Just back from church: Grace Reformed Church, UCC, (no web site), the church Hubby and I attended last week, and which is warming on me. Down the alley from us, and uses a liturgy — influenced by the same nineteenth century “catholic” influences that shaped “high church Universalism” — that is almost identical to the old Universalist prayerbook I often reference.
Part of the nice experience over coffee was when the sextant walked to me, smiled, and handed me a bunch of flowers. She had been cleaning up the altar flowers in the next room and it is evidently her practice to divide the flowers up, and wrap them in florist paper and ribbon. She seems to have a station especially set up for this purpose. The flowers themselves were nice but not exotic (the usual bundle of daisies, fresias and carnations one sees commonly in supermarkets) but they are pretty and in enough volume to give five or six people a bundle to take home: newcomers and old-timers alike.
It was a kind gesture that didn’t draw attention to itself, and it made me feel better about visiting this little church.
Niw THAT is a great idea! I will have to see if we can figure out a way to do that. Very pastoral…