The Meaning of the Campanile Windows

The Meaning of the Campanile Windows

This serves as my last post during my pastorate at Wekiva Presbyterian Church.

The Campanile Windows serve as an artistic interpretation of the central symbols in the Seal of the Presbyterian Church (USA).

The Celtic Cross – The cross is our reminder of the unmerited love and grace of Jesus Christ, as his life was given for us upon the cross.  Because it is empty, it also reminds us that death could not hold Jesus, that he vanquished death and sin and in him, we are promised life eternal.  The circle around the cross helps us remember that the Lord our God is One God – the Celtic cross has long been a symbol treasured by Presbyterians.

            The Descending Dove – We think of the Holy Spirit wherever we read of a dove in Scripture.  The olive branch points us to the salvation of Noah and his family at the time of the flood.  When John baptized Jesus in the River Jordan, Jesus saw the heavens opened and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove—and a voice from heaven, “Thou art my beloved Son; with thee I am well pleased.” – Mark 1:10 & 11

            The Open Bible – is central to our worship and the Christian life.  We look to God’s written word, believing all Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness.  – 2 Timothy 3:16

            The Chalice of Communion – Points us toward the Upper Room, where Jesus took the cup, and after giving thanks, gave it to his disciples.  As we share the cup, we remember Christ, are blessed by His self-oblation, and look to the heavenly banquet He promises.

            The Burning Bush with Tongues of Fire – When God spoke to Moses from the burning bush, he commissioned Moses to go and act according to God’s Word.  Throughout the history of the church, the burning bush has come to represent the ardor of the faithful, as they commit themselves to doing the Lord’s ministry and mission.

The Campanile Windows are an original design by Piercey Studios, Orlando, Florida

“The Living Water Window”

“The Living Water Window”

-        An appreciation –

By Dr. John A. Dalles

In the Gospel of John, Chapter Four, we find the encounter between the woman of Samaria and Jesus Christ which is depicted in our new Sanctuary stained glass window.  It is to this Samaritan woman that Jesus speaks of giving “living water.”  He does not share this message with His disciples or with the women of his inner circle of followers, but only to one who was for all intents and purposes outside the covenant, on the fringe of acceptability.  This is why the two central figures of the window are shown in colorful detail.  This is how Christ meets each of us—individually—at the place of our deepest need.  All of the many other figures in the window are shown indistinctly and at a distance.  They are busy or distracted, going about their lives, moving in and out of the picture.  One figure, closer at hand, appears to be listening as the conversation unfolds.  That figure reminds us that an eyewitness overheard and then repeated the story to John the Evangelist, who recorded it forever in his Gospel. 

Jesus wears His seamless white robe—even on the darkest day, His presence is the brightness of any scene.  The Lord’s hand is outstretched, open, showing His willingness to give.  The woman is beautiful and well-dressed.  But notice she is garbed in somber tones, a visual metaphor of her solemn frame of mind.  She holds her empty water jar tightly, clasping it close to her with both of her hands.  The empty jar symbolizes the deep thirst of the woman’s soul. Even the ground around them is parched and dusty; it can support only the heartiest of scrub-like plants and weeds.  Beside the well are other jars—representing other souls—longing to be filled.

When Jesus talks about giving “living water” the expression connotes running water, or a spring of water.  This is shown in the woman’s reply.  It is as if she says to Jesus, “You cannot even draw well water—so how can you offer me spring water?”  But we who are privileged to listen and learn from their conversation understand that more is meant when Jesus speaks of giving “living water.”  The “more” that is meant is Jesus, Himself.  Living water comes from Christ alone.  Jesus is the only one who can give it.  In John 4:14 Jesus says,  “Those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty.  The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up eternal life.”  And to Christ, the Samaritan woman answers: “Sir, give me this water, so that I may never be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water.”  This is the central moment in the longer conversation, as Jesus reaches out to someone on the margins of society and reveals to her the secret of the ages.  Jesus knows that within the human heart is a great spiritual thirst for God.  Jesus also understands that the only way we can quench that great spiritual thirst is by turning away from materialism and pleasure-seeking.              

