Here's the church and there's the steeple

By Rev. Marty Levesque

Here's the church and there's the steeple.
Open the door and see all the people.
Here's the parson going upstairs.
And here he is now he's saying his prayers.

The steeple is probably the most recognizable part of any church, at least from the outside: the steeple standing above the houses close by, cross lifted high in the sky, a beacon of hope in the world. An unmistakable sight for any neighbourhood or city skyline.

Steeples symbolically pointed to heaven. They are also symbolic that the prayers of church members would ascend to God in heaven. And traditionally being the highest point, before skyscrapers, they provided a visible way point on the horizon.

As construction continues at All Saints Waterloo’s new church and community centre, we wanted to take a bit of a modern twist on the traditional steeple.  Right on the corner for maximum visibility it will be a feature of the new building. From the ground to the highest point translucent glass will be accentuated with a large cross that will be illuminated at night.

Not only does it point to heaven, directing the prayers of the faithful heavenwards but it also firmly grounds us in the here and now, in the mission field we serve. It says who we are, an Easter people, ready to serve. A call to action in a sense, but also a declaration the All are Saints, All are Loved and All are Welcomed at this place.