Communion Table

It was the spring of 1998 when our church hosted the East Coast Conference meeting, that Pastor Sam Bryan (a pastor from the newly formed Queens, New York church) noticed our old communion table in the Narthex. Sam asked Pastor Mark Pattie why such a beautiful table was not being used for its intended purpose. He asked if we might consider giving it to his congregation. Pastor Mark assured him he would bring this request to our congregation. I remember this well, because I was a member of the church council who Mark first approached about the possibility. I felt strongly about this table, as I remembered it from our Main St. building and was the lone council member who was not willing to part with this beautiful piece of our heritage. After many discussions with council and congregation members, I changed my view. The congregation voted that we would be honored to give this table to the Queens, New York church and Fred Doloff, our Treasurer at that time, agreed to drive it to Queens for their first service in September. Unfortunately, Fred was unable to transport the table due to health issues and search was on to find another van or truck. After several months, the Council was still unable to secure transportation. I discussed the situation with Judy Buck, who volunteered her station wagon. While some were skeptical it would fit, Judy reassured everyone by taking measurements, and proved the table would fit with room to spare in the back of her Escort wagon. Anyone knowing Judy and I know we love an excuse to take a road trip so plans were made to deliver the table to the Queens church for their first service in 1999. Judy and I planned to drive the table down on a Saturday and return the same day. Because this congregation did not have a building of their own and met in a hospital auditorium, they could not guarantee we would be able to get in the building on Saturday and suggested we stay over and bring the table to church service on Sunday morning. On Saturday, January 2, 1999, we left for New York. As it turned out, this was a wise choice as a severe storm started Saturday night and continued through Sunday morning. I didn’t sleep well that night, I kept looking out the window at the car. I wondered if the table would be safe (you just can’t take a country girl to the Big Apple!). An ice storm, followed by terrible rain and wind, resulted in a many accidents and the main turnpike was at a standstill. We received a warm (and wet) welcome from the Queens church and learned several of their own members were unable to attend services due to the weather. The church service was inspiring and it was wonderful to see our table look so beautiful on that auditorium stage. They served communion that Sunday. It was appropriate to see the table once again being used for the purpose it was built. God knew our table deserved to be used by people who would love and care for it as we had for so many years.
-Gail Hayes