Service of Decommissioning
As I was writing blogs about tearing down Pine Valley United Methodist Church’s Building B, I heard we would have a service outside of Building B. I was out of town the week before when details were given, and I guess I thought it was a service to give people closure. Building B, our original Sanctuary and education building, is being torn down due to irreparable damage in its 60 years of service. Due to the cold weather, people were invited to attend the service by sitting in their cars and tuning in on their radios, or stand/sit outside. I was so glad I attended the “Service of Decommissioning” outdoors on Sunday, February 7. According to Wikipedia, “deconsecration is the act of removing a religious blessing from something that had been previously consecrated by a minister or priest of that religion. The practice is usually performed on churches to be rendered to non-religious use or demolished.”
I have written several blogs about the groundbreaking ceremony for Building B. On June 11, 1961, at the groundbreaking, the people, with Rev. Joyner, read, “Almighty and everlasting God, who art ever exalted yet always right; grant that we may worthily offer unto Thee, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, this ground upon which we stand, to be made holy with sacred aspiration and divine purpose, as a place upon which to build a temple and a sanctuary where thy glory shall be manifest among us, and where all people shall come to call upon thy name; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, Amen.” This was the blessing they prayed upon Building B. Through the stories of my recent blogs, you have seen this place was made holy with sacred aspiration and divine purpose.
Pastor Tim read Matthew 7:24-28, “‘Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.’ When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching…” He talked about not being stuck in the sand but building on solid rock. He reminded us how building B hosted many anonymous groups for a long time.
The cross that previously stood in front of the Altar was front and center for the service. The stained glass windows of the former Sanctuary were the backdrop. It helped us remember this whole worship space gave countless services of worship and sacraments celebrated in this place. It helped us bring to mind the ministers and lay leaders who led worship there. We were reminded of the congregations who have gathered over the years for the Sunday services, funerals, weddings, and other celebrations that have taken place. Our United Methodist Church Harbor District Superintendent, Tara Culp Lane, shared some memories of Building B while growing up here at PVUMC. She even named some of her Sunday school teachers; Mrs. Woods and Mrs. Cleo Flowers.
We all shared in the reading of the Litany of Thanksgiving: “Blessed be the name of God, whose Word has long been proclaimed within this hallowed place. We give You thanks, O God. As generations have prayed their prayers and sung Your praises here, Your Spirit has blessed countless worshipers. We have celebrated the Lord’s Supper here and been nurtured by it through our journey in faith. We have rejoiced here as believers have confessed faith in Christ. Here we have baptized our children and mourned our dead. As new families have been created through marriage, we, our parents, and our children have vowed at this Altar to love, honor, and cherish always. From within these walls, many have gone out to serve You in the world. We give You thanks, O God, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen”
As I wrote before, Building B holds the echoes of hope and salvation for many throughout the years. While we cherish our sacred memories created in Building B, let's remember that nothing can separate us from the love of God. Romans 8:38–39, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” We thank God for His eternally relevant Word!