Altar guild members use many tools to glorify God

Faith and glory to God has many forms, and just as many tools.

A cross, a rosary, a Bible and a hymnal are some to many people. A dust rag, an order form and dish soap serve as tools for others.

At least they are for Debbie Newman and the 11 other members of the Bethlehem Lutheran Church's Altar Guild. Every week, they prepare the West Dundee church for weddings, funerals and weekend services.

While volunteering hours of their time, they get a little dirty -- but it's their way of showing their faith and helping other congregation members do the same.

"We order the wafers for Communion and make sure there's enough wine," Newman said. "We also wash the linens at our houses, including the robes the acolytes wear. We also get out and take care of the (casket) palls that are used for funerals."

And they polish candleholders, wash the cups and dishes used during the services, put flowers around the altar and balance over balcony rails to hang banners.

"We do a little dusting. But we don't dust the pews," she said.

"Members of the congregation do that when they slide into them."

Newman has been a member of the altar guild for eight years, During that time she and her colleagues have mastered the weekly chores.

But there are two times during the year -- at Christmas and Easter -- when their work is not so routine.

Take this week, Holy Week, for example.

The added chores started early on Palm Sunday. Before separating the branches for the 300 or so members who attended the services, members hung the white banners. This week can be tricky because the banners and their colors change.

White signifies purity, purple and blue are for royalty and red is a celebration. Hang the wrong banner and they could change the mood for the service.

At the end of Holy Thursday services, guild members strip the altar of its linens, hang a black shroud on the crucifix and place a single candle on the altar.

On Good Friday, there's more work to do, more banners to replace and more cups that hold the wine to wash.

Before 6 a.m. Sunday, guild members will be at the Route 72 church putting as many as 30 lilies around the altar, laying out the robes ministers and acolytes will wear, along with napkins and altar covers for the sunrise service.

"Christmas is busier than Easter," said Marlis Davitz, another altar guild member. "Then, we decorate the church and put up the Christmas trees."

And heaven help them if they forget something.

"There have been times when I have been sitting in a service and wondered if I forgot to put out the napkins (for the altar)," Davitz said.

Bethlehem Lutheran guild members don't do chores for one church, but two. Last year, the congregation bought the adjacent First Congregational Church building its members sold after constructing a new church on Route 31 in West Dundee.

Both churches are used for services, but they have different flavors. The original Bethlehem Lutheran building usually houses traditional services.

The one its leaders acquired holds contemporary services.

The banners and cups are different, as are the hymnals.

"It's become a challenge with two churches to prepare, but this is our way of glorifying God," Newman said.

"For us, it's one of the highest things that we can do. And maybe it will give me a softer seat on the cloud."