View photos from the festival here
“…Grant that as we adorn and make ready your altar we may learn greater love and reverence for all that belongs to your service, and through all these outward symbols come to a clearer vision of the inward and spiritual truth taught by them.”
(From the Altar Guild Prayer)
On Wednesday, May 6th, 45 women and men from across the diocese gathered in the gymnasium at Haw River State Park’s Summit Conference Center in Browns Summit for Altar Guild Festival 2009.
The festival, a triennial event sponsored by the Episcopal Church Women of the Diocese of North Carolina, was organized by Vivian Edwards, who as Altar Guild Coordinator for the diocese sits on the Diocesan ECW board. Its theme was, “Flowers Rarest, Blossoms Fairest: The Altar Through the Liturgical Year.”
Leading the program was Hal Peck, a floral arranger and interior designer who helped found and co-chairs the flower guild at his home parish, the Church of the Good Shepherd in Rocky Mount. Drawing on natural wit and years of experience, Peck offered humor, cost-saving tips and practical how-tos in equal measure as he created a stunning assortment of on-the-spot arrangements for the liturgical year, beginning with Advent.
Bishop Michael B. Curry, the celebrant at Holy Eucharist during the festival, put the work of altar and flower guilds in theological perspective throughout his sermon. The guilds, he said, carry on a tradition in the Christian church that date to the story of Mary Magdalene and the other faithful women who rose early and with spices and oils in hand went to Jesus’ tomb to prepare his body for burial.
“There’s a lot that’s ugly and mean and hurtful in this world. One of the jobs of the Altar Guild is to transform what’s ordinary into something of beauty and holiness. That is in a real way the stewardship of creation,” said the bishop. He added, “Your faithfulness in this stewardship is a witness to the Church.”
Tips from Hal
First and last: Do not stress out about floral arrangements. Preparing the altar should be fun. “Only Jesus was perfect. The altar and altar flowers don’t have to be perfect; everything doesn’t have to exactly match.”
Be inclusive. Allow an altar or flower guild to be intergenerational. At the Church of the Good Shepherd in Rocky Mount, members of the Flower Guild range in age from 13 to 80. Newcomers and younger members start by spending a few Saturdays observing how things work, and then first contributing to arrangements for, say the narthex.
Use what’s available and affordable. It’s perfectly acceptable to use greens and flowers from the church yard, your own yard, the roadside, or to buy these things from Wal-Mart or a grocery store like Harris Teeter.
Likewise with containers. Be creative. Use what’s on hand such as clear glass or cut glass or lined woven baskets or even terra cotta pots. These can be very effective, even on more formal altars. Containers don’t always have to be brass or silver.
To add texture and some fragrance, which helps eliminate a musty smell, use fresh eucalyptus. This greenery can then be dried and put in arrangements for another season. Use cedar at times other than Christmas.
Asymmetrical designs allow for different textures within an arrangement.
To dry greens, leave them sitting in a bucket in the corner of the kitchen.
On Palm Sunday save the palm branches, which are often expensive, for use in other arrangements.
To make purple flowers or other dark colors show up better, especially against a darker altar, back them with lighter colors such as yellow.
“A small fortune can be spent at Thanksgiving for all the gourds and pumpkins. It’s overkill, really, for what’s usually a sparsely attended service. Instead, when trying to convey ‘bounty’ use fruits and vegetables readily available at your local grocery.”