HOMES
“While you were gone,” my hubby
said when I walked in the door, “I looked at the map and think we should leave
July 5, for Prince Edward Island (PEI).”
I replied, “Could we make it the 6th?”
July 6 we left and arrived at PEI
July 11. We had tried to travel to PEI
twice before, but each time found us falling short of that goal. Third time is a charm, because we made it
across that eight mile bridge.
Funny. They do not charge you to
go to the island. They charge you to get
off the island.
We had an amazing time, met some
very nice people, heard stories of life on the island and saw these four
houses. Houses which are not
houses. Let me explain.
Ever wonder about those abandoned
houses? There they sit. Empty.
Windows broken out. Doors
missing. No games being played in the
yard. No supper being prepared in the
kitchen. No grass being mowed. Much labor and love went into that home. Yet there it sits. Quiet.
Useless. No longer a home. Just an empty building.
Do you recognize this house? It is a very famous home. People come from all over the world to
visit. They want to see the Lake of
Shining Waters. They want to see where a
young girl, Anne, leapt onto the pages of a book called Anne of Green Gables. Many
people roam from room to room. You hear
laughter. There are people sitting in
the yard. But – no cattle are in the
barn. No one sleeps in the beds. No one eats in the kitchen. This home is now a tourist destination.
I do believe the man that built a
church, two houses, a bar and a very large bottle had way too much time on his
hands, absolutely did not know how to sit still or had really lousy cable
reception. For sure, he believed in recycling. He built “bottle” houses. 10,000 – 20,000 bottles in each
building. They are fun to look at and,
since it was an overcast day when we visited, I can only imagine how they look
when the sun shines through bottles of red.
And green. And white. And brown.
There is only one problem. Other
than being funky, fun to look at and draining tourist’s wallets, they are not
houses. You cannot live in them.
PEI is known for its potatoes, coastline
and lighthouses. It should also be known
for its churches. We crisscrossed the
island north to south and west to east and there are churches EVERYWHERE! This is – are you ready – Saint Mary’s
Church. It was established in 1902 and
is breathtaking. Around the base of the
steeple there are sculptures representing the twelve disciples. The ceiling is a puzzle of wood stained and
cut into a thing of beauty. This is a
historic church. And it is no longer a
church. No church services are held
here. No candles lit. No voices united in worship through
song. No communion served. It is now the home of the Indian River Festival
and, for a donation, you can walk through the building.
These buildings remind me of some
churches.
THE EMPTY CHURCH – This does not
mean no one attends. It means the church
no longer has joy. It means the church
no longer has love. It is just a place
to go for an hour on Sunday morning but holds no true celebrations of Worship.
THE TOURIST DESTINATION – This does
not mean there are no regular attenders.
It means the church is more show than worship. It has become a place to be entertained. It is a place where you put a small admittance
fee in the offering plate and then wait to be told the Gospel with lights and
sound.
THE BOTTLE CHURCH – Again, many
attend the bottle church. They love the
way the light shines through the window.
There is a window designed so the sun shines on the alter, at exactly
the instant the prelude begins. This
church is full of joy. They sing
loudly. They are thrilled to hear the
Good News. There is only one
problem. It is only the good news they
hear. They do not know what to do when
the sun is covered with clouds and the altar does not light up on cue. They are lost when the world is not rosy and
good.
THE NO LONGER A CHURCH – The no
longer a church has no pews. It has no
worshipers. There are no hymns sung. No communion is served. What once stood tall
as a beacon to those seeking and searching – What once represented a desire to
build a place where believers could unite in their study of God’s Word – What once
invited families to celebrate weddings and births and deaths --- Now opens their
doors to antique seekers. And
artist. And a comedy club. And become a home for humans instead of the
House of God. And sometimes just sits
there empty. With the steeple tilting,
the pews falling apart and even the mice have left because there are no more communion
crumbs falling to the floor.
What kind of church do you
attend?
What kind of church are you?
Drat. Now I have to answer the question, “What kind
of church am I?”
