As I write this article, our Allegheny River charge is in the last few days of preparing for our Manorville congregation merging together with our Ford Memorial congregation. The final charge conference, and the celebration service, are set for September 29th at the Manorville church building, and then we move to Ford Memorial where we welcome all those who are transferring into the Ford City congregation.

I’m a mess as we get closer to that day. I’ve only been a part of the Manorville church family for 15 months, but I have come to really ape people of the congregation, the emphasis on reaching out to help others outside of the congregation… sometimes with monetary donations, sometimes gathering supplies for one of the area ministries, and, often, hearing (and seeing pictures) of the ramps or other service projects that some of our Manorville family helped to accomplish together with volunteers from the other churches in our charge.

On top of the people I’ve come to love, there is that amazing building! The stained glass, the interior woodwork, and the history of how the building came into existence are all part of the faith journey of the people called Methodist in Manorville. I remember my very first Sunday at Manorville and hearing Hyatt Hawk describe his dad’s involvement in the team that built that building… in the depths of the Great Depression, none the less!

And if, after just over a year, I’m feeling a mixture of emotions… I can barely begin to imagine how everyone else in the Manorville family must feel… for they’ve ALL been involved and invested far longer than I’ve been around.

I remember back to seminary, in the pastoral counseling classes when we studied loss and grief. I had always thought of loss and grief when someone had died. But I learned there are A LOT of losses that trigger grief, not just death: loss of health, loss of job, loss of home, loss of relationships when friends move away (or we do), loss of financial stability, loss of our independence… and loss of the “way things have always been.” And that includes when two congregations merge, and when we leave a beloved place of worship behind. The experts tell us that everyone grieves a little differently than others… and walks through their grief in different ways. Thus some grief-stricken folks will be found crying because of their sadness and there will be others who just want to get to the gym so they can spend time punching a punching bag because they’re angry that there has to be any change at all. Others need to withdraw from everyone else for a while and think and process to figure out what they’re feeling. All too often, especially in our modern American culture, there’s a nagging feeling for some of us that we need to stuff the feelings down and just figure out “What’s Next?” sowe can get past the bad feelings.

The Bible describes emotions as a gift that God deliberately gave to us as He made us “in the image of God.” Yeah, that means that we have emotions because GOD has emotions… and we are modeled after God. Emotions are like the lights and gauges on our car dashboards; indicators of what is right (like the gas gauge on FULL) or what is wrong that needs attention (like that gas needle pointing to EMPTY). The emotions we feel are indicators that there’s something in our life that needs our attention… our thinking and our praying definitely need to be part of those responses… But usually there are other more concrete ways that we can respond that help us as well, A funeral when someone dies, painting an amazing sunset we saw onto canvas, writing down the story of one
of our favorite childhood memories, passing on a keepsake to a child or grandchild while telling them the story of how that keepsake came into the family. We donate a book to the library in Rev. Dayton D. Mix memory of Uncle Joe, give a memorial donation to Aunt Sally’s favorite ministry. We NEED to find tangible ways to express our grief. Because, if truth be told, the feelings of grief only come when we have loved… and we want, and need, to express our love.

So here’s the challenge ahead. The church family of Manorville has chosen to NOT just close and stop ministering to those in need of Jesus. Instead, they’ve chosen to join forces with others in the family of faith, just a little ways down the road, and to continue reaching out to others… with the combined strength and resources of the two joined congregations.

So how do we mark, or honor, this momentous change in our story? I have a couple ideas, but I’m sure there are dozens more that haven’t been thought of yet…
Write down your memories of the Manorville Church. How you first encountered the congregation, who were the people of faith you met there? Memories of Vacation Bible School? Sunday school? Choir? Serving on one of the committees or mission projects? Helping with a party or a dinner? Confirmation? Maybe it was that Sunday school teacher, choir director, organist usher, or even preacher who helped you in your faith? If they’re still alive drop them a card or a note telling them how much they’ve meant to you… or even a simple “Thank you.” ALSO: Maybe you have an old directory or an old picture we could scan as we gather memories… (We’ll give them back!)

Find a way to express your memories, and gratitude, for the legacy of faith this family of faith has poured into you… as they prepare to extend that legacy in this new chapter of faith.