HISTORICAL REFLECTIONS BY REX SESSIONS

This presentation was made on Heritage Sunday, a worship service of rededication ofPlymouth Church. This service was held on October 15,2000 to commemorate the 25th Anniversary of the current church building. Author and presenter Rex Sessions was a member of the original Building Committee of the new church building.

HERITAGE SUNDAY -PLYMOUTH CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH -136 YEARS YOUNG- THIS BUILDING, 25 YEARS OLD -AND WHAT A HERITAGE PL YMOUTH CHURCH HAS HAD IN LANSING. PLEASE LET ME REFLECT ON THAT THIS MORNING.

PL YMOUTH HAS ALWAYS BEEN A MAJOR PRESENCE IN THE SPIRITUAL AND CULTURAL LIFE OF LANSING, UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF MANY OUTSTANDING MINISTERS. THE FIRST MINISTER IN MY LIFE WAS DR. EDWIN W. BISHOP WHO BAPTIZED AND CONFIRMED ME AT PLYMOUTH. DR. BISHOP WAS MINISTER FOR 21 YEARS, FROM 1918 TO 1939. WE ARE HONORED THIS MORNING TO HAVE HIS GRANDDAUGHTER, MARY BISHOP ROBISON, SINGING WITH US IN OUR CHOIR. WHILE GROWING UP IN PLYMOUTH I REMEMBER DR. STAUFFACHER, THEN DR. ROBERT BARTLET, DR. CLAXTON, DR. PEIRCE, AND. OF COURSE, DR. BOB WILLIAMS.

DURING THIS PERIOD WE HAD MANY OUTSTANDING ASSISTANT , ASSOCIATE AND EDUCATIONAL MINISTERS. I REMEMBER GORDON SPEER FROM THE EARLY 30'S. IONE CATTON, LATER IN THE 30'S AND 40'S. YOU MAY REMEMBER THAT HER BROTHER WAS THE RENOWNED CIVIL WAR AUTHOR, BRUCE CATTON. LATER, DALE TURNER WAS AN OUTSTANDING SUCCESS WITH HIS SUNDAY EVENING PROGRAMS DRAWING YOUNG PEOPLE FROM MANY OTHER CHURCHES TO PLYMOUTH.

WE HAD THE OLDEST BOY AND GIRL SCOUT TROOPS IN LANSING. A DRAMA GROUP CALLED 'THE PLYMOUTH PLAYERS' STARTED IN THE 1940'S. WE EVEN HAD A COOPERATIVE DAY CARE NURSERY. THE REC ROOM DOWNSTAIRS WAS SO BUSY DAILY AFTER SCHOOL THAT AN MSU STUDENT WAS EMPLOYED TO DIRECT THE ACTIVITIES, WHICH INCLUDED 7 PING PONG TABLES AND 2 JUKE BOXES. DANCES WERE A WEEKLY ACTIVITY.

THROUGH ALL OF THIS, ONE OF PLYMOUTH'S MOST NOTABLE PROGRAMS WAS IT'S MUSIC MINISTRY. MY FIRST CONTACT WITH THIS PROGRAM WAS WITH OLIVE DOBSON HENKEL, WHOSE DAUGHTER JANE TABLER IS SINGING TODAY AND ONE OF THE PEOPLE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS CELEBRATION. NEXT CAME ROBERT MCGILL, WHO STARTED A CHOIR PROGRAM. THEN CAME THE MUSIC MINISTRY OF DR. RICHARD KLAUSLI AND HIS WIFE DOROTHY. HE WAS A DEDICATED MUSICIAN WHO BELIEVED THAT QUALITY MUSIC WAS A MUST TO PROMOTE THE RELIGIOUS FULFILLMENT OF AN OUTSTANDING CHURCH PROGRAM AND TO HELP EDUCATE ITS MEMBERS. UNDER THEIR LEADERSHIP WAS A CHANCEL CHOIR OF BETWEEN 65 AND 80 MEMBERS, A CAROL CHOIR COMPOSED OF JR. AND SR. HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS, A JUNIOR CHOIR, GRADE SCHOOL GIRLS CHOIR, AND A BOYS AND PROBATIONARY BOYS CHOIR. AT ONE TIME THIS TOTAL PROGRAM HAD 235 MEMBERS. DR. KLAUSLI SERVED THE CHURCH FOR 30 YEARS AND EARNED A PLACE IN THE HEARTS OF OUR CONGREGATION.

