Anniversary

February 27th is the tenth anniversary of the dedication of our "new" church. Saturday marks when our community at CTR gathered with Bishop Loverde to dedicate and consecrate our worship space. Today we can recall the blessing of the Baptismal Font, where Christian life is begun with believers, adults and children.

We can remember when the Word of God was read for the first time in our worship space. The readers were sent by the Bishop to proclaim God's Word among the people from the ambo, the raised platform,

It was exciting to imagine the anointing of the altar table by the Bishop with Holy Chrism, the reminder that Christ is the center of our worshipping believers. The four crosses still mark the walls of the church, which recall that the church is made up of "living stones" with Christ as the cornerstone.

To mark this event, a few liturgical furnishings have been added to the sanctuary. A new Presider's Chair marks the place where the celebrant leads the community in prayer and in listening to the Word. A very functional table is next to the chair simply to hold the books necessary for liturgy.

The ambo has been enhanced, which is done so well as to be unnoticed. A new reading desk to hold the scriptures has been enlarged by enclosing the smaller one with the handsome desk top. A new platform has been installed, which is a bit higher and much larger.

Six new ciboria, dishes to hold the Eucharist at communion time, are now in use. They show

reverence for the Eucharist and better serve God's People. The celebration chalice has been refurbished and equipped with a new interior cup.

Anniversary time is a good time to celebrate the good things which God has done in our community. The anniversary is marked with a few new things to remind us of the ongoing renewal of God's People as a way of life. With time and age communities age and new challenges push us to new efforts at being church.

Worship is the center of our life. We see in worship and the furnishings who we are.

• The Presider's Chair marks the place where we are called together as God's People. It is there we pray and profess our faith. The Celebrant calls us from our diversity to oneness of mind and heart.
• The altar is always the center of Christ's presence among us. We continue to gather at the consecrated table as a Holy People.
• The liturgical furnishings of the chalice and ciboria speak of the reverence and importance of the food and drink of the Lord's Table.
• The ambo, derived from the raised platform of the synagogue, is the place where God's Word is proclaimed and responded to. God continues to speak with us.

Liturgy as Continued Renewal
Our anniversary is a good time to remember at the liturgy the continued experience of God's Presence among us. As we renew the things of worship, we are invited to renew ourselves as church, the Body of Christ gathered in praise of the Father's Name.

CDH