When I walked to the church about three hours after the fire had started and looked at the sanctuary smoldering, the windows gone, a gap where the roof had been, my heart sank. This has been my church home for 10 years and one month. Where was the hope that we would worship again in the beautiful church? Why, Lord, did this have to happen? What are we going to do now? But one thing stood out to me as I watched. The bell tower (the campanile) was standing and the church bell (the campana) was visible through the opening at the top of the tower. When Bob told me that the bell was still there and relatively unharmed, I knew that there was hope. He knows that I loved the sound of the bell at 9:45 a.m. on Sunday as it was a call to worship for us and a word to the neighbors that we are about to partake in something divine. I often would remind the deacon on duty to “ring the bell.”
I have had a fondness for bells since I was very young. No, I am not a collector other than having some of various sizes around my house. Church bells are wonderful and even though the one at Grace rings out a single note, it is special. At Christmas I remind Pastor Robin that we must end the Christmas Day service with “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” so this stoic Scandinavian can get teary-eyed! The bell has been rung at the close of memorial services (there should be one ring for each decade of life, a pause, and a ring for each year after, up to nine), for celebrations of joy as at a wedding, and whenever there is an expression to be shared with the nearby world. The history of bells is fascinating, nothing biblical about them but worthy of our use and admiration. And like people, they come in all sizes, shapes, and take on different roles.
I asked my older son Peter what he remembers about attending VBS at Grace in the 1980s. He immediately answered, “They let me ring the bell!” Maybe when we worship in the sanctuary once again I will ask Bob if he will let me ring the bell. Hopefully I will still have enough strength to pull the rope!!
Elaine Fiveland