THE JAMESTOWN CHERRY TREE

JUMC Cherry Tree, Jamestown, NC

Once upon a time in the land of Jamestown many years ago, a congregation had the vision to plant young cherry trees on either side of the entrance to their Fellowship Hall and Sanctuary.  So, they acquired the necessary funds and planted the trees under whose blossoms many of them would never pass.  And over the years the trees flourished and blossomed and began to reach to the heavens in praise of the creator of all who entered their honor guard. 

And as the years passed and the trees reached maturity, they began to arch over the pathway to worship.  Then as late March began to warm the air in the Carolinas, beautiful cherry blossoms opened over the people.  If the timing was perfect and spring showers with gentle wind gusts arrived on a given Sunday morning, the cherry petals would cascade down on the people in high praise of celebrating Palm Sunday and the following Easter Sunday. 

The trees celebrated wedding parties introducing young couples, baby baptisms introducing new life and graduations introducing young adults to the people.  The trees were there to celebrate all of the special days of the people including the funerals of the saints that had planted them and worshiped with them.  The cherry petals mingled with the rice and the confetti that were tossed into the rarified air surrounding the church on the hill.

Then as it befalls all sentient organisms on earth, one of the trees fell prey to age and disease.  First some affected limbs had to be trimmed in an effort to save the tree.  But time was taking its toll and there was a concern that if the tree was not isolated and removed, the other trees could soon be infected.  The cherry tree had witnessed how the circle of life progresses and understood its destiny but it was sad to leave.  Then our creator shared a vision of what was possible in 2021 for the space it occupied after a worldwide pandemic infected many of the people and covered the earth in the year 2020.  He understood that he could still make a difference, even after he was gone and it was good.

After the tree was removed from the grounds prior to the pandemic, the people agreed to gather safely outside the sanctuary of the church building where the cherry tree had stood for so many glorious years.  As the surviving cherry trees rejoiced in the new services honoring their creator, the people gathered once again out of isolation and spread out under their shade on the new spring grass and worshiped unobstructed on sacred ground. 

And the fragrant spirit of the cherry tree moved with almighty God in the breezes among the people in this place and it was good.