We’re Back!

The doors of the Old Dutch Church are open once again to visitors and worshippers. Our “soft” opening was on an overcast and misty day at the end of May. One might say it was the perfect weather for a wedding in the church associated with Washington Irving’s Legend of Sleepy Hollow. After a year long COVID19 delay Stephanie O’Dea and Gregory Morehead stood beneath the historic pulpit and proclaimed their vows in front of family and friends.

A wedding at the Old Dutch invites a post-wedding stroll through Sleepy Hollow Cemetery.

Worship services are Sundays at 10:30am and we are still providing live-stream worship services for travelers and folks who feel more safe participating from their homes. For me, the Old Dutch is a peaceful and contemplative place and I know that our music director/tech guy Jeremy Goldsmith is working hard to capture and share the beauty of the Old Church for our virtual community. Mi-Won Goldsmith has awakened the Fritz Noack Tracker organ from its COVID slumber and members of the choir, scattered here and there, are still trying to sing out some harmonies. It’s been a long time since we’ve heard ourselves live and the Old Dutch acoustics make us all sound pretty good!

Even though many of our children are attending service online, you can still count on a Children’s Sermon during the service where Pastor Jeff or Pastor Julia tell an interactive story ending with the now familiar phrase, “You know, this reminds me of a story in the Bible…” Activity time in the Burying Ground follows the sermon.

On July 25th we welcome a jazz trio assembled by Mark Morganelli. A harpist will join us on August 8th and our friends Cris Groenendaal and Susan Anderson will be back to share some Broadway tunes on August 15th. Refreshments are served in the Burying Ground after the service. The last Sunday service at the Old Dutch will be September 5th. Visitors will be welcome on weekends from noon to 2pm through September. October plans are still in the works. Stay tuned.

Yes, we are back with our in-person Sunday services and weekend hours for visitors. More and more people are strolling through the Burying Ground seeking ancestors, history and legends. It’s hard to tell how the experience of a pandemic will impact our daily lives, but on the eve of the 20th century Rev Arthur Mabon delivered an address at the 200th Anniversary of the Old Dutch. These were his closing words:

“With the same old vigor the old Church bids the Church of to-day go on its heaven-appointed duty, meet the new life with unwavering trust, give itself in heroic self-sacrifice as did its Master, glorify the Christ, who is the same yesterday, to-day, and forever. For the truth which it carries in its bosom is older than two centuries, older than organized Christianity itself. It is to be traced back to the days of eternity. One might tremble in thinking of the coming years. But with some knowledge of the past, and from some acquaintance with the Christ, we look onward. Thus does the future become radiant.”

Thus does the future become radiant.

Rev Arthur Mabon, 200th Anniversary Address