One of three restored stained glass windows in the Smiley UMC sanctuary.In the words of Rev. Bob Price, "When God wants someting to happen, it does!" Today, the congregation of The Smiley United Methodist Church, Smiley, Texas, under the pastorship of Rev. Price, consecrated their newly remodeled sanctuary. Remodeled is not the right word--rebuilt and restored are better descriptors of the work required of this small group of dedicated people to restore their 1948 vintage building to usable condition. From badly cracked exterior walls and a falling ceiling to a shining gem of a sanctuary, two years of planning, fund raising, and construction resulted in a beautiful, serene, and inspiring house of worship for this town of 400 plus citizens.
My wife, a close friend, and I joined the celebration this morning to witness the love and affection of this group of caring Christians as they joyfully sang hymns, voiced loud amens, prayed for continued God's guidance, and with the assistance of the Corpus Christi District Superintendent, Rev. Barbara Ruth, consecrated the bulding, pulpit, baptismal bowl, and the Lord's Table. The lunch which followed was marked by everyone warmly greeting (and hugging) each other--a true family of believers in action.
We were all reminded of how important it is for each of us to show God's love to each other; it encourages us to do our best and accomplish almost impossible tasks.
