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| Memorial Window |
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| Knox PC, Georgetown |
Each Sunday the children and youth at Knox Georgetown bask in the glow of a certain Bible story -- one where two men by a
gate clutch large books, another on his knees leans on a crutch, another stands by, and a golden city gleams on the high hills
in the background.
This is the story of the apostle Peter’s miraculous healing of the man lame from birth, as told by the Memorial Window.
I consulted Dawn Livingstone’s excellent article on the window -- it’s the only story window in the Knox sanctuary, donated to the church in 1888 in memory of Knox
and town founding father, Hugh McKay. In other words, Knox kids have been growing up under this window for 120 years.
The window illuminates a verse of scripture in the inimitable cadences of the King James Bible: “Silver and gold have
I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.”
We can’t know with the utmost certainty why the family chose this story text. What remains true is that this story of
a common man (sort of!) performing a miracle in Jesus’s name dominates the sanctuary.
I think its message has particular resonance for youth. A few may have part-time jobs, some have socked away some coin from
babysitting, busking and lawn boy gigs, or from their allowances. Our goal for them at this stage is to learn to save, as
opposed to give away. So they don’t generally have a lot to spend. “Such as I have” is in a sense a mantra
for youth.
In keeping with the spirit of this story, the youth group has been relaunched at Knox. The plan at present is to meet once
a month for a combination of fellowship and projects that help out around the community.
The group’s first get-together in April went splendidly, with more than a dozen souls pitching in on the 20-minute Makeover
in Knox’s downtown neighbourhood. Substantial amounts of victuals were consumed!
All made for pretty fun photo shoot – the resultant slide show can be found on the home page of the Knox website at
www.knoxgeorgetown.ca .
The group can also be found on Facebook. (If you have a Facebook account, search for Ob-knox-ious, and join!)
Who can come out? Any youth from Grades 6 – 12. Somewhat negotiable on either end – contact me (Lisa-Dawn) at
lmckenzie@cogeco.ca or 905.873.8425 for more info. Non-Knoxians most certainly welcome.
In April we brainstormed a wish list for future meetings. Ideas include: mini-golf, LaserQuest, sleepover, movie night, glow
in the dark bowling, paintball, rock climbing, miscellaneous concerts and plays, helping at Willow Park, at the GT Breadbasket,
and much more.
In her biography of light-years-ahead-of-her-time British writer Jane Austen, Pulitzer prize winning Canadian novelist Carol
Shields wrote: “Out of her young, questioning self came the grave certainty that the family was the source of art, just
as every novel is in a sense about the fate of a child.”
Well, a novel is just a long sprawling story. Knox has a story – it’s part of the old, the one story that comes
from the good book. One chapter has shone on Knox youth for 120 years. It’s a story of how the main ingredient in a
miracle is faith. With a dash of help from our friends.
How drive and caring desire fueled by faith can make the world a better place.
These are gifts youth possess in abundance.
“Such as I have….”
| Lower portion, Memorial Window |
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| Knox PC, Georgetown. Donated by family of Hugh McKay, 1888 |
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