You must keep my sabbaths and treat my sanctuary with respect; I am the Lord.

Leviticus 19:30

Today is “Photo Friday,” making this a good time to follow up on my promise to highlight – or should I say illuminate – the stained glass here at Howard Memorial Presbyterian Church in Tarboro.

The meticulously crafted sanctuary, completed in 1909, features an extensive and exquisite collection that picks up the morning light especially well. So I walked over Friday morning to take advantage of the quiet and shoot some photographs.

I used both my Nikon Z50 and the iPhone; I will pick the best to share in this blog space today. Afterwards I filmed a short video, so you can see everything in perspective.

Enjoying this distinctive glass is a real serendipity for me. I have mentioned before that the congregations Rebekah and I served (Pensacola, Brandon, Wake Forest) have all been young – chronologically and demographically. They all feature sanctuaries that reflect both the architecture of the times and the financial resources available when it came time to put glass in the windows!

What really makes a church beautiful, in the best possible way, is the presence of God’s good people. We would love to have you visit us here in Tarboro. Enjoy these photographs. Then do one better and come see us on a Sunday morning. We meet for worship at 11:00, with education classes starting at 9:45.

Here’s the video – photo gallery below:

It is always a good thing to put an hour or so aside each week for community worship – DEREK