By Bill Elders
AS I START WRITING this, it is Sunday, February 16, 2025, in Chatham Ontario. We have about eight inches of snow and some businesses here are closed.
(Yes, I said "inches" - I’m old, 86. I hear that east and north of Toronto are being hit hard and police are telling motorists to stay home; they are measuring in centimetres, and they have 20-50 cm. YIPES!).
This reminds me of a Sunday about 15 years ago, only we had more than eight inches of snow that day. Wife Mary and I got up as usual at 7:30, and started listening to CFCO, our local radio station. Just like kinds on a school morning, we listened, and sure enough, many, many places were being listed as closed. No church today!
So, what do we do now?
Well, everything is covered in a thick blanket of clean white snow and all looked beautiful. Maybe it’s time to go for a walk after a little food.
It was getting lighter outside, all was white and all was silent, just plain silent. No vehicles, just silence. It was different. It was beautiful.
So, down the driveway, left turn onto the street, another left turn, and we were off our dead-end street. Another left, and then one right turn, and before we realized it, we were walking toward our little church. Creatures of routine!
We live only about four blocks from St. Paul’s which was on Dolsen Road. No traffic at all, so we were walking down the middle of the road still in white silence. Well, the church was still there of course, and no vehicles were in the parking lot. But as we approached the church, there seemed to be light in the windows facing the street!
Maybe somebody left light on? OK, we will stop in and check (the mentality of a Board member!). No indication of foot-marks in the lightly blowing snow, but the front door unlocked! And the lights inside the entry were fully on.
A loud “Hello” got no response. But when we entered the main church, there we saw – four people. What!? What are you doing here?
Rev. Karen Nelles answered smartly, “We are preparing for a church service”.
But your car is not here. “No”, she answered, “I left it in Marilyn Sinclair’s driveway and I stayed with her overnight”.
Rev. Karen lived in the rectory house at St. Thomas, Dover, some eight miles drive. And Marilyn lived just across the street from St. Paul’s. Very sensible. The other two people were Moe and Nancy Legue who live just three blocks away. So all five people who lived closest to the church (and still do) were present as usual.
But what now? “We have a church service”, replied Rev. Karen, and we started. Then we got to the readings.
“OK, Bill, do the readings”, says Rev. Karen. So there I stood at the lectern. I had already removed my toques, coat and big snow boots, and there I stood with my uncombed hair. I hadn’t showered or shaved, I had on my soiled Saturday work shirt and jeans, and just old work socks, no shoes. And I am doing the readings!
I don’t remember the music but three of us were also choir members, so we likely sang but no organist. What a memorable and very meaningful experience. “AS YOU ARE”, for sure. Just the way it is meant to be. Does our Lord have a sense of humour? I think so.
Sounds like a good deal to me...
If I buy something from a person, we make the deal. I get the goods I want and I give him what he wants – the money. Simple and fair and reasonable. All week long, I get what I need. And even on Sunday, the Lord gives me what I need. And I usually have almost all the things I really want that make sense. Sounds very reasonable, doesn’t it?
Our Lord and Creator delivers the goods. And what does he want in return? He just wants us to be decent people, treat others with compassion and respect and give up just one to four hours a week to attend a public service to worship and honour Him, and show respect and love for Him. It still, after all these years, sounds like a good deal to me.
Christianity is not an insurance policy. Bad things can and still do happen to good people. Our Lord helps us through those tough times.
- Bill Elders
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All six of us are still alive and reasonably healthy, even Moe who is likely into his nineties. All are still active in various other churches as our little St. Paul’s was demolished Feb. 1 in 2021. Rev. Karen Nelles is retired but helping out around Strathroy and then East London. Moe and Nancy and Marilyn are attending Christ Church in Chatham, and Mary and I are now at Holy Trinity which is now called Holy Trinity/St. Paul’s.
About 30 of our St. Paul’s people amalgamated with Holy Trinity through the work of our wardens Ann Koop and Beth Myers (both are alive and well). Who said work and going to church don’t contribute to good health?
My brother-in-law (an Anglican) told me shortly I met Mary: “Never abandon your church”. I believed him. He also had a saying, “Once a man and twice a child”. He had to explain that one.
Bill and Mary Elders are Holy Trinity/St. Paul's, Chatham parishioners.
(Photo: Bill and Mary Elders at St. Paul's Church with their grandson Colin)