Saturday August 13, 2011

 

 

Worship in a Barn

Today, August 13

 

 

Our congregation (White Oak Church of the Brethren) always holds Harvest Meeting on the second Saturday afternoon in August.

During a winter business meeting, it was decided to hold the service in a barn this year, because many people no longer see the inside of a working barn

 

 

 

 

This farm belongs to our good friends Gerald and Joanne, along with his brother, Marlin, and his wife Marcella.

 

 

I went early to capture pictures of people arriving.

 

 

The pulpit was made of straw bales and plywood. The steps were also made with straw bales.

 

 

 

 

A few ministers checked our congregation’s history, and could not find that Harvest Meeting had ever been held in a barn – at least not since 1881 when meeting houses were built.

 

 

Harvest Meeting is an afternoon set aside to praise God for the summer harvest – whether it is a good or poor harvest.

 

 

It was eleven-day-old Ethan Wade Cassel’s first time in church.

 

 

Nevin and Glenn are probably discussing the sound system, which came from auctioneer John Stauffer. They run the sound system at church.

 

 

I missed my dad today. He would have enjoyed going to church in a barn.

 

 

Our speaker, Wayne, talking to Dave Wenger (one of our ministers).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gerald (center, and owner of the farm) was directing traffic.

 

 

 

 

John Myer led singing

 

 

Ron Copenhaver (minister) opened the service with devotions.

 

 

During the early part of the service, we were challenged to think about the joy of the simple things in life.

 

 

Our speaker, Wayne Hawbaker. If I did not leave my seat to take a photo, those in the pulpit were silhouetted due to the lighting from the window.

 

 

We are not used to hearing birds chirping during a worship service, nor smelling the scent of hay, straw, and cattle. There was a wonderful breeze because there was “rain in the air.”

 

 

Closing prayer.

 

 

It was good to be challenged that:

Rejoicing in the Lord is a choice.

God is our anchor.

His reward is peace.

It takes discipline to think about things that are true, honest, just, pure, and lovely.

 

 

Ron Copenhaver and our guest speaker, Wayne Hawbaker.

 

 

Marvin Shenk (Our moderating minister) and Ken Leininger. Ken is our guest speaker for Bible Conference which will begin tonight.

 

 

Visiting following the service.

 

 

Emma and Aubrey Cassel checking out the heifers below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I left by their back lane, which faces our house – about a mile across the valley – behind the tree in the center of the picture.

If you heard about the Greyhound bus accident on the Pennsylvania turnpike this morning, it was also across the valley – about two miles – just beyond that tree. We heard the sirens and saw the traffic backup it caused.

Cerwin took the chapel to a truck show today, so was unable to be at this service.