Ponderings!

As I write this, I am 2 days away from a week’s vacation and sabbatical. It does not quite seem real that I
will not see any of you for 3 months. It has been 11 years since that has happened. As I leave for the
summer, I rest confident the congregation’s ability and willingness to minister to one another as well as
you Deacon’s ability to provide spiritual care along with the Sabbatical Interim Pastor. Rev. Steve Barrett
has prepared an article in this newsletter that will introduce you to Pastor ellie hutchison.

During Council, we learned that a few of the congregational members had a question about the American
flag that was in the church and has not been seen recently. I hope that I can answer your question
thoroughly without going into more information than you really want. The flag once stood in the sanctuary and had for years as in many churches through America’s history. According to The Flag Code (United States Statutes at Large, Seventy-seventh Congress, Second Session 1942, Volume 56 — Part I, Public Laws) states in Section 3 (k): “When displayed from a staff in a church or public auditorium, the
[American] flag should occupy the position of honor and be placed at the clergyman’s or speaker’s right as he faces the congregation or audience.” If we placed the American flag to the right of the pulpit, the flag becomes the dominate focus of honor and celebration. Yet, while we are extremely appreciative for our nation and respect it’s flag, it is not the most important item in the sanctuary or the reason for our
gathering. The sanctuary is where we acknowledge God as the most important relationship and identity
we hold. So, all of the flags have been removed from the sanctuary.

In regard to the property, the American flag has appeared and been removed on numerous occasions
because we were incapable of displaying it correctly. The American flag is to be lit if it is displayed during
the evening. We have not had the opportunity to connect a timer to our outdoor lights before now. We are insuring that the flag is displayed properly at the front entrance to Fellowship Hall not as a political
statement but as a symbol of historic patriotism. Since we hang additional flags during the year, we are
arranging to have 2 flag holders installed. When this is completed, the American flag will hang as required
by the Flag Code. We will hang any additional flags (Pride flag, Trans. flag, etc.) we fly to the opposite
side of the entrance.

I hope that this answers the question anyone has regarding the American flag. If you have additional
questions, we can discuss it in the fall.

I wish everyone a wonderful summer. If you are traveling, be safe but also have an exciting adventure.
Blessings to all of you, Rev. Gloria