IN THE LANSING COMMUNITY, THE PARK SYSTEM WOULD NOT BE NEARLY WHAT IT IS WITHOUT THE DONATIONS OF J.H. MOORES (MOORES' PARK AND FRANCES PARK). MR. MOORES' OIL PORTRAIT HUNG IN THE HALL WAY OF THE OLD CHURCH PRIOR TO THE FIRE AND FRANCES MOORES' STEINWAY CONCERT GRAND PIANO GRACED THE SANCTUARY. MR.RAY POTTER (POTTER P ARK AND ZOO), MR. AND MRS. POTTER ALSO DONATED THE CHIMES TO THE .CHURCH THAT RANG OUT IN DOWNTOWN LANSING FROM THE 160 FOOT STEEPLE. OTHER PROPERTIES WERE GIVEN TO THE CITY BY MR.ROLLIE STEBBINS, WHOSE SON WIN IS SINGING IN THE CHOIR WITH US TODAY .WE SHOULD NOTE THAT THE STEBBINS' FAMILY HAS BEEN ACTIVE IN PLYMOUTH CHURCH SINCE ITS' FOUNDING. MR. EDWARD HACKER ALSO GRANTED PARK LAND TO THE CITY. HIS SON TED IS WITH US TODAY. AT ONE POINT IN TIME, WE HAD A BEAUTIFUL CABIN ON THE GRAND RIVER NEAR DIMONDALE CALLED "COOL- WOOD". IT W AS NAMED AFTER THE TWO FAMILIES WHO GAVE IT TO PLYMOUTH.

IN EDUCATION WE ALSO HAD MANY LEADERS. KARL MCDONEL WAS SECRETARY OF MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY. DWIGHT RICH WAS SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS IN LANSING, HIS DAUGHTERS, CAROLYN AND MARGARET ARE LONG TIME MEMBERS OF PL YMOUTH. OPAL LEWTON AND GRACE VANWERT BOTH HEADED THE PRIMARY SCHOOLING SYSTEM. MR. GLEN BURGETT WAS PRINCIPAL OF DWIGHT RICH JUNIOR HIGH AND MARVIN BEEKMAN WAS HEAD OF SPECIAL EDUCATION. SARAH JANE VENABLE WAS HEAD OF ART IN SCHOOLS, JUST TO MENTION A FEW.

THEN THERE IS POLITICS. MR. BILLIE FARNUM WAS OUR U.S. REPRESENTATIVE TO CONGRESS IN WASHINGTON, AS WELL AS MICHIGAN STATE AUDITOR GENERAL. MR. RALPH CREGO WAS LONGEST SERVING MAYOR IN LANSING HISTORY, HIS DAUGHTER JO CREGO HACKER IS WITH US HERE THIS MORNING.

INDUSTRIALISTS SHEROD SKINNER W AS GENERAL MANAGER OF OLDSMOBILE AND VICE PRESIDENT OF GENERAL MOTORS. THEN WE HAVE HARRY HARPER, PRESIDENT AND DRURY PORTER, TREASURER OF MOTOR WHEEL. MR. HOWARD LISLE SERVED AS GENERAL MANAGER OF JOHN BEAN DIVISION AND VICE PRESIDENT OF FMC, HIS DAUGHTER BETSY AND GRANDDAUGHTER JULIE SESSIONS AUSTIN ARE BOTH SINGING IN OUR CHOIR TODAY .THESE ARE JUST A FEW OF OUR LEADERS OF INDUSTRY. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO BELIEVE THAT MOST OF THESE INDUSTRIES, THAT HELPED BUILD THE CITY OF LANSING, ARE NO LONGER HERE.

