my old church suffered a fire today.

a few hours ago, my mom called me and said, "i have some sad news...your old church burned today." as she gave me the details of what happened, i took it in and asked her why she was so sad. we left the church over a decade ago. she answered, "we spent a lot of years in that church, liz." close to 20 years.

and then i read a few more local news stories and began to feel the sadness my mom was talking about. the story described rooms that i went to sunday school in, prepared coffee hour refreshments in, listened to sermons in, took part in my first communion in, and learned to say, "he is risen indeed!" to the easter greeting, "he is risen!" and then i read quotes from pat lowry, mike berkenpas, and jack wilson. people i used to worship with. and i understood why my mom was sad. she and my dad exerted a lot more energy into that church than i ever did...and these people quoted in the newspaper stories still worship there, and have been for more than a few decades themselves. the sadness and wonder they must be feeling tonight....

everyone knows that the physical building of the church isn't what makes it a church yet it's still a painful blow to the body of a church when it's damaged or lost. so please pray for the members, attenders, and pastor of covenant orthodox presbyterian church in wilkinsburg as they worship tomorrow morning under a different roof.