Our annual campaign theme is 200 Years of Blessings: Imagine What Comes Next. Over the next few weeks, members of the Stewardship Committee will share some blessings they have experienced.
Dan Goley, Stewardship Committee chair
We have all been blessed in so many ways by being a member of First Presbyterian Church. I would like to share with you one of my favorites.
On July 24, 2019, my daughter, Rachel, and her-now husband Kegan were to be married in our sanctuary. On Friday night, we arrived for the rehearsal and noticed that it was a little warm — approximately 80 degrees. Dolly Jacobs, who was conducting the marriage, told us that Brady Trane was dealing with the problem and everything would be OK. We had a successful rehearsal and a very nice dinner afterwards and were looking forward to the wedding ceremony on Saturday.
At 10 o’clock on Saturday morning we received a phone call from Dolly letting us know that Brady Trane had not been able to repair the air conditioning and did not know if it would be ready before the wedding at 5 that afternoon. Dolly then said, “Let me see what I can do.” Within 30 minutes she called back, saying she had gained access to Temple Emanuel across Greene Street and to the sanctuary at Holy Trinity for the wedding to be held at either of those locations.
One of my favorite expressions is dig your well before you’re thirsty. Dolly had obviously created relationships with these two fine institutions over the years to be able to get a yes response that quickly on a Saturday morning.
It was 96 degrees outside at this point. We presented these options to Rachel, and she gave it thought for about 30 minutes before getting back to us saying, “I don’t want to get married at Holy Trinity and I prefer not to get married in the Temple.” I looked back at her and said, “We’re gonna sweat.”
We let Dolly know Rachel’s decision. Dolly then made arrangements for the wedding guests to gather in the Life Center and then enter the sanctuary, all at 5 o’clock to limit the amount of time that we were going to be in the heat. Then shortly before 2 o’clock and perhaps, with a little divine intervention, Dolly called us back and said Brady Trane had fixed the air conditioning.
We arrived around four for the wedding ceremony, and while the sanctuary was not as cool as we would like for it to have been, it was down from 87 to an acceptable 77 degrees. Dolly then created a beautiful wedding ceremony, and thanks to her efforts it was one of the greatest days in the life of the Goley family.
God bless Dolly Jacobs.
Commitment Sunday is October 27.
