Did you know that the Eliot Chapel turns 100 this year? It was 1924 when First Unitarian moved to its present location, which, back in 1924, was the western edge of downtown Portland. Up until then, the church’s home was just a couple blocks away from what is now Pioneer Square. The first service happened in August of that year, and the building was formally dedicated in November. Then, in December, the annual Christmas Pageant was inaugurated in recognition of the congregation’s new home. That’s another important milestone we will mark this year.

100 years. Just think about all the milestones that have happened in this place. All the sermons preached, all the music offered, all the children dedicated, all the marriages consecrated, all the lives celebrated in memorial services. How the building almost burned to the ground in the 1960s and the congregation’s decision to remain downtown—not necessarily an easy decision at another time when downtown Portland was not the most popular place to be. In 2000, regular Sunday worship services moved to our present Sanctuary when the Chapel could no longer accommodate the number of people who were coming to Sunday services at the time. That was a big loss for many people. I still hear people talk about how they miss worshipping in the Eliot Chapel.

We’ll be marking this important milestone in the life of First Unitarian in the coming months.  A dedicated team has been working on plans for the recognition and you can expect to hear more in the weeks to come. Plans include a rededication ceremony, an organ recital and a history talk or two,  among other events.

Many of you, I expect, have your own memories of this place, especially if you have been around for a while.  

I think of many things that have happened there in my time at the church: In 2004 when Multnomah Country began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples, the Chapel was suddenly busier than the Elvis wedding chapel in Las Vegas. I was privileged to officiate at 18 weddings in one week—a week that will always be a highlight of my own life. And so many other events come to mind, like the years in the 1990s when there were three Sunday morning worship services there, and the pews were so full that more than once in the service, people were asked if they could squeeze together to make room for just a few more people. And, of course, so many memorials, some large, some small, that honor the lives of members of this church and the larger community. 

At a time when life seems to move so incredibly fast, I’m humbled to think about all that has happened in this space. Some of the big things, yes, but so many are personal and individual to those who experienced them. At a time when so much about the future can seem uncertain, I hope this will serve as a touchstone for where we have been and where we are going. 

The Chapel, ultimately, has been a gathering place for this congregation. What a blessing it has been. What a blessing it continues to be. 

Keeping the faith,

Rev. Tom