Even Church Steeples Need Anchors

A beautiful white steeple went up in Denver last weekend!

But we didn't just set it up there on the church roof and say, "Wheee! Done!"
What a lot of work went into getting that steeple up!
First we had to apply for permission from the local building department, because anything over a certain height has to be approved by the local building department.
We had to drive all the way to Texas to purchase and bring back the steeple. It had to be stored somewhere till it could be put up.

Jonathan had to contact an engineer, go into the engineer's office when he wouldn't return phone calls, set up an appointment to meet the engineer clear up in Denver inside the attic of the church a couple weeks ago, and then drive all the way up there to meet in the church attic.

Then Jonathan had to draw up the plans with all the details of how the steeple was going to be anchored, take it to the engineer, change certain details, get it approved and stamped.
Then that plan had to be submitted to the Building Dept by fax, and finally Pastor Walker could pick up the permit last week.
Finally, finally, finally we could take the steeple up to Denver, having made arrangements for several young men to be there to get the steeple up on the roof.

It was an exciting day.
Having a steeple up there on the roof was definitely going to make this building look more like a church!

I was the one who pulled the tape and red flag off the end and scrubbed off the dirt and fly specks that had accumulated over the last couple months while it sat out by our driveway. I was happy to do that and let the men carry that thing up on the roof!

While Jonathan figures out everything about bolts, fitting, measuring, etc, the men help lug junk that has collected over many years from the back church yard to load in our trailer that we'd hauled the steeple in. Samuel, Timmy, Hannah and I lugged load after load of stuff from the church attic storage room which had become a sort of catch-all and which the Walkers wanted to clear out. 

 Finally the steeple and ladders are ready.

So here they are starting to lift the steeple.

 Pastor Gutierrez, from the Lakewood Bible Missionary Church, had come to help. (He hopes to get a steeple on their church roof next year!) He is hauling up the heavy end of the steeple with Timmy in the middle and Jonathan at the other end,

 while Justin Stanton, Pastor Walker, and Samuel Morley reach to grab it as soon as it is up the ladders.

Up, up, up!

I had to get a picture from the other side of the parsonage yard, with the yellow leaves framing the scene.

The men took off their hats as Pastor Walker offered a prayer of dedication, and then Justin and Pastor Gutierrez left for their homes.

Jonathan had told me he thought this job would be done by noon.

Ha ha. Hee hee. Ho ho. 

We weren't out of there till nearly 5:30!

Measurements ended up being off, and there was an awful lot of work to do to anchor that steeple in the trusses and/or beams of the church attic.

It was beastly hot in there, despite the cool air outside. The boys and Jonathan came out with their shirts soaked in sweat.

But that steeple would blow over in no time at the first gale of wind that came along 

if it had not been firmly and securely anchored in the beams of the church attic.

On his knees, Jonathan climbs inside the steeple to get the bolts in place.

And on our knees we get into the Bible to learn what God has to say
so that our beliefs are firm and will not blow over at the first gale of questions, doubts, mockery and disagreements of others.

"The church is going to blow away before that steeple comes down!" Jonathan declared.

"Have a care where there is more sail than ballast." William Penn wrote, a quote in Fruits of Solitude.
Lord, teach us to so anchor our faith in Your Word and in Your Son Jesus Christ

that no stormy wind shall ever cause it to waver!