place”, David. My friend Jean and I have talked often on our jogs about that charming little building and how cozy it made us feel — kind of “womb-like” in terms of exuding security and peace. Lots being birthed in this church body, including a new physical structure… but for those of us who find change unsettling, it is comforting to remember that God is still the same God of peace who nurtures our spirits in every place!
August 15, 2013 @ 2:33 pm
David, your sense of gratitude while walking around your church building reminds me of how I felt on our final Sunday in The Falls Church building. Our family walked all over the campus, talking about memories in the various rooms, and gratitude pushed most of the sadness out of my heart. God provided that place for so many years of friendships, worship, Bible Study, teachings and spiritual growth, weddings, baptisms and memorial services, and summer fun, Crossroads and Cornerstone for our children. I can’t name all the blessings my family experienced in that place. But it was the people in the place that blessed us. The place just provided shelter for us to gather in so we could bless one another and listen to the Lord as one Family. Just like we took the people with us in May 2012, you are taking your people with you, and like a childhood home, we are grateful for God’s provision at that time in our lives. And He will continue to provide. I look forward to hearing more about your Restoration experience. Thanks for writing!
August 15, 2013 @ 2:43 pm
Thank YOU Georgi. I can imagine you and your family walking in all the dear places at TFC saying good-bye. Thank you for that image. It has been a great journey for Restoration. We have so, so, so much to be grateful for.