When asked to write an article, I began to think of all the churches I have been involved in or visited. My first career was teaching history in the High School in Cleburne, Texas. Curtis pastored Lone Wolf Baptist Church while he worked on his Ph.D. at Seminary in Ft. Worth, TX. It was a rural church in a farming community. They had a “pounding” for us on our first Sunday after we married! That was a step back in history, I didn’t even know the term. What a blessing as we only had $5.00 left for groceries! I do remember hoping our next church would have a piano in tune and an indoor bathroom!!!
We have visited many beautiful churches throughout the states and other parts of the world: Notre Dame, Chartes, St Paul’s in London, St. Basils in Moscow and even the Haggia Sophia Mosque in Istanbul with our Muslim friends. We were to visit Stanly Rother’s church, St. James Cathedral in Santiago Atitlan, Guatemala.
All these churches have wonderful memories and histories for me! All have brought forth their purpose to have a place to provide worship and service for me and others who live in their shadows. We each bring our histories with us and each of us have stories to tell. I think the beauty of Brill Chapel helps hold us for this time in our lives. These sacred times when we recall what God has done in our lives and will continue to do for us here. I think that Brill Chapel provides for us the very heartbeat of our community. The beauty of the stained-glass windows recalls the sacred history of our world and gives us a superbly artful place to reflect on the goodness of God in our personal history. What a special place it is! Magnificent cathedrals of the world are reflected right here.
Having grown up by the sea, I am drawn to THE ANCHOR CROSS the Christian Symbol of Hope and Steadfastness depicted as one of the forty-eight in the chapel. Hebrews 6:10. “We have this hope, a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul… P.S. this most recent chapter in my personal church history – Brill Chapel has an indoor bathroom, an in tune piano, and organ, beautiful stained glass windows, and people who live in HOPE. If you have not read the book on the history of Brill Chapel, please take time to do so in the holder outside the Chaplain’s Office.