The woman of Sychar had to go to the well every day.  She went, in the heat of the day.  She went alone—unwelcome among others. The woman of Sychar’s special needs may not have been the same as ours.  But like the Samaritan woman, we also long for:

“A home within the wilderness,

A rest upon the way,

From the burning of the noontide heat

And the burdens of the day.”

-        Elizabeth C. Celphane, 1872

Just as water is indispensable for human life, so too Jesus is indispensable for salvation.  Christ’s life giving power is based on His purity and His holiness.  Jesus is the source of all that we need and Jesus can quench all that we are thirsting for.  Jesus brings life.  Jesus gives life.  Jesus is life.  By trusting Him, parched souls are refreshed in ways no ordinary water can accomplish.  There is a natural end to our search for a deeper and more meaningful life, and we find it as we enter into relationship with the Living God.  To be “in Christ” is for our souls to never be thirsty.  To be “in Christ” is to no longer have to keep coming to the well to draw water.

“Beside Still Waters” An Appreciation of our Old Testament Window

“Beside Still Waters”

An Appreciation of our Old Testament Window

by Dr. John A. Dalles

We are on safe ground when we say that the most beloved passage in the entire Old Testament is Psalm 23.  It is the Psalm to which we turn at every point in our faith journey, whenever we long for a reminder of God’s matchless love.

And we are never disappointed.  For, in the lines of Psalm 23 we find a profoundly moving hymn of praise, about the presence and loving-kindness of God, expressed in a word picture about a Good Shepherd and the sheep.  The psalmist understands our human condition, knowing that we are as fragile and in need of care as a small lamb.  So, we read immortal lines about the truth that God provides all the strength, protection and love that we need: 

“The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want;

He makes me lie down in green pastures;

He leads me beside still waters.”

-        Psalm 23:1 & 2

Just think of it!—the blessedness and joy of being led by Almighty God.  What could be better than to be brought by God into hidden places of refreshment and renewal, safety and security, peace and promise—for this day, and forevermore.  No wonder the overwhelming sense of this window—as in the Psalm—is one of trust.  Notice how the rosy hues of early morning cast their glow across the skies.  See how the sheep gather close beside their Shepherd.  How lovingly they look at Him.  How thankfully they bend to find a cooling drink, or a tender blade of grass, or a moment of respite.

And look at the little lamb the Good Shepherd holds so tenderly in His arms.  The lamb represents all who depend upon Jesus—so put yourself there, in His encircling love.  The lamb recognizes and trusts the Good Shepherd.  And so do we.  We know Him to be Jesus.  Even though this is a window based upon the most beloved passage in the Old Testament, it also points us to the assurance of the New Testament.  For, throughout the New Testament we find Jesus telling His followers that His relationship to us is that of a Good Shepherd to his flock.  As the old hymn says:

“The King of love my Shepherd is,

Whose goodness faileth never;

I nothing lack if I am His

And He is mine for ever.”

          

  So, bask in the presence of the Good Shepherd.  Christ’s life-giving grace is with us, to lead us and guide us in all our paths.

            The window’s theme, “Beside Still Waters,” is a fitting reference to the name of our congregation. Twenty-five years ago, when this new congregation was just being formed, there was a question about what to call it.  The ultimate choice was “Wekiva Presbyterian Church.”  Those of us who live in this area have learned that “Wekiva” is a Native American term used to describe the “still waters” of our local river.  (And that if the one letter is changed from “v” to “w” it means “sweet” or “living” water).  The installation of our Old Testament window completes the Biblical allusions to dearly loved passages that are now represented in glorious lines and colors, to inspire all who worship or seek God’s presence in our Sanctuary.  How grateful we are for all who have made this lasting witness possible.

The Bovey Memorial and Honor Windows in the Chancel of Wekiva Presbyterian Church

The Bovey Memorial and Honor Windows

 The two matching windows came to us as a gift of Wekiva Presbyterian Church members, Mr. and Mrs. Myron “Mike” (Betty) Rosenberger.  Mike’s home church was being razed and they purchased the windows for Wekiva.  The windows are late Victorian in style, as befits the much older church building they formerly graced.

On the viewer’s left is the “Cross and Crown Window”.  These two symbols, when viewed together are indicative of Christ triumphant—the Empty Cross showing His victory over death and the Crown indicating His Kingdom which shall have no end.