IN THE LEGAL PROFESSION WE HAD THE FOSTERS, WALTER AND HIS SON RICHARD, MR.CLAY CAMPBELL AND HIS SON GEORGE, WHO IS ALSO AN ATTORNEY AND ONE OF TODAY'S CHOIR MEMBERS, MR. DAVID BISHOP, CHARLES MACLEAN , JUDGE MICHAEL HARRISON TO MENTION A FEW. WE HAD MANY OUTSTANDING MEMBERS OF THE MEDICAL PROFESSION. THERE ARE SO MANY OTHER CATEGORIES OF OUTSTANDING COMMUNITY LEADERS FROM PL YMOUTH, BUT WITH LIMITED TIME WE MUST MOVE ALONG AS I HAVE BEEN ASKED TO DISCUSS THE CONSTRUCTION OF THIS BUILDING AND ITS' ART COLLECTION.

IN 1969, A COMMITTEE OF 7 WAS NAMED TO STUDY THE PHYSICAL NEEDS OF THE CHURCH AND TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO THE CONGREGATION. THE COMMITTEE DID RECOMMEND AN EDUCATJON I ADMINISTRATION WING BE ADDED TO THE CHURCH. CONSTRUCTION BEGAN IN JANUARY 1971, HOWEVER, THE TRAGIC FIRE OF FEBRUARY 25 ENDED THAT CONSTRUCTION. THE 7 MEMBERS CONSISTING OF RALPH SEELEY AS CHAIRMAN, PAULINE BEEKMAN, DALE GRANGER, CHARLOTTE ROE, OLAF STOCKSTEAD, HOWARD WHELAN AND MYSELF, WERE ASKED BY EARL CRUTHIS, MODERATOR, TO CONTINUE AS THE BUILDING COMMITTEE FOR THE NEW CHURCH.

OUR FIRST TASK WAS TO SELECT AN ARCHITECT. THE SEARCH LASTED SEVERAL WEEKS AS MANY ARCHITECTS DID RATHER ELABORATE PRESENTATIONS. OUR WEEKENDS WERE SPENT GOING TO VARIOUS CHURCHES IN MICHIGAN, AS WELL AS SOME OUT-OF-STATE, TO SEE THE RESULTS OF THEIR EFFORTS. BECAUSE WE FELT THAT WE COULD ONL Y AFFORD A CONTEMPORARY BUILDING, ALDEN DOW OF MIDLAND, ONE OF OUR LEADING CONTEMPORARY ARCHITECTS WAS SELECTED. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS, AND THE LAND EXCHANGE WITH THE STATE OF MICHIGAN, THE CENTRUM PLAN WAS SELECTED. WITH THIS PLAN WE STARTED WITH THE VERY CENTER OF THE

BUILDING AND THAT WAS THE ALTAR. THE ALTAR IS OF MARBLE, SELECTED BECAUSE OF ITS' PERMANENCE AND BEAUTY. THE PLATFORM HOLDING THE ALTAR IS PORTABLE BUT HAS NEVER BEEN MOVED AND I DOUBT THAT IT EVER WILL. THE ALTAR DESIGN IS VERY OLD, A MEDIEVAL CONCEPT, TOGETHER WITH THE ALTAR CLOTHS SUGGESTS THE TOMB OF CHRIST. THE FOUR CLOTHS REPRESENT THE FOUR SEASONS OF THE CHURCH CALENDAR.

COMING FROM A NEO-GOTHIC TRADITIONAL BUILDING, WE TRIED TO BRING IN SOME THINGS THAT MIGHT MAKE THE TRANSITION EASIER. FIRST, THE OLD CHURCH WAS A LANDMARK ON THE SKYLINE OF DOWNTOWN LANSING WITH ITS STEEPLE. THUS, WE ADDED THE STEEPLE TO OUR REQUEST FROM THE ARCHITECT. THE FORMER SANCTUARY COULD SEAT 1,200 PEOPLE. OUR NEEDS WERE NOT TO SEAT THAT MANY PEOPLE IN THE NEW CHURCH, WE SETTLED ON 800. GLEN BURGETT ARRANGED FOR US TO MEET HIM IN THE GYMNASIUM OF DWIGHT RICH JUNIOR HIGH TO ESTABLISH THE SIZE OF THE CENTRUM. AFTER TRYING MANY MEASUREMENTS, WE SETTLED ON 100 FEET SQUARE. THE HEIGHT OF THE CEILING IN THE OLD CHURCH WAS 45 FEET. .. OUR NEW CEILING HEIGHT IS 45 FEET .

