Floor

     About forty years ago the Church of the Holy Trinity had a new linoleum floor installed. According to my father, it was a huge project with the parishioners literally doing all of the heavy lifting. All 30 or more pews were unscrewed from the floor, lifted onto dollies and dragged around the corner to the church library to be stacked and stored until the floor was redone. The job took a couple of weeks and so the Sunday church services were scheduled to take place in the church hall. At the first one the rector at that time, Father John Prince, declared it to be “the best service that we’ve ever had”! The cost of the floor was more than the church had then but he preached a sermon that resonated with the congregation and the money appeared. The linoleum floor lasted for years eventually needing to be taped in certain high traffic areas; it was cracked, dull, old and worn. But over the years that floor had known the tread of many feet: weddings, funerals, baptisms, confirmations, Sunday services, Christmas pageants and Easter celebrations too. Flower petals, ashes, candle wax and tears had dotted the floor along with the innumerable rain drops, snowflakes and debris that floors can gather.

     The floor needed replacement after all those years and this last month it was redone. This also was a huge venture for our parish but fortunately we had help with the heavy lifting. A local contractor and his team assisted us. It still took an enormous effort on the part of parishioners to make this floor a reality. And we also had to have wonderful services in the church hall; close, cozy but wonderful nonetheless. So now we have a a new epoxy floor: bright, clean, colourful and hard-wearing. (And as our daughter found out at the Easter Vigil, it’s fire resistant!) There will be years and years of Sundays and other days: celebrations, funerals, petals and ashes; God is with us always, regardless of where we are.