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?”