THE FIRST PIECE OF NEW ART WAS GIVEN TO THE CHURCH WHILE WE WERE MAKING OUR PLANS. IT IS THE BEATIFUL JAPANESE SILK SCREEN, ENTITLED 'KIN BYOBU' CURRENTLY DISPLAYED IN THE PARLOR. IT W AS PRESENTED TO PL YMOUTH BY THE ISHIBASHI CHRISTIAN CHURCH OF ISHIBASHI, JAPAN. THIS WAS THE FORMER CHURCH OF OUR CHOIR MEMBER TOMIKO CARLSON. THE REASON FOR THIS GIFT WAS THAT THE YEAR BEFORE, AFTER THEY HAD BUILT A NEW CHURCH, PLYMOUTH MEMBERS FURNISHED A LIBRARY FOR THEIR CHURCH.

ONE OF THE FEW THINGS THAT DID NOT BURN IN THE FIRE WAS THE CROSS THAT THE CRUCIFER CARRIED. BECAUSE OF ITS' BEAUTY AND TRADITIONAL FEELING, WE FELT THAT THIS DESIGN SHOULD BE THE CENTER OF THE NEW BUILDING AND ALTAR. AMONG COMPANIES WE CONSIDERED TO MAKE THIS AND OTHER ALTAR PIECES IS A COMPANY IN RYE, NEW YORK, C.S. ALMY .THE ALMY COMPANY IS ONE OF AMERICA'S LEADING SUPPLIERS OF RELIGIOUS ARTIFACTS. WE GAVE THEM THE REQUIRED DIMENSIONS, TOGETHER WITH A PICTURE OF THE CROSS. THE NEW CROSS WAS TO BE 42 INCHES HIGH, IMMEDIATELY THEY SAID THAT WAS TOO HIGH, THEY ADVISED THAT THE ONLY OTHER ONE THAT THEY HAD SUPPLIED CLOSE TO THAT SIZE WAS FOR A CATHEDRAL IN HOUSTON,TEXAS. BUT, WE GOT WHAT WE WANTED, THIS BEAUTIFUL CROSS.

ALMY HAS A STUDIO IN MADRID, SPAIN THAT WORKS WITH PRECIOUS AND SEMI-PRECIOUS METALS. THE CROSS AND THE TWO CANDELABRAS, AS WELL AS THE STAND HOLDING THE BIBLE WERE ALL HAND-MADE, AN ORIGINAL ONE-OF-A-KIND DESIGN, FOR PLYMOUTH CHURCH. THE BAPTISMAL BOWL IS A BRASS REVERE BOWL THAT WE FELT TIED INTO OUR CONGREGATIONAL HERITAGE.

WE HAD QUITE A DISCUSSION ON THE PLACEMENT OF FLOWERS AT THE ALTAR. MANY FELT THAT THIS WAS NOT NECESSARY, BUT THE ALTAR GUILD AND MANY OTHERS, LIKED THE TRADITION AND ENJOYED THEIR BEAUTY. RATHER THAN USE SOME FLOWER STANDS THAT COULD BE PURCHASED FROM A CATALOG, WE CAME UP WITH THE MULTI-PURPOSE UNITS THAT WE HAVE TODAY .THEY CONSIST OF A BASE, ONE SMALL COLUMN THAT CAN BE INSERTED IN THE BASE, ONE TALL COLUMN THAT CAN BE INTERCHANGED, AND A BOBESCHE THAT IS THE SAME DESIGN AS THE COMPANION ALTARPIECES. THIS CAN HOLD ONE OF THE FLOWER CONTAINERS, BUT ALSO HAS A CANDLE , HOLDER THAT CAN BE SCREWED INTO THE BOBESCHE, SUCH AS WE DO FOR CHRISTMAS EVE, EASTER, FUNERALS, AND SPECIAL OCCASIONS LIKE TODAY . THEY ARE ALSO ONE OF A KIND AND WERE COMMISSIONED AND MADE BY THE ALMY STUDIOS IN MADRID.

THE LIGHT ABOVE THE ALTAR IS AN ETERNAL LIGHT AND WAS DESIGNED BY THE MAN WHO HELPED WITH THE INTERIOR DECORATION, LEONARD MELTZE. IT WAS MEANT AS A SORT OF CROWN FOR THE ALTAR AND W AS MADE BY A COMPANY IN CHARLOTTE.

