Churches

All posts in the Churches category

If I Had My Camera…

Published October 8, 2010 by LS Murphy

Why is it that I never have my camera with me when I see something so awesome, so beautiful, so unique that I feel the need to capture it?

WHY, OH, WHY?

It never fails.

Today, I noticed a church on a side street that had no roof. The front of the building stood with its peak high in the air and, seemingly, no support. Unfortunately, I had to keep on my merry way to complete my errands.

But I drove by it again just to get another glance.

It appeared to have sat like that for a while. It was just a shell of its former self. Grass and weeds grew were the floor would’ve been. The rear peak was stabilized by two long poles. The church wasn’t very big but it built of beautiful stone. 

It reminded me of the cover of G. P. Taylor’s Shadowmancer.

If I had my camera, I could post a picture. If I had my camera, I could share the beauty of this abandoned church. If I had my camera….

Maybe it wouldn’t have seemed as beautiful. Maybe it would have just been seen as four walls that needed to be torn down. Maybe it would have lost its magic.

Still, I wish I did have my camera with me.

Lesson learned.

Keokuk

Published August 9, 2010 by LS Murphy

Named after the Sauk Chief that is buried in beautiful Rand Park, Keokuk Iowa is a town waiting to be rediscovered. Pronounced Key-O-kuk, although you’ll often hear the locals say “kill-kuk”, this once glamorous river town has some of architecture’s hidden gems resting along the bluff.

I grew up not far from Keokuk and spent a lot of time not seeing the homes for their beauty as I do now.

The antebellum homes rival those of Natchez, Mississippi in opulence and splendor. Unlike Natchez, Keokuk does not have annual pilgrimages, in which homeowners open up the houses for tours.

Unfortunately, there are too many homes that are falling down as the town moves away from the river that gave it life.

Birdwood House, a High Style Italianate mansion, is even for sale for a $249,900. Built in 1855, the home stands tall and proud with the high tower and two car-two story carriage house.

Grand Avenue is exactly as it is named. The most famous house sits here, built of stones stacked and with a beautiful archway leading to the front door. Also on Grand Avenue is The Grand Anne, a bed and breakfast The Grand Anne was built in 1897 in Queen Anne style.

Friendly House stands on its final legs. Gutted by a fire, the home is slated for destruction. Even in its current state, the beauty of what it once was can be seen by the naked eye. A fire may have destroyed the inside but the bricks stand firmly together.

During my childhood, I would beg my mother to take me around Keokuk to look at the churches. Keokuk has plenty of them, and like the grand old homes, many are falling into disrepair. This church still holds services in the basement but its former glory is gone.

Even though I did not appreciate the beauty of most of the houses on the bluff, there was one that I dreamt of owning. It sits on a corner lot but, unlike most homes, it does not face the street head on. It sits angular to the curb in defiance of tradition with stairs leading up to a yard surrounded by wrought iron fencing.

I don’t recall it being occupied although I believe a renovation was started a few years back. There is just something magical about this house. Every year, as I travel to visit my family, I drive by it to make sure it is still there.

One day, I’m afraid I’ll drive by and it’ll be gone. With it, a bit of my daydreaming youth will disappear. Or maybe someone else will see the beauty and restore it.

The homes of Keokuk are lovely. Give this small river town a chance and visit. You may find a home of your own to fall in love with.

 

http://www.bbonline.com/ia/grandanne/

http://www.historickeokukhomefsbo.com/Home

http://www.keokuk.net/

St. Patrick and his town

Published March 17, 2010 by LS Murphy

When I was going through some of my stuff a few weeks ago, I found a couple of little envelopes addressed to me by my father. The letters weren’t inside anymore but that was okay. It was the envelope that mattered anyway. They were stamped from St. Patrick, Missouri, the only town in the world (with a post office) that bears the name of the patron saint of Ireland.

And it’s only open in March to celebrate St. Patrick.

St. Patrick, Missouri is located in the southern part of Clark County in the northeast corner of the state. It’s about ten minutes from where I grew up. There isn’t a lot there. A shrine, a church, scattered houses. And an old post office that used to function like any other post office. But like many little towns, St. Patrick’s post office grew too expensive to run and was shuttered. Every March 17th, they reopen to send out mail dated and stamped in green like they’ve been doing since 1936.

The Irish come alive too. There are musicians, gift giveaways, storytelling and food, plenty of food. Naturally, there is also mass at the end of the day.

The Shrine itself is worth the trip to see even if you don’t go on March 17th, which is also the date it was dedicated on in 1957. It’s design is fashioned from St. Patrick’s Memorial Church of Four Masters in Donegal, Ireland. The stained glass windows, 37 in all, were made in Dublin. It’s a beautiful site to behold.  And you don’t even need to cross the pond to see it.

I put those envelopes in plastic baggies. They mean more than just the stamp. My dad took the time to do all of it. Just for me. I’m sure my brothers and sister got their own mail but these were mine. When you’re five or six, getting your own mail validates you. Even if it’s from your dad.

No doubt that my daughter will be getting one of her own in the mail very soon.

Churches

Published March 7, 2010 by LS Murphy

When I was a little girl, I used to force my mother to drive around Keokuk, Iowa so that I could see all of the beautiful churches. You see, we lived in the country and going to Keokuk was going to a “big” town. Now that I live in St. Louis, Keokuk is small in size but it still has some of the most beautiful churches.

In September of last year, my daughter’s daycare closed. It was housed in a tin shed of a building that probably wouldn’t have survived a tornado hit. It was a great daycare though. The workers loved my daughter like she was their own.

Now that tin shed of a daycare is a church.

Huh?

More and more, churches, whether they are Catholic, Methodist, or Baptists, look more like buildings than churches. To me, a church symbolizes glory. The child inside me knew they were something special. Why aren’t they now?

There is a little white church up the street from my house that epitomizes beauty. It was built in 1859. It’s just one room (not counting the additions that I chose to ignore). There are three eight foot windows from floor to ceiling that are topped with a half circle. Most importantly, there is a steeple. I’m sure there once was a bell but it doesn’t ring. It’s a simple church but it is beautiful in that simplicity.

In Keokuk, among the towering church steeples of glory, the old Wal-Mart where I worked was converted into a church. Yeah, people worship in the lawn and garden section. This is just wrong to me. There are churches in office buildings and strip malls these days. Many of the older churches fall to ruin.  

When did this happen? 

Most of the newer churches look like any other building along the street. The only thing that distinguishes them is the sign. There is no glory in their bland walls and boring siding. There is no beauty in their average windows. There are only four walls. I understand it’s about money. But it’s not supposed to be. It’s supposed to be about your faith, your devotion to God.

The irony in all this, I don’t go to church. I don’t belong to any certain religion. I don’t believe in the excessive division of Christianity. But my belief in God is unwavering.

 ”God doesn’t discriminate, religions do.”

No one knows who said this but it’s true. God won’t discriminate about what your church looks like. But wouldn’t you rather honor Him in a house of glory rather than a strip mall where you can walk next door and buy a 40 ounce?

Churches should be spectacular. They should tower to the sky. They should represent the glory and love for God. They should represent what is in your heart when you go. They should represent faith, even to those of us who choose not to go on a regular basis. They should be about love and not money.

Think about it.