St Michael's Episcopal Church, Charleston, SC

We were perusing the churchyard at St Michael's on Tuesday, when Frank Barnwell came over, introduced himself to us, and invited us to the Noonday service he was about to officiate. Frank, it turns out, is a longtime lay reader and weekly service leader at St Michael's. We talked briefly before he left us to vest; twenty minutes later he found us, reiterated his invitation, and went to prepare the prayers.

The prayers themselves were appropriately short, including the basic outline for Prayers at Noonday and the readings and meditation from Our Daily Bread. Frank also offered prayers for leisure and travelers, from the Book of Common Prayer. The service was the church's gift to strangers.

Rebekah and I marveled as we left the church later: a lay person, likely on his lunch break, officiating a service solely for those nosing around his church (all five of us who attended the prayers were visitors), actively recruiting us from our tourist spot among the tombs. In that moment, it was hard not to feel like Mary, wandering without purpose through the rocks, unexpectedly finding (or being found by) true encounter with the Body of Christ.

It is a wonderful thing to be made a part of the People of God.

Nave, St Michael's

VBS, in full swing.

Beks, jaw-dropped and in awe of this pictured gardenia.

Quilt on display, for auction in support of children's ministries.

"Mark the perfect Man, and behold the upright; for the end of that Man is peace." Psalm 37:37