On the viewer’s right is the “These Three Abide Window”.  The Bible stands open, presumably to I Corinthians Chapter 13, the Apostle Paul’s great hymn to love, in which we learn that the Christian virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity abide—and the greatest of these is Charity (or Love).  Also in the window can be seen an anchor, which was an early secret Christian symbol for the cross, and is always a symbol of salvation, hope and constancy.

Both windows bear inscriptions indicating their origins, the left “In Memory of Mrs. Mary E. Bovey” and the right “In Honor of Rev. H. A. Bovey”.  Research by Dr. Dalles indicates that The Rev. Henry A Bovey was born October 19, 1831 in Washington, Maryland, the son of Elizabeth Reinhart and Adam I. Bovey.  His wife Mary E. Stein Bovey was born in 1837 in Pennsylvania.  The Rev. Bovey had served a congregation in Virginia (where all six of their children were born) but by 1880 was serving a congregation in Blendon (near Columbus), Franklin County, Ohio, where he died in 1910.  They were the parents of three sons and three daughters.  The pair of windows was probably created after Mary’s death but before 1910.

It seems fitting that on every Sunday, Wekiva Presbyterian Church worshipers concentrate on the Cross flanked by these two windows, which together remind us of the cross and crown of our Lord, and the central virtues of Christian living.

Worship and World Communion Sunday - Origins of World Communion Sunday

Worship and World Communion Sunday

By John A. Dalles

Origins

It gleams like a polished jewel in the center of a compass, in the ivory-marble floor of the church’s Chancel.  It is a part of the history of Shadyside Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh, a brass tablet which quietly reminds all who pause to read it:

World Wide Communion Sunday

Was originated in

Shadyside Presbyterian Church

By Dr. Hugh Thomson Kerr

In 1933

               Each year on the first Sunday in October, faithful Christians in every land gather to unite at Christ’s table.  How fitting it is to note that we celebrate what began 64 years ago in “The Great Lantern” (the name the congregation has given t heir imposing Richardsonian Romanesque Sanctuary).  In the Depression days of 1933, with the storm clouds of Nazism and fascism hovering over Europe, it was a startling notion that sisters and brothers in Christ might transcend geographic, political, and theological barriers at the Lord’s Table.  Even today, the concept may seem like a distant, idealistic dream.  Yet the quest to eliminate walls separating Christ’s flock was not new to the people of what was and remains a benchmark Presbyterian congregation.  Their Senior Pastor, Dr. Kerr, was a pioneer in expanding tht Gospel in every sense of the word.

               Dr. Kerr’s illustrious Shadyside pastorate began in 1913 and lasted until 1945.  He was frequently the orator at academic and public functions.  When Lindbergh came to Pittsburgh, it was Dr. Kerr whose address welcomed him at a great banquet held by the city.  Any congregation with a radio or television ministry owes a debt of gratitude to Dr. Kerr, who rightly understood that the world’s first radio station, KDKA Pittsburgh, could be the vehicle to utilize the achievements of technology for the glory of God.  The church’s worship services were the first anywhere to be broadcast by radio.  The first radio message broadcast to the Arctic was from Shadyside on Christmas Sunday evening 1922, as was the first church service broadcast to Little America, on Easter Sunday morning, 1929.  Dr. Kerr wrote 20 books, including A God Centered Faith, The Christian Sacraments, and Preaching int eh Early Church, as well as material for A Year with the Bible, a daily Bible guide which circulated for 50 years.  Dr. Kerr was also the author of the noble hymn text “God of Our Life, Through All the Circling Years”, written for the Fiftieth Anniversary of Shadyside in 1916.

