The Altar Guild

altar_guild4 (1)The Altar Guild is a ministry of “quiet service”.  It is behind the scenes, but a most critical act of service to the church and of the worship of our Lord.  One is reminded of the woman who poured out the costly ointment on Jesus in preparation for his burial (John 12:3) or of Mary Magdalene and the other Marys who went to the tomb of our Lord after the Sabbath to anoint His body with spices (John 20).  The objective is the same for any weekly or special service: to attend to a myriad of details to enable our worship to happen and to contribute to the beauty of our worship that in all things God may be hallowed and glorified.

Anne & Henry Miechielsen (1)Here are some of the people involved in our Altar Guild:

Anne Miechielsen is involved in the beautifying of our church with flower arrangements to God’s greater glory (she also oversees the gardens on the church and parsonage grounds!).  Anne works with a team of flower arrangers who serve in rotation over a couple of months.   If you would like to be involved from time to time in this flower ministry, please contact her.

Herta

Hertha Callender (left) enjoys a loving devotion to our Lord and His church by cleaning and polishing the altar rail after the services and other brass objects.  Other people involved in flowers, cleaning the brass, caring for the linens and towels, creating banners include Maryon Jagers, Madeleine de Boer, Kim Ong, Kit de Bolster and Danielle Los.

Maria_Koppenol (1)

Maria Koppenol coordinates the many activities of the altar guild and works with the Sacristan, Frank Boneschanscher, to see that all things are done decently and in order.  If you are interested in becoming involved in some way in the venerable and ancient tradition of the Altar Guild, please contact Maria:
maria@allea.nl or at 06 45 49 47 17.

O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness!
Bow down before him, his glory proclaim;
with gold of obedience, and incense of lowliness,
kneel and adore him: the Lord is his Name!

Low at his feet lay thy burden of carefulness,
high on his heart he will bear it for thee,
and comfort thy sorrows, and answer thy prayerfulness,
guiding thy steps as may best for thee be.

Fear not to enter his courts in the slenderness
of the poor wealth thou wouldst reckon as thine;
for truth in its beauty, and love in its tenderness,
these are the offerings to lay on his shrine.

These, though we bring them in trembling and fearfulness,
he will accept for the Name that is dear;
mornings of joy give for evenings of tearfulness,
trust for our trembling and hope for our fear.