Forest Home Chapel

Today I was filling the pulpit at Forest Home Chapel, a picturesque, lovely small church tucked in the midst of a winding forest road.  As I drove there, I so wished I had brought my camera.  The views were very impressive, a narrow road with trees lining both sides with a flowing bubbling stream for added beauty.  The general area of Forest  Home was settled in 1794. It is clearly a residential area, and is just a stone's throw from the university.  Forest Home Drive itself is not very wide, and it curves a lot.  In fact there is a bridge that can only accommodate one car at a time passing over it.   In 1794, the original road was not even intended for cars.  Now it is the shortest route from the campus to the local mall, so on weekdays the narrow winding road can get quite a bit of traffic.  I used to use that road myself, back when I worked there.

The Chapel was built in 1915.  In the 20's or 30's, John and Pearl Buck attended there, and I  learned today that they had rented rooms in the parsonage next door.

Because the weather has been so treacherous, it did not appear that there would be very many worshipers today,  but in the two minutes before ten o'clock, and the two minutes after, a decent number arrived.

I love filling the pulpit there.  It feels like a "good match" to me. There are quite a few folks with university connections.  Gerry is friends with several of the parishioners, though he is away at the moment.  And I must say, without his smiling, loving face,  it was not as much fun as it would have been with his presence.

If I wanted to serve a church (which I do not),  that would be the one I would be most interested in.  The pastor's office just takes my breath away.  Out the window is a view of a full blown forest, beginning just beyond the window sill.

Today's text was from Corinthians, Paul speaking to the church in Corinth, reminding them about the foundation that he had laid, and how others are building on that foundation now.  That's what we all do, as Christians, continually build on the foundation that has been laid by others, but which always originates with the true foundation, who is Jesus Christ.