               What happened that first World Wide Communion Sunday?  What hymns were sung?  What scripture was heard?  The Rev. Dr. F. Moran Roberts, immediate past Senior Pastor of Shadyside, recalls that on three occasions he searched the vast church archives for an original bulletin that might answer these questions.  All three times, it managed to elude him.  “Yet.” Says, “Davitt S. Bell (the late Clerk of Session and church historian who in1930 accompanies Dr. Kerr in his travels as Moderator of the General Assembly) was a credible witness who said that Dr. Kerr conceived this notion during his moderatorial year.”  Dr. Kerr’s younger son, the Rev. Dr. Donald Craig Kerr, pastor emeritus of the Roland Park Presbyterian Church in Baltimore, MD, who was 16 in 1933, recalls that World Wide Communion Sunday grew out of the Division of Stewardship of the church, in an attempt to bring churches together in a service of unity where everyone would receive both inspiration and information and, above all, know how important the church was, and how each church was tied to the other.  When asked how the idea spread from that first service to the world acceptance of today, he said, “The concept spread very slowly at the start.  People did not give it a whole lot of thought.  It was perhaps during the Second World War that the spirit caught hold, because we were trying to hold the world together.  World Wide Communion symbolized the effort to hold things together in a spiritual sense.  It emphasized that we are one in the Spirit and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”

               The compass design in the Chancel in which the commemorative plaque rests (crated during extensive renovations in 1937), is an unusual ecclesiastical symbol which speaks of the growing significance of World Communion in that ear.  The Hymnal of 1933 was new that first World Wide Communion Sunday, and offered worship planners a fine selection of hymns as: “In Christ There is No East or West,” “Where Cross the Crowded Ways of Life,” “Jesus Shall Reign Where’re the Sun”, “Christ for the World We Sing,” “From Greenland’s Icy Mountains”, “From Ocean Unto Ocean”, as well as these words of Christian unity in John W. Chadwick’s hymn, penned in 1864, but as stirring today:

“Eternal Ruler of the ceaseless round

Of circling planets singing on their way,

Guide of the nations form the night profound

Into the glory of the perfect day:

Rule in our hearts, that we may ever be

Guided and strengthened and upheld by Thee.

We are of Thee the children of Thy love

Our brother is Thy well-beloved Son;

Descend, O Holy Spirit, like a dove

Into our hearts, that we may be as one;

As one with Thee, to whom we ever tend;

As one with Him, our Savior and our Friend.

We would be one in hatred of all wrong,

One in our love of all things sweet and fair,

One with the joy that breaketh into song,

One with the grief that trembles into prayer,

One in power that makes thy children free,

To follow truth and thus to follow Thee” (alt. JAD)

(The article, reprinted by permission, continues with mention of innovations regarding World Communion Sunday at the time of its writing, 1997)

Afterword: Today at Shadyside Presbyterian Church, on World Communion Sunday, the pastors wear pectoral discs that repeat the words of the brass tablet in the Chancel floor.   In 2018, Shadyside Presbyterian Church’s associate pastor John Magnuson again searched the church archives in hope of finding early records of the observation of World Wide Communion there.  He was rewarded with a bulletin from World Wide Communion Sunday on October 1 1939.  The sermon was titled "The Amazing Significance of a World Wide Communion Service."  Rev. Kerr's hymn “God of Our Life” was the opening hymn.

Please note, there had been a link that is now broken, to this article.  I am citing the link here, in the hope that people will find this post when they search for the article:

https://www.wekivapresbyterian.org/articles/presbyterian_origins.htm

World Communion Sunday Origins - Written in 1997

The practice of celebrating World Communion Sunday on the first Sunday in October began as part of a stewardship emphasis in a local Presbyterian Congregation in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, during the Great Depression.

This article presents information I researched in 1997 about the origins of World Communion at Shadyside Presbyterian Church in 1933, as printed in the wonderful but no longer in publication journal called "Church Worship".

Simply click on each photo, and you will be able to read each page easily.

Please note, there had been a link that is now broken, to this article.  I am citing the link here, in the hope that people will find this post when they search for the article:

https://www.wekivapresbyterian.org/articles/presbyterian_origins.htm

World Communion Sunday Sermon 2018

By the Rev. Dr. John A. Dalles

Pastor of Wekiva Presbyterian Church in Longwood, Florida

For this year’s World Communion Sunday “Peace and Global Witness” offering, Dr. John A. Dalles, pastor of Wekiva Presbyterian Church in Longwood, Florida, was asked by the PC(USA) Presbyterian Mission Agency to write a s sermon to go with the 2018 theme: “Peace at all Times”

The sermon is available online (https://www.presbyterianmission.org/resource/peace-global-witness-sermon-peace-at-all-times/) for folks to download.