THE CROSS ON THE PULPIT W AS A GIFT TO PLYMOUTH WHILE WE WERE STILL PLANNING THE BUILDING. IT IS A HAND CARVED CELTIC CROSS MADE AND GIVEN BY REVEREND BILL HILL OF ST. PAUL 'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN LANSING. IT'S MADE FROM SOME OF THE BLACK WALNUT FROM THE OLD CHURCH WHICH WAS NOT BURNED IN THE FIRE.

THE STAINED GLASS ALSO HAS A PARTICULAR SIGNIFICANCE. YOU WILL REMEMBER THE BEAUTIFUL STAINED GLASS WINDOWS IN THE SANCTUARY AND CHAPEL OF THE OLD CHURCH. WE WANTED TO BRING THAT SAME WARMTH AND FEELING TO THE NEW EDIFICE. THE ORIGINAL STAINED GLASS FOR THIS BUILDING CONSISTED ONL Y OF THE STEEPLE AND THE CHOIR ROOM ENTRY.

EARLY IN OUR OCCUPATION OF THE BUILDING IT WAS NOTED THAT WITH PEOPLE MOVING AROUND THE CENTRUM DURING SUNDAY SERVICES IT WAS RATHER DISTRACTING. MR. JIM HOPFENSPERGER, THE STAINED GLASS ARTIST FROM MIDLAND, WHO HAD DESIGNED AND CONSTRUCTED THE FIRST TWO PIECES, WAS CONTACTED AND GAVE DESIGNS FOR THE MAIN CENTRUM ENTRANCE AND THE WEST ENTRANCE TO THE CENTRUM. THE STAINED GLASS IS OBVIOUSLY OF A CONTEMPORARY DESIGN AND THE GLASS PIECES ARE ONE AND ONE QUARTER INCHES THICK. THE COLORS REPRESENT HONESTY, SERENITY, PURITY. THE RED COLOR REPRESENTS VITALITY , BLOOD, FIRE. ALL OF THESE ARE IN A VERTICAL DESIGN POINTING UPW ARDS TO GOD. IT IS INTERESTING THAT AS THE DESIGNS AND PRICES WERE FINALIZED FOR INSTALLATION OF THIS GLASS, THE COMMITTEE ANNOUNCED THEY WOULD RECEIVE COMMITMENTS FROM MEMBERS WHICH WOULD SERVE AS MEMORIALS IF ANYONE DESIRED. THAT WAS SUNDAY MORNING AND BY 4:00 P .M. THAT SAME DAY ALL OF THE STAINED GLASS HAD BEEN COMMITTED.

THE LAST OF THE ART PIECES IN THE CENTRUM ARE THE SIX MOSAICS. THEY WERE TAKEN FROM BISHOP CHAPEL IN THE OLD CHURCH. THE NAME BISHOP CHAPEL WAS HONORING DR. BISHOP. THE MOSAICS WERE STORED FOR SEVERAL YEARS IN DAVE AND MARIE DEVRIES' BARN. ORIGINALLY THERE WERE THREE MOSAICS. THE REASON FOR THE MOSAICS IN BISHOP CHAPEL WAS THAT THE CHAPEL WAS TWO STORIES HIGH AND HAD STAINED GLASS WINDOWS ON THE TOWNSEND STREET SIDE. RATHER THAN LIGHT STAINED GLASS ON THE INSIDE OF THE BUILDING, FOR IF YOU DO THIS IT HAS A VERY ARTIFICIAL LOOK THE MOSAICS WERE CHOSEN. THEY WERE MADE IN ITALY AND HUNG IN THE CHAPEL IN DECEMBER 1949. THEY ARE EXTREMELY HEAVY BECAUSE THEY ARE MOUNTED IN PLASTER. IN REMOVING THEM FROM THE DEBRIS, THEY WERE SERIOUSLY DAMAGED. WE STILL W ANTED TO USE THEM

