A Post Christmas Thank YouA thank you to Mark and Daryl and the Choir for the beautiful music of Christmas Eve, for the six readers (Nancy, Alan, Bill, Sean, Darcy and Linda) for telling the story of the birth of the Christ Child as recorded in the Gospels, for John and Richard for providing the delicious punch and the goodies, and to all who attended this service filling the sanctuary. —Pastor TomSunday, January 2 10:00 am Morning Worship with Holy Communion
Sermon: “Chronos and Kairos”A personal note from Pastor Tom
Lessons: Galatians 4: 4-7; Luke 2:22-40
(The Greek language has two different words for “time”: there is chronological time and then there is “the particular time”. In our Christmas Eve “Litany of Christmas” the phrase was repeated: ”when the time had fully come”. Sunday’s sermon speaks of that particular time and the particular time in which we live.)
As I noted after the Service on Christmas Eve, my Brother Bill died earlier that day in Lindenhurst, Illinois. The snow storm of Sunday evening and Monday has kept me from flying immediately to Illinois. I hope to be able to fly out of NYC either Tuesday evening or Wednesday and conduct the funeral, with the assistance of my niece Rachel, on Thursday in Milwaukee where he will be buried. I expect to get a flight back to NYC and home on Friday evening. Thank you to all who have extended their condolences.While this is a relatively slow week at Old South Haven Presbyterian Church, 50 years ago the church was very much on the move—quite literally.
On December 29, 1960, under the leadership of the Rev. Charles Kellogg, the historic South Haven Church building was moved from its original location at the "goin' over" of the Carman's River at South Haven, to its present location in Brookhaven. As part of this move, the church also acquired and renovated the Post Carriage House (built about 1900) which became our Parish Hall, and built the "gallery" addition at the rear of the church.
The church building original stood on the south side of Montauk highway, a few hundred feet west of the Carman's River. The old church grave yard is still located there.
The church was moved by Davis Brothers Engineering, the same building movers who raised the Carriage House as part of its recent renovation.
The route of travel was east on Montauk highway to Arthur avenue, to Beaver Dam road, to the present site. There it sat for several months while the new foundation was built and allowed to cure. The church was moved with the steeple and interior plaster intact. The move necessitated the cooperation of the then Patchogue Lighting Company, the then New York Telephone Company, Western Union, the Long Island Rail Road and state, county and town highway departments. The utilities dropped their wires, perhaps as many as 150, and ramps were laid, to permit the church to roll over them. It was estimated that it took some 50 people to move the building the four miles.
 Earliest known picture of the church in South Haven, thought to be about 1900. |
 Church ready to be moved. |
 Moving down Montauk Highway. |
 Overhead wires dropped and ramps put in place, at intersection of Montauk Highway and Arthur Avenue |
 Turning the corner from Arthur Avenue onto Beaver Dam Road |
 The church building at its new home. Notice the Post Carriage House in the background |
Photographs of the move courtesy of Catherine Kellogg. |