This is also the sermon that Dr. Dalles will be preaching at his congregation on World Communion Sunday, October 7, 2018.

Remembering Aunt Bae - Grace Dalles Clarke

Today we received word of the death of my paternal aunt Grace Dalles Clarke, (September 5, 1924 - July 18, 2018), in New York City.  

Those of you who have been faithful readers of my blog down the years will remember that I wrote a profile of her, and her work, back in March of 2012.  She lived a long and full life, and made fantastic contributions to the world of publishing - both as an illustrator of children's books and as an executive at several notable publishing houses.  Along the way she was able to work with many creative and insightful people, including Sarah, Duchess of York (the Budgie books), and President Jimmy Carter (Habitat for Humanity's "The President Builds a House").

She grew up in Pittsburgh, graduated from Carnegie Tech, was a personal friend of another Pittsburgh native and Tech grad, Andy Warhol, long before he was famous, and she "made it" in Manhattan in her chosen field.  To her family she was always "Bae" or "Aunt Bae", a nickname from childhood days.  We loved her and relished hearing her recount stories about her work, and some of the amazing things that happened to her.  Usually we would end up rolling on the floor with uncontrollable laughter; she was such a great raconteur.

Her timeless children's book illustrations have that same ability to bring warmth and joy.  And here is a not so secret secret: many of her family members are depicted for all time in her illustrations.   If you have a moment, please...

Follow this link to read more: Grace Dalles Clarke

 Above: Photo of Grace Dalles Clarke as a young girl.  Below: Illustrations by Grace Dalles Clarke

New Hymnal Features My Hymn: "May God's Love Be Fixed above You"

Above: Me, in my office, holding the new "One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism" hymnal.  Below, my hymn "May God's Love Be Fixed above You" on page 218 of the hymnal.

This brand new hymnal, entitled "One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism" has just been published by the famous sacred music publisher, GIA.  GIA is the copyright holder of about 50 of my hymn texts, including the one that is featured in this new hymnal.  The hymn is called "May God's Love Be Fixed above You."  It is selection 218 in this new hymnal.  I received my author's copy in the mail yesterday and was glad to receive it.  The hymnal is quite handsome in design and it is an honor for my work to be part of it.  Here's hoping that the singing of my hymn will prove inspirational to congregations for many years to come.

You can buy this hymnal directly from GIA at this link: One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism

My hymn text "May God's Love Be Fixed above You" was written to be sung to the familiar hymn tune LAUDA ANIMA, with the meter 878787, in March of 1992.  It was written to be part of the first published anthology of my hymn texts,  “Come O Spirit” (published by EMI).  The words are based on the benediction that was used at our wedding, inspired by Psalm 91:1 and Psalm 121:5.  The hymn was first sung by a group at the Parish Resource Center in Mishawaka, IN, (no longer extant) gathered there to mark the introduction of my book in October of 1992. 

The hymn also has been published in the February 1993 issue of “Church Worship” magazine; in the Moravian Hymnal as selection #443 also set to LAUDA ANIMA; in The Covenant Hymnal as selection #669 to TANTUM ERGO.  In "Church Worship" again in 1998.  The hymn is published in the Presbyterian Church of Canada PCC hymnal, as selection #582. 

It was sung on 5/14/08 at the commencement ceremony of the Toronto School of Theology, on the campus of the University of Toronto, thanks to Professor John H. Derksen (Knox College); on 8/23/09 at the Knollbrook Covenant Church in Fargo, ND; on 5/13/07 at Augsburg Lutheran Church, in Winston Salem,  NC; on 6/22/08 at the Covenant Church in Springfield, VA; on 2/15/09 at St Giles Presbyterian Church, Ottawa CA; on 6/21/09 at Calvin Presbyterian Church, in Abbotsford, B.C.; on 6/24/09 at St Andrews Presbyterian Church in Guelph, Ontario; on 9/9/09 at St Luke the Evangelist Catholic Church, Stratford, NJ.

The hymn text was included in the Moravian Church’s annual devotional book, Daily Praise in 2010.  And in the anthology of my hymns called “Swift Currents and Still Waters” published by GIA, as selection #29. 