AS EVEN IN THAT SAD STATE THE VALUE W AS SAID TO BE ABOUT 25 THOUSAND DOLLARS. MR. BERNARD SNOYER, WHOSE FIRM IS LOCATED IN GRAND RAPIDS, W AS CONTRACTED TO RESTORE THE MOSAICS. MR. MELVIN AUKMAN WAS THE ARTISAN WHO ACTUALLY DID THE RESTORATION. BECAUSE OF SPACE LIMITATIONS, THE THREE PANELS WERE DIVIDED IN HALF MAKING THE TOTAL SIX. THE FIGURES REPRESENT WOMEN OF THE BIBLE. ORIGINALLY , THE DESIGN FOR THE THREE PANELS HAD A RED BORDER OF TILES. HOWEVER, WHEN THE MOSAICS ARRIVED BACK IN 1949 THERE WAS A MISCALCULATION IN ALLOWING SPACE. THEREFORE, THERE W AS NOT ENOUGH ROOM TO INSTALL THE RED BORDER. IN WORKING WITH THE ARTISAN DURING THE RESTORATION, WE FELT THAT THE RED BORDER DID INDEED GIVE MORE LIFE TO THE WORKS AND DECIDED ON THE OAK FRAMES IN THE FORM OF THE GOTHIC ARCHES AS YOU SEE THEM TODA Y. AN ADDITIONAL PIECE, USED FOR WEDDINGS AND CONFIRMATIONS, ARE A PAIR OF NEEDLEPOINT CUSHIONS USED AS A KNEELING BENCH AT THE ALTAR. THESE WERE MADE AND GIVEN BY MRS. FRED TREBILCOCK. TO MY KNOWLEDGE THAT IS THE STORY OF THE ARTIFACTS OF THE CENTRUM.

MOVING ON TO THE NARTHEX. THE WOOD SCULPTURE 'THE GOOD SHEPHERD' WAS GIVEN IN MEMORY OF DR. JOHN CLAXTON OUR FORMER MINISTER, AND WAS CREATED BY FATHER BOHDAN KOSICKI OF DETROIT WHO ALSO DID THE 'PETER AND PAUL ' WOOD SCULPTURE ON COMMISSION SEVERAL YEARS LATER. THERE IS A WOODEN PIECE IN THE OVERHANG IN THE NARTHEX THAT WAS THE RAREDOSE THAT HUNG ABOVE THE ALTAR IN BISHOP CHAPEL. THE DEDICATORY PLAQUE, ALSO IN THE NARTHEX, IS MY WORK OF ART. BEING THE TRADITIONALIST ON THE COMMITTEE, RALPH SEELEY SAID 'REX WRITE WHAT SHOULD BE ON THE PLAQUE'. MY EFFORT IS THERE FOR ALL TO SEE.

IN THE PARLOR ARE SEVERAL INTERESTING PIECES OF ART. AMONG THEM A TAPESTRY ENTITLED 'SINGING ANGEL WITH LUTE', GIVEN BY CANDACE THOMAN IN MEMORY OF BART THOMAN. THE MARGO EVANS WATERCOLOR ENTITLED 'RELIGIOUS EDIFICES' WAS GIVEN BY DR SHAW'S DAUGHTER.

ON THE STAIRWAY LEADING DOWN TO THE YOUTH ROOMS IS ANOTHER WOOD SCULPTURE ENTITLED 'NOAH'S ARK', BY LOCAL ARTIST DOUG MCNITT AND COMMISSIONED BY THE WOMEN'S FELLOWSillP . IN WILLIAMS' FELLOWSHIP HALL, THERE ARE THREE METAL SCULPTURES REPRESENTING 'THE MARRIAGE AT CAANAN', BY FATHER KOSlKI AND COMMISSIONED BY THE WOMEN'S FELLOWSillP. FINALL Y , A LARGE F ABRIC WALL HANGING CALLED 'WOMEN OF THE BIBLE' BY NAN STACKHOUSE. TillS PIECE, FORMERLY HUNG IN THE PARLOR, WAS MOVED TO THE SOUTH LOUNGE AND COMMISIONED BY NONE OTHER THAN THE WOMEN'S FELLOWSHIP .

THERE ARE A FEW MORE PIECES THAT HA VE BEEN ADDED, BUT MY TIME IS UP .IT HAS BEEN A GREAT PLEASURE FOR ME TO REMINISCE WITH YOU THIS MORNING. HERE'S TO PLYMOUTH, LONG MAY SHE SERVE.