Dedication Service

January is our birthday month at Light of Christ, and yesterday, we celebrated four years as a mission church--by officially becoming a parish.  It was a great occasion to pull out all the stops!

We had incense...

Bells (xylophone)...

Violin...

Guest musicians...



Assorted singers, including a children's choir...

(B11 and Chicklet8 are there; and Father R's brother on the far right!)

Our teenagers leading us in worship...

(This was B15's first time, and it sure warmed a mother's heart to see him up there singing with his sister.)

Banners...

Flowers...

and a visit from our Bishop!

We officially installed Father Rooster, our acting vicar, as our new rector, with prayers, charges and symbolic gifts...

A warm handshake from our new senior warden...

And an embrace from our deacon, the man who founded Light of Christ...

...and who, in a previous life, was Father R's college roommate. Yup, they go waaay back.  (And never, back then, could they have imagined this day!)

We ended with the usual recessional, led by our acolytes...

(B15 doing double-duty, here as crucifer)

...and a not-so-usual recessional addition:  the bagpipes! (and our children's choir)

[A side note:  Early in our history, one of our spiritual fathers gave us a prophetic word:  "The children will lead you."  And they have led us in many ways.  Our children lead us in numbers (they out-number the adults), they have been the first to go forward for prayer, our young acolytes lead us into and out of the sanctuary each week, and it was beautiful to have so many of our teens and children involved in our musical worship at this service.  I don't know whose idea it was to have the children's choir join the recessional at this special service, but it brought tears to my eyes to see it!  I think there is a lot more leadership coming from these young ones.]

Bringing up the rear, our new--and handsome--Rector...

...and our beloved Bishop.

Since he was here, we had Confirmations in the service too.  That meant visitors and a fuller-than-usual congregation--even more celebratory!

One man who was being confirmed had invited family, but they were unable to attend.  He said as he was feeling a moment of sadness, he sensed the Lord saying to him, "Do not despair, for your family is all around you."  He says, " And as I looked, it was true, my family was there with me."  It was so good to hear this testimony, and to share his feelings.  There is such a sense of family and home at Light of Christ.

And...to heap celebration upon celebration, it was my birthday.  What a great day of rejoicing for us all!

Photo credits:  Nathan Jacobs
Thank you, Nathan!