Oh the difference a day makes!

The view from the Third Church balconies changed drammatically this morning as trucks pulled in the parking lot and workers off-loaded the pews for our sanctuary. A complete single-seat pew stands near the middle of this picture.

Wood workers have installed and stained the choir risers, and are beginning work on the wainscotting. After the many months of demolition and structural reconstruction, the finishing details are now beginning to take shape.

I can almost hear the refrains of carols and songs, resounding from the rafters... and am excited that we are--step by step--making our way home toward that first Sunday back in our central worship space.

Can you pick out your pew from here?

Limestone and beams, loud building workers*

Things are coming along! The limestone and marble are going in on the sanctuary steps: And as for beams, oh, do we have beams! Yesterday as we emerged from Wednesday morning prayers in the chapel, we got the treat of seeing the framework of what will be the top of the cloister being lowered into place: *from the Hymn, "Earth and All Stars" copyright 1968, Augsburg Publishing House

Sanctuary tile is going in!

Check out some pictures that Chris Lenti and I took this morning of the new tile floor going into the sanctuary! Here is a close-up of the tile--it is more reddish than it looks in the picture--more terra cotta than orange. and here is the tile starting to fill in the floor of the sanctuary. . . The big "greenish" platform in the middle of the chancel floor is the new organ lift--how cool is that?!?!?!

Progressing. . .

Nothing says "progress" like a crane looming large over your building! Thanks to Finance Assistant Lisa Cramer for snapping this image on her cell phone on the way into work this morning!

Fling wide the sanctuary doors!

For the past few months, the doors at the Meigs Street side of the sanctuary have not only been closed and locked, they have actually had chain wrapped through the handles. This was due to the fact that on the other side of those doors was a drop down to the basement! Well, today, for the first time, I came in to see the doors wide open, and the buttery glow of fresh laid plywood beckoned me in, so up I went to get my hard hat and the camera from Jane's desk, and here are the results, enjoy taking a peek--it is actually starting to really look like something, and you can begin to imagine what the chancel will now look like!

They're starting the cloister!!

They're starting construction on the cloister that will connect the chapel to the sanctuary--check it out!!

Chancel progress. . .

Peter DuBois snapped these photos of chancel progress yesterday. . .