In just six short months we will mark the beginning of our 150th
year as a congregation of followers of Jesus Christ. In an age when things come
and go so quickly, it is remarkable that we will celebrate such a long, rich,
and proud history.
Imagine what Manassas was like in 1867 – a town rebuilding after the
devastation of the Civil War. Our church rose quite literally from the ashes of
war. Our church and our community have grown together and have a history that
is deeply intertwined.
We recently created a 150th anniversary committee led by
co-chairs Laurel Ulrich and Bruce Tuckerman. The committee members have been
talking about different ways to mark our anniversary, from inviting pastors who
graced our pulpit in the past to return to our campus to lead worship, to
special music reflecting the different times, to special meals and other
gatherings.
One event has already been planned for next March, when the author and
scholar Diana Butler Bass will come to spend a Sunday with us. She will preach
and teach as she shares her knowledge as an authority on American religious
history, culture, and trends. Dr. Bass has written 9 books, including
“Christianity After Religion: The End of Church and the Birth of a New
Spiritual Awakening”, and her most recent book, “Grounded: Finding God in the
World –A Spiritual Revolution.” She will help us to think about our future even
as we celebrate our past.
Bass has chronicled the massive changes affecting all practices of
religion. She has observed how more and more people of all ages are turning
away from institutionalized practices, creeds, dogma, and exclusivity, to a
faith focused on believing, behaving, and belonging, religion binding one to
another in love and grace. She speaks of this as a new great awakening that
calls us to open our minds and hearts to what might be as we embrace the future
God is creating for all of us –together. We’re excited about having Dr. Bass here
as a part of our year-long celebration.
The Committee is looking for pictures or other memorabilia from our
history. If you have something tucked away on a shelf or in a closet, please
consider sharing it!
The Psalmist wrote, “The Lord has
done great things for us, and we rejoice!”, and that, it seems to me, should
be our theme, not only for our anniversary, but even now. For God does indeed
do wonderful things for us, with us, and through us, and we should rejoice!
Grace & peace,
Pastor Skip
