By Kathy Pfeiffer
Late last summer, when my family gathered to celebrate my father’s 90th birthday, our talk quickly moved into recollections of the past. Who remembers the blizzard of 1978 when we lost power for so long that mom had to heat canned stew in a cast-iron pot over the fireplace? We recalled the summer thunderstorm when lightning struck our linden tree, crashing it into the house with such force that Grandma’s birthday cake was toppled over in the refrigerator. Our storytelling wove a spell around us, unlocking treasures we’d forgotten about: the summer at Bar Harbor, Grandpa’s cigars, the puppy who ran away. Urged into specificity by the curiosity of our children and grandchildren, my siblings and parents, and I delighted in the shared memories that unfurled before us. It was a magical and blessed afternoon filled with the grace of our deep shared history.
We, members of the Centennial History Committee, would like to help bring you into a similar exploration of history, remembrance, and grace as we invite you to document and share your memories of Christ Church Cranbrook with us. We envision a church history that includes your voices and stories, alongside the documentary account of Church growth, expansion, and evolution. We have created a simple form with lots of space where you can write as much or as little as you choose to share, and we’ve offered some kindling questions to help prompt your recollections. Our questions are, of course, just suggestions, and we gratefully welcome all church-related memories, documents, photographs, and home movies you’d be willing to entrust to us. Perhaps your family will use an Easter gathering as an opportunity to spark each other’s memories like my family did last summer? Or you may prefer to collect your thoughts in solitary contemplation. As time and resources permit, we expect to follow up on your written submissions by inviting you into further individual conversation so that we can explore your story in clearer detail.
Our history will focus on “God in Action” across the years, and we believe that God will be present in each family’s storytelling. Throughout this ongoing process, we see God in Action in so many ways, bringing our communal memories and histories into a deeper understanding of our Church.
Do you have a story to share? Submit it here: ccc-info.org/centennialstory
The Centennial History Committee provides editorial and managerial oversight for the researching, writing, publishing, and distribution of the Centennial History of Christ Church Cranbrook to celebrate the 100th year anniversary of the parish.