The idea of showing the First Lutheran Church from different angles at different time of day, when it is empty and when filled with people, turned out to be quite a captivating project. Every day for the remainder of the week I had my camera with me looking for an opportunity to capture the parts and elements of the building under various light conditions. I was very pleased that the camera was capable of taking quality shots of the lit candles in the dark without flash. Some pictures were included into the web page with the virtual tour around the church, but many still wait for their turn.
On Wednesday, Jeanette and I for the first time practiced "Thanks Be To Thee." The organ and piano together sounded very beautiful but I kept screwing up a couple of bars in the middle and at the end of the piece--it certainly makes a huge difference whether one plays alone or in a duet or in public; plus my eyes kept running into the organ's part. I copied the sheet music and left only the piano's part and promised Jeanette that by Monday I would be ready to play nearly by heart. I think I'll be able to keep my word, as I've been practicing every day. Same day evening, we had a very interesting discussion at the Adult Studies over "People's History of Christianity." When shaking hands with Pastor William I noticed that his hands were cold--it was difficult for me to realize that September was over and it had been getting colder and colder at nights. One or two more weeks and we'll be in one non-stop rain. I am going to miss the colours and the air freshness of the early fall, my favorite season.
Saturday morning Pastor Hergy and I met with several members of Partners in Mission & Ecojustice Committee of The Anglican Church of Canada who were in British Columbia on a visit. As this Committee is involved, among other activities, in sponsoring refugees from areas affected by military and ethnic conflicts and natural disasters, our guests shared their experiences and listened with an interest to the stories of families from Rwanda and Kenya whom the First Lutheran Church helped move to Canada. A meeting that was planned to last about a half an hour went on for almost two. At the end of our conversation, the Rev. Iola Metuq (left on the photo) said a prayer in his mother tongue, Inuit language.
Around 2 p.m., when I was still working in the office I saw outside on the parking lot two gentlemen, who noticed me and showed that they would like to enter the building. They were father and son and used to be members of the First Lutheran many years ago before they moved 150 km up north from Kelowna. I showed them pictures of the previous ministers and they recognized Pastor Hagen who preached at the First Lutheran in 1952-1962. I also invited them into the sanctuary as it was something they obviously wanted to do. Understandably, to them it was a back-in-time trip, bringing up memories forty-forty five years old, and their faces were telling that those were good ones. They mentioned that they stopped by at the church five years ago but weren't that lucky--they couldn't get inside. They said that when they plan their next trip to Vancouver they will make sure to come to the service. Delighted, they got into their truck and left, still probably talking about the things that happened to them many years ago. Memories...
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