Calvin Presbyterian Church: Words for the Heart

Advent, 1989

What brought you to the window sill

Outside the sanctuary wall?

Was it the radiant colors of the stained-glass window panes

Reflecting in the sun, or inward light,

That lured you here?

Did you desert your feathered friends

Or were you weary from your flight,

And spotting nearby shelter from the cold November winds

Dropped down to rest, and linger for a while,

And chose to stay?

You nestled on that narrow ledge

Above the barren, frozen ground,

And found a quiet haven, underneath protecting eaves

Where a long dove might pause to rest a bit..

And call it home.

Perhaps the tiny stained-glass crèche

Proclaimed aloft the Advent news,

Or, as we joined in song and praise in joyful preparation

We welcomed you.

We see your coming as a sign

At this glad season of the year,

Of prophecy fulfilled, of hope renewed, of peace on earth,

When God sent Christ on Christmas Day

And love was born

Jane Wiseman

1989

Epilogue:

The dove (referred to above) came to Calvin Church one cold late-November day (1988) and was spotted by two members one night as they left the church. It was huddled on a ledge outside the stained-glass windows. The bird remained at the church through the spring and summer, sometimes flying away for a period of time, but always returning to its south-side perch. She (?) became known as the Calvin dove. People going in and out of the back double door would look up to see if she was there that day or night, and some would even talk to her. Paul Barbro and Jim Bernard provided food.

In late August Jim Bernard spotted white feathers in the grassy area beyond the parking lot. A hungry predator had swooped down and destroyed our friend. We miss her. We could hope that she spread the word about Calvin Church among her

feathered friends, and how it had offered her shelter and friendship. Perhaps another dove will choose to find a home here.