About One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism:

(From the GIA website): In creating the African American ecumenical hymnal, One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism it was imperative to the core committee that the hymnal serve as a needed resource for the many denominations in the African American Church. It was the committee’s strong desire that this hymnal would represent and preserve the rich theological, cultural, and musical heritages of these traditions and offer a full breadth of music representing historical as well as vibrant contemporary worship, while looking toward the future. It was also of utmost importance that this hymnal draw the body of Christ together so that it may be enlarged, enriched, and inspired to live and worship based on what unites us: “one Lord, one faith, one baptism.”

Weekend in Pittsburgh - Wedding at Fox Chapel Presbyterian Church

We had a great long weekend in Pittsburgh, where I officiated at the wedding of the daughter of dear friends, whom I have known all her life. The photo above is of Downtown Pittsburgh from the 16th Street Bridge.  The photo below is of the bride and groom at the conclusion of the wedding.  They met in high school and have been dating for 10 1/2 years; both are 26 years old.

The wedding was held at Fox Chapel Presbyterian Church, where I served as associate pastor for the ten years before I was called to Wekiva Presbyterian Church.  In the photo above you can see me, in the chancel, with the string quartet behind me.  Also on each side are the members of the women's choir who sang at the wedding.  Below is a photo of the Peace Candle “A Prayer for Peace” which was created in the 1980's by noted twentieth century sculptor Eleanor Shaw Milleville (1921-1991).

The Sanctuary is simply gorgeous (as you can see, above).  The proportions are said to be the same as King Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem.  The Chancel Window is the church's "signature" architectural feature, with its mostly clear glass, with stained glass insets.  Several of Fox Chapel Presbyterian Church's bridal consultants have said that this is the longest asile in Pittsburgh.  They may be right.

Above is the portico to the 1953 Chapel - the first worship space of the congregation, now a multi use room.  Below is the entrance to the Atrium which leads into the Sanctuary, and you can see the steeple at the background.

It was a joy to be with dear friends, for the wedding and the festivities surrounding the wedding.  The bride and groom are high school sweethearts, and met by their lockers at Fox Chapel High School.  By the way the father of the bride was the head of the music department at the high school and the groom's mother is secretary to the principal.  The groom is also an identical twin (his brother served as the best man).  They could have switched places and fooled me.

The weather the whole weekend was marvelous.  Sunny.  Hot but not as hot as Florida.  On Saturday morning while Judy attended the bridesmaids' breakfast, I went for a walk and got some "calendar worthy" photos of Downtown Pittsburgh, which is my hometown.

Bear in the Wekiva Presbyterian Church Memorial Garden!

Yesterday, a Florida Black Bear came to visit our church. Bears are often spotted in our neighborhoods around the church but this is the first on-property sighting we have had in many years. The last time we saw a bear here, it was near the dumpster, which makes sense since Yogi and his friends like to find people food, wherever they can.

But yesterday’s visitor was in the Memorial and Mediation Garden. Not only IN the garden but all of the way into the garden, walking under the covered walkway, right outside the nursery and toddler rooms, heading toward the side sanctuary doors.

This appears to be a juvenile bear, not a cub and not full grown. People have wondered aloud why the bear might have visited us, and so closely, around 3:30 in the afternoon. Maybe it came to have a drink or even a dip in the fountain – it was so hot yesterday it felt like 101 degrees. Of course, to the question, "What is that bear doing at church?" the correct answer is, "Anything it wants to do."

It may or may not be a coincidence that our Old Testament lesson for my sermon this past Sunday included this verse: David said, “The LORD, who saved me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, will save me from the hand of this Philistine.” (I Samuel 17:37)

Wekiva Presbyterian Church and the Glory to God Hymnals

We are getting to know the new Presbyterian Church USA) hymnals which the congregation dedicated the first Sunday in May. Now, two months into singing from them, they feel as if we have had them much longer. They function beautifully in worship, whether we are singing someting old or something new.

We served as a test congregation for the hymnal, so many of the new songs that found their way into the book were first sung here at Wekiva Presbyterian Church when they were being considered by the editorial committee. Three members of the congregation were asked to provide detailed responses to how the worshipers responded to each of the hymns.

