From Rev. Bill:
I’ve carried the little, wooden cross in my left pocket almost every day since they first were made available at First Church Congregational. It serves as a reminder of my church family, and the faith that holds us together and sustains each of us. Especially during the pandemic, it has helped me to feel connected in a physical way in these days of virtual church life.
Sometimes, as I rummage through my pocket to pull out my keys or my handkerchief, it falls to the floor with a soft, high pitched tone. The sound it makes as it bounces prods me to stoop down and pick it up, turning it over in my hand to wipe off the dirt before I slip it deep down to the bottom of my pocket for safe keeping.
Most evenings, as I empty out my pockets before I hang my slacks in the closet, the cross gets placed on the dresser with my wallet, keys and the small bottle of hand sanitizer that moved into my pocket, joining the cross and my keys last March at the start of the pandemic.
Sometimes the cross goes missing. When it does, I go searching. If it’s not in the pocket of a pair of slacks in the laundry basket, I check the slacks hanging in the closet. (I can attest, that the crosses weather well through multiple washings!) If I don’t find the cross in a pocket somewhere, I look under the seat of my car. More than once, I’ve moved on to the next cross before finding the lost cross, but the missing cross always shows up.
I’ve passed along a number of the First Church pocket crosses, sharing them with someone I’ve met who I felt needed it. I usually say, “Here’s a pocket cross from my church. I carry it in my pocket to remind me that God cares,” or even, “Someone in my church makes these pocket crosses. Feeling it in my pocket has helped me stay hopeful through a lot of hard times. I’d like to share it with you.” Without exception, the cross has always been accepted with heartfelt gratitude.
These stories of the cross are documented from true experiences related to a mission of First Church Congregational. We invite you to make your own experience through the simple act of sharing part of our faith through the cross. If you find a moment where they have made an impact on yourself or others, we invite you to share it with us anonymously. Please contact Josh Ferry for more information.