No place like home

Our church’s Welcome Back Sunday was a family affair with more than a dozen children assisting the Rev. Casey Collins throughout the Sept. 10 service, her first fall-season service after taking over as the minister on July 1.

Pastor Casey involved the children throughout the service, particularly having them help her with her sermon, based on Psalm 84. Whenever she wanted emphasis about the importance of finding a home, she had the children, standing in front of the altar, hold up the words, “How Lovely Is Your Dwelling Place, O Lord Almighty”. She did this four or five times during the sermon and the accuracy with which the words were held up was fun to watch — the innocence of an unrehearsed performance. It made it feel like, well, being home with family.

Pastor Casey also had the children come forward and place their school backpacks in front of the altar and then she blessed both the backpacks for the new school year and the teachers in attendance who will be leading our children.

For their backpacks, each child was given a small wooden cross by lead Sunday School teacher Carol Hubbard and assisted by Mariah Parker. They were told they could either attach the crosses to their backpacks or tuck them inside.

In keeping with the children’s participation in the service, Serafina Fontana assisted Carol Hubbard in reading the scripture lesson. Serafina and Naomi Williams also were the greeters before the service began.

The Sept. 10 service also was a homecoming for the Faith York and the choir, returning from their summer break.

And while the choir’s music was as uplifting as ever, one other magical musical moment was young Tyler Rodenberger playing a piano solo during the Offertory. What made the solo even more amazing was that the piece he played was Tyler’s own adaptation from music in the video game Fallout 4.

Welcome home, CEUMC Family!!