Oh My Dear Brothers and Sisters!
We have got it all wrong.
I came to the conclusion last Sunday while visiting a sacrament meeting at Medallion Manor, a facility for residents with mental and physical disabilities. Medallion Manor is located in my stake’s boundaries, and a couple times a year our ward gets the enjoyable opportunity to provide sacrament meeting for the residents and caretakers. Last Sunday I accompanied the laurels and the priests on this visit. This is my report:
I enter in the multi-purpose room, honey-colored wood floors and a wall of windows to the south. Having been in a somewhat somber mood this morning, my emotions are spritzed (if you will) with dozens of hands inviting my handshake.
“Good morning to you!” says the man with red suspenders.
“Good morning!” says the woman in the green dress with pink flowers.
“It’s nice to see you here!” says the man with a walker.
It feels so bedarned good that I can’t stop. I walk around the sunny lit room looking for more hands to shake.
“Good morning! Cute shoes!” I say to the lady with brown sandals. She responds by showing me where her ankle had been brusied.
“Oh no!” I respond with sincere sympathy, something which I haven’t felt in awhile.
Could I do this at my ward back home? Arrive to sacrament meeting early just to shake hands?
“How are you Sister Bills? I heard you took a tumble last week. Can I see your bruised shin?”
or
“Hello Sister Rodgers, can I come visiting teaching this Wednesday, say 4:30?”
or
“Brother Greensill, sharp tie!”
When I am done shaking hands with as many who want to give physical contact, I take a seat next to my laurels in the front of the room. Immediately Kevin sits next to me.
“Hi” he whispers very shyly.
“Love your tie!” I whisper back.
“Me too, and I am Kevin.”
Another lovely handshake.
Do I greet newcomers with the same enthusiasm? By the time I get around to welcoming the newest members of our ward they usually have a Primary calling, hosted a block party and paid tithing at least three times.
Brother Houghton gets up to conduct.
“Friends of Medallion Manor, we love you…” he starts.
“WE LOVE YOU TOO!” shouts a young woman from the back.
“Yeah we love you too!” cheers from others around the room.
I imagine our bishop at the podium.
“Good morning Brothers and Sisters!”
“WE LOVE YOU BISHOP!” says a single-sister from the side.
“Yeah we love you Bishop, you’re a great guy” sings the choirester, waving her white baton.
Anne starts to play “Count Your Blessings” and because hymn books are sparse (and as I find out, unnecessary) we all start to sing. Most of the residents don’t read, but they do know the tune, so words are optional. You can sing along, or hum, or la-la-la with the melody. I had forgotten the second verse, but who cares? I let my voice undulate with the tune, until we hit the chorus.
Count your blessings
Name them one by one.
Count your blessings.
See what God hath done.
When the opening prayer is done I notice a rousing “amen!”, which is something our stake presidency has been counseling us to do in meetings. Verbal amens. More verbal amens!
During the sacrament meeting I watch the priests and leaders help the residents get the sacrament from the tray into mouths. It is very sweet, very touching. I think about Sister Miners whose husband is often out of town, holding the sacrament tray with four bouncing children struggling like a mother bird with a juicy worm and eager mouths to partake. Could a deacon help her feed like these priests were doing now?
Talks at Medallion Manor are short. Two minutes. And we are lucky to hear from Brother McGraw, the director, who comes forward saying that he wants to talk about some of the struggles residents had that week. He tells the story of Jesus coming to the Americas and pauses after explaining how the people saw a bright light coming out of heaven.
“Je-sus!” says the man on the front row, awe-toned.
“That is right, Jesus.” Brother McGraw confirms.
He continues the story until he tells of Jesus talking about baptism.
“There will be no disputations amongst you.” quoted Brother McGraw. “We’ve had some arguments this week haven’t we?” Some of the residents are nodding their heads in confession. “Jesus told us not to dispute against each other, which means to fight or argue.”
Though Brother McGraw is being diplomatic he’s also quite bold.
“Brother Aggers, you need to forgive Sister Bidnell for leaving her trash can out on the street for a couple days after pick-up. In fact, why don’t you just wheel it back for her yourself?” I imagine our bishop powerful at the pulpit.
“And you Sister Kendrick, need to stop taking offense.” He’s pointing at me with his forehead.
I, myself nod in confession.
I give the closing prayer. I don’t get sweaty palms like I do when I climb the stairs at the closing of the hymn in church. I pour out my heart and in return get another fine “amen” from a room full of new friends.
Then it is hugging time.
I stand like a bride at a reception and hug residents, one after another, who come up to thank us for spending the morning in their presence. One man with a gray sweater takes an obsession with my car remote buttons.
“Beep! Beep!” he says as he presses the orange alarm button.
I think about how rushed I am after sacrament in my own ward. What if I took the time to thank?
“Great talk. Love the doctrine Brother Powers!” I approach the stand to greet the meeting’s participants.
“Get over here and let me plant a hug on you!” I threaten the ward choir director. “How did you know that Master the Tempest is Raging is one of my favorites? The Billows are tossing nigh!” I sing along.
