This summer we have been worshipping in our historic Eliot Chapel so that construction work could take place in our Sanctuary. For years it has been a goal to make the chancel (that’s the front of the Sanctuary with the organ and the pulpit) accessible to people using wheelchairs and who live with other mobility issues. Thanks to the proceeds from this year’s auction we are finally able to do this important work. In addition to the accessibility work, we are hoping to make some aesthetic improvements that will make the space more inviting for everyone.

Our sanctuary building was originally a Nazarene church that First Unitarian purchased when Nazarenes decided to leave downtown. In 2000, in the midst of rapid growth in our own membership, the space was enlarged for our own use. That work was done on a tight budget and so minimal resources could go in to making the space worshipful. Sometimes when people offer their first impression of our Sanctuary, they are not sure what to make of it. Here you have a building from the 1940s without a great deal of character. You come in to the worship space and the first thing you see is an organ from the Victorian era. And when you bring in a modern pulpit and other woodwork along with the screens you have, well, a pretty confusing space.

This summer our goal has been to better bring those elements together and to make the space less busy, more unified and more dignified. We hope to create a greater sense of cohesion by painting the walls and the ceiling in the front with rich, warm, colors that will complement the wood tones of the organ and the other woodwork. In addition to the paint we will have new flooring and enhanced lighting in the space. Part of our planning has been to look at the whole of the Sanctuary and what we might do down the road. That work will include painting the rest of the space; replacing some of the windows, especially those in the lower side galleries of the space; and looking at ways to make the Narthex more inviting.

Because this is our sacred space we have taken this process very seriously. I have been working with a group that has included Kathy Ludlow and Marti Yoder along with Liz Williams who has served as our architect for the project. Colors are important and to that end we have consulted with two people whose profession it is to advise people about the right colors to use.

As we have considered changes to the inside of the Sanctuary, we have kept in mind the successful changes to the outside of the Sanctuary a couple years ago. You might remember what the outside of the building looked like before those changes. In general the sense was that it had not been tended to and looked pretty shabby. By painting the trim in colors that complemented the brick work and by improving the lighting and by making other aesthetic improvements, the outside of the Sanctuary became a much more attractive, welcoming space. WE hope to do the same for the interior now.

Our goal is for folks to get a first look at the work on August 5 when we will be in the Sanctuary and welcome Unitarian Universalist musicians from all over the country at their annual conference. We will then finish the work and be back in the space for Homecoming Sunday in September.

I look forward to seeing you all in church,

Rev. Tom Disrud