On the Sunday we dedicated the new hymnals, I told the congregation that if we were to sing three hymns each Sunday without repeating any of them, it would take is a full five years to sing them all. So, we've only just begun! Come and sing some of them with us!

A New Sign

Wekiva Presbyterian Church has a new sign. It has digital capabilites as well as the name of the church. The sign was installed last week, and has been brought up to running condition as of today.

We are pleased that we will be able to share what's happening here with the larger community, with just a few strokes of the keyboard. And we plan to share words of inspiration and humor as well. All this will be happening in the next several weeks. The possibilities are great.

This is the fourth sign for the church. The first announced that our then-empty lot was the future site of a Presbyterian Church. True. That was in the mid-1970's. A second sign consisted of a V shaped pair of horizontal elements stating: Wekiva Presbyterian Church. That sign was in use until the end of the 1990's, when it was replaced by a sign that looked like a smaller version of the church's bell tower. Two weeks ago, that sign came down, and the new sign was built on the same foundation.

We hope this sign will serve on into the next several decades and well beyond, to welcome, inform, and inspire the Longwood-Wekiva area.

North Star Boys Choir Concert at Wekiva Presbyterian Church

North Star Boys Choir Concert at Wekiva Presbyterian Church

On Wednesday evening the congregation of Wekiva Presbyterian Church and guests were treated to a remarkably wonderful musical evening. We hosted the North Star Boys Choir of the Twin Cities in a program that ranged from the sacred and spiritual to blues and barbershop quartet. The choir came to be with us because the grandson of a snowbird couple, who make Wekiva their winter church, sings in the North Star Boys Choir. We were glad of this connection, and especially so, when we were so fortunate to hear them. What a delightful evening it was! The photos can give you some sense of the event; and those who were here are still buzzing about what a great performance we all experienced.

The choir says they "may" return! We certainly hope so!

Cuba Partnership Lunch - June 22, 2018

Cuba Partnership Lunch - June 22, 2018

Today members of Wekiva Presbyterian Church gathered in fellowship with representtives of the El Centro Presbytery of Cuba, to contine our parnership relationship. Left to Right:

Ken and Lillian Lasseter, Becky Perry, Tom Roberts, Jacqueline Valdes, music director at Sancti Spiritus Church, Marlon I. Irrarragorrí, pastor of Cabaiguan Church and Treasurer of El Centro Presbytery, J, John Dalles, Kim Kim Harshman, Jim Brown, Dan and Betsy Bone.

Presbyterian History of Engagement
1890 – Cuba’s first Presbyterian Church established in Havana
1892 – Remedios Mission organized by missionary John Walton, an evangelical Presbyterian minister
1899 – Cardenas Mission founded by Evaristo Collazo and John Hall. Later renamed Juan G Hall Reformed Presbyterian
1946 – Evangelical Theological Seminary (SET) established in Matanzas
2017 – Wekiva Presbyterian Church forms a partnership with the Presbyterian Church in Remedios

"Ah! Holy Spirit Come and Speak”

"Ah! Holy Spirit Come and Speak” a new musical composition with words by the Rev. Dr. John Dalles and music by Wm Glenn Osborn will have its premier at Mary Queen of the Universe in Orlando Florida, on Sunday, May 20, 2018 at 3:00 p.m. as part of the concert: “Come To Us Creative Spirit: A Celebration Of Pentecost”. The concert is presented by the Basilica Choir and Orchestra. Music of Rutter, Mozart, and more, are also on the program.

Dalles has been the pastor and head of staff of the Wekiva Presbyterian Church in suburban Orlando for 21 years; prior to that, he served the Fox Chapel Presbyterian Church and the First Presbyterian Church of South Bend, Indiana. Osborne is Director of Music for the Cathedral and Archdiocesan Liturgies at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in Baltimore, Maryland. Before coming to Baltimore in 2015, he served as Director of Music at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in Kissimmee, Florida.

The two have collaborated on more than a dozen sacred works, including “God, We Would Hear The Angels Sing”, an anthem which is featured on the CD “Christmas With The Basilica Choir”, which you can hear at this link:

God We Would Hear the Angels Sing