I don’t want to leave this Medallion Manor meeting. It’s been a little Primary, mixed with subtle Therapy, and just a touch of Baptist. But it’s time to get back to our own ward.
Kevin walks us out the front gate.
“And…come again!” He says, waving us off.
“And…come again!” I wave to the young women while they leave their respective classrooms.
And one more hug for the newest little beehive.
The Medalion Manor has always been a great place to visit and share a sacrament meeting with. I grew up in the First Ward with Lo Down and got to go quite often as a youth. Imagine to my surprise when I found myself in the Eighth Ward some 10 years later, being a young mens leader and going back to the Medalion Manor. They still had some of the same residents. Too often “special” is used with a negative connotation with these fine folks.
I love going to the Madallion Manor! The first time I went I thought I’d be going to perform some type of service but I left feeling like the recipient of service not the giver. I agree that we have lost that sense of love and concern in our ward. I feel like I have to rush to take Emma to nursery and get to Primary as if things will fall apart if I stop to talk to someone. It’s stupid! We could learn alot from those wonderful people at Medallion Manor!
You know this makes me think that it would be nice to have 10 min. inbetween each meeting to be able to visit or say hello and stop for a moment with out worrying that bringing your child late to Primary is going to be disruptive. I wouldn’t feel like I have to hurry everyone to their places- and if I stopped to say hello I would be stuck in the back of Sunday School- cause maybe there would be more that would take the time. That’s just a very interesting thought…
Oh, I love this post. I think we are meetinged out of being Christians sometimes. Thank you.
Amen!!
CJane-Thank you. I love this post. It’s the heart of the gospel. I especially love the image of you nodding your own head in response to the bishop/director’s gentle chastisement. I thought, “Me too.” Thanks for passing that on.
This reminds me of the talk from someone in the general RS presidency at the last General RS conference (I know the details I can remember are mind-boggling right?) talking about the sister that was new in the ward and how everyone was sitting with a couple of chairs between them until one sister just plopped herself right down and put her arm around her and said she was happy she was there. I loved that. And that same talk she mentioned being willing to stop to talk to sister so-and-so in the foyer, even though you know she will talk long. That one totally hit home as I thought about how I rush past the foyer after church sometimes when I see someone overly conversational there as I’m hoping to get my kids home, and fed, and down for a nap. I’m trying to repent and do better and be more like Medallion Manor. Thanks for the great post Court.
I.Love.This.Post.
I love the simple…I love you, you love me, we’re here together to make it all work out and help each other get back home.
We have much to learn from these spiritual giants!
You are right, this is as it should be. Thank you for the reminder.
gosh dang you. tears again.
Medallion Manor is in my ward, and a large percentage of our ward members work there. \Occassionally we’re blessed to have the residents attend our meetings. Did you meet Kincade? You undoubtedly did. My husband and I have known Kincade since before we were married.
And…amen.
I have never been to Medallion Manor myself but it sounds like a wonderful way to spend a Sunday. Great post CJ
c jane, beautiful. The Gospel at its most gorgeous essence! How easy it is to forget that…thank you.
Amen! to another one of your fabulous Segullah posts and Amen! to verbal Amen!s
I think we need a little more Gospel in our hymns, too. I want some rhythm and some happy over our good news. Truly I do!
May I join the chorus of, “Amen!”
Nicely written.
lovely…lovely… you are absolutely right.
In response to Amber’s comment (#3), I thought we did have 10 minutes scheduled between classes but all our meetings run over time. Am I wrong about this? Anyway, it would be great to get those 10 minutes back.
I also love other churches where the minister/preacher stands at the door and shakes hands with everyone on their way out.
Great post, Courtney! And Amen on all counts!
Hurrah for non-homogenous wards that cover a broader swath of town that three square blocks. We’ve got some amen-ers and a few how-the-gospel-relates-to-smoking members out here, along with the white-shirt-only-whether-you’re-passing-the-sacrament-or-not crowd, and it makes for beautiful (if sometimes nerve racking) testimony meetings.
A little boisterous sincerity in church is almost as good as a little cleavage (loved the modesty post as well, by the by — wish I had some to show off.)
Now I’ve never heard of this place, but I used to work in a nursing home in Ohio and this reminds me of everything I loved about the job…
Yikes! It’s my ward’s turn this month to do the sacrament meeting at a similar place. I forgot to sign up! I love to play the piano for them. Thanks for the reminder.
Question for you… Do you happen to know where I can get choral music for my choir that are arrangements of the pieces the Mormon Tabernacle Choir sings?
Is there a website that keeps track of the songs they sing?
I’ve only been able to find Jackman Music and Jackman Music Express that carries arrangements that they have sung. Do you know of any other sites?
Thanks,
Richard
Our Stake Choir director called Bro. Wilberg several times to find out if arrangements had been published. He was very nice. There were a couple that had not been published, but that he allowed our stake to use anyway.
Having said that, I don’t know if he wants to start a precedent. But if there’s some piece you really feel inspired to use, you might try contacting someone with the choir itself.