And so it begins. After a process that has lasted over four years, the long-awaited water reclamation project involving the Penn Avenue yard of our church is finally underway. This project (as you’ve likely heard before) will disconnect our rain spouts from the pipes running to the city sewer lines and instead re-direct rainwater to a below ground filtration system. This will allow the water to be absorbed by plants, bushes and trees rather than simply rushing into the overburdened sewer system (which only leads to more pollution in the Pittsburgh rivers). The work in the church yard will take a couple months, with the hope being that a mild autumn will let us get a good head-start on landscaping and planting out front.
This project is a catalyst for which we have waited quite some time. Along with the new plantings, we will finally replace some energy-inefficient flood lamps with new cost-effective exterior lighting. Also, the old signs and unusable flagpoles on the corner of Penn and Highland will be replaced with new church signs nicely combining our traditional aluminum frames and new electronic screens. It is hoped that all these projects will combine to offer a more welcoming, fresh “face” for our church as the East Liberty community walks, bikes and drives past our wonderful building.
It has been my experience that once people come inside ELPC, whether for a concert or a meeting or a worship service, they are pleased by our congregation’s diversity, commitment to service, and spirit of hospitality. But it has also been my experience that many people do not come inside ELPC, walking past it believing that somehow it is too big, too wealthy, or too imposing to be a place that someone might truly call their spiritual home. The front yard renovations also include adding some benches in front of the lawn, so that people may comfortably enjoy the view in front of the church, rather than having to sit uncomfortably on the old stone edging that implied people should “keep off the grass.” Also, the new signage will allow us to show pictures of the diverse congregational family at ELPC, so that the invitation to see how we live out Christ’s gospel might be linked with welcoming faces visible on our outdoor signs.
Why do these things matter? They matter because truly living out our faith requires that we work to remove whatever barriers exist between “churched” and “unchurched” people. Or, to express this idea positively, living out the faith we profess challenges us to find fresh ways to celebrate the height, depth, and breadth of God’s loving engagement with this world. Concerned about the environment? Let’s talk together about being good stewards of creation. Concerned about social justice? Let’s learn as a church from prophets of old and prophets active in today’s world. Dealing with loss, grief and anxiety? Come inside and pray, trusting in Christ the Wounded Healer who offers a spirit of comfort and grace.
And so this project has finally begun. Changes are happening, it’s true. But may the outside renovations at ELPC always reflect the inner transformations and renovations of the spirit Christ is doing in each of us right now!