After some much needed rain in the morning, the afternoon skies over South Windham cleared and the sun smiled upon the 200th anniversary celebration at the old brick meetinghouse. As befitting an old fashioned church picnic, those in attendance enjoyed a dinner of roast pork & turkey, baked beans, corn on the cob, biscuits, cornbread, homemade applesauce and of course, plenty of apple pie & homemade ice cream for dessert. The children participated in sack races, three-legged races, and other games from years gone by.
In the front of the sanctuary, Sunday School lesson posters from the 1880’s hung on the walls, and the tables displayed a collection of items reminding us of the people who worshipped the Lord here over the last two centuries. The slideshow of old photos from the village was especially popular, as modern technology allowed us to zoom in on details that are sometimes lost in a small picture.
On Sunday morning following the picnic, Pastor Griffin’s message reminded us of the lessons God has for us today as we look back to the founding of the Baptist Church in Windham in 1807. As the text from Psalm 89 says, “I will sing of the mercies of the LORD for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.” Sunday night we were able to learn “new” songs from the 1843 hymnals found in the rafters of the church, helping us to connect with generations past.
The View from Windham Hill 