Dedication Service of Prairie Painting – 10.05.2025

Dedication of Prairie United Methodist Church Painting

Sunday, October 5^th, 2025 @1:30PM

Prairie Cemetery

Welcome:

From 1857 to 2002, Prairie United Methodist Church impacted hundreds of persons with its welcoming and warm embrace, with its enriching youth ministry, and with its love for carrying out the message and mission of Jesus Christ. Although Prairie fulfilled its mission in 2002, its legacy and story still live on in those who used to attend the church as well as within Dogwood Prairie UMC.

I welcome each of you to this dedication service: a service dedicating this painting in loving memory to the history, legacy, mission, and people of Prairie UMC. I thank you for being here. We are standing, as God told Moses on Mount Sinai, on holy ground (Exodus 3:5). This place and space is holy not just because it proclaimed the message of Jesus Christ, not just because it lead people to Christ, and not just because things were accomplished in the name and love of Christ, but because Christ is still here. Although the structure of Prairie UMC is not here anymore that doesn’t mean that Christ has left this place. Christ is here today just like he was in 1857. And for the first time, in many years, a congregation has gathered here once again to honor this holy ground.

During this dedication service, we will hear a little bit about Prairie UMC’s history, be enriched by a few remembrances, dedicate this painting, sing as a congregation, and bless this moment before we go our separate ways.

I invite Doyle Purcell to share about the history of Prairie and following Doyle, I invite Pastor David Ducommon, the last pastor to preach here, to share a few remembrances of Prairie.

A Brief History of Prairie United Methodist Church (Doyle Purcell)

Remembrance (Pastor David Ducommon [and Pastor Dale Best])

Dedication of Painting:

          Thank you, Doyle, and thank you, Pastor David.     

As I mentioned earlier and as Doyle has pointed out, Prairie United Methodist Church began its mission in 1857. For 145 years, Prairie blessed hundreds of people. For 145 years, people found and witnessed Jesus Christ in Prairie. For 145 years, the mission of Jesus Christ was seen inside Prairie and outside of Prairie. For 145 years, Prairie was called “one’s home church” where laughter was heard, where smiles were seen, where tears fell, and where memories and friendships were created. For 145 years, those who drove past this place saw a small country church with a big heart. And today, 23 years after closing its doors, we gather to remember Prairie UMC for what it was, is, and always will be: a welcoming church filled with love and care.

For several weeks, this painting of Prairie—painted by Teresa Ikemire—rested on an easel inside Dogwood Prairie United Methodist Church. For those several weeks, everyone who entered the sanctuary witnessed something beautiful. They witnessed a painting that froze history in time. They witnessed a painting that tells a story. They witnessed a painting that portrays a legacy. They witnessed a painting that is worth more than a thousand words. For those that know the history of Dogwood Prairie, they saw a painting that represents a portion of their DNA as a church. For 23 years Prairie has been part of the name Dogwood Prairie, but Dogwood and Prairie have been part of each other’s story for many, many years; and this painting demonstrates that through every brush stroke, color, and design.

As I think about this beautiful painting, I am reminded of two scripture passages. First, Ecclesiastes 4:9, “Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor….” Separately, Dogwood and Prairie were good churches, finding ways to fulfill the mission of Christ through the gifts and talents that each of them bestowed. However, together they became a great church, being able to do more than they could alone. When the churches merged, it was hard, emotionally, for each church; but as the years went by having two churches come together allowed for more dreams to come true, more people to experience Christ, more ideas were shared, and more hope was found. Two are better than one because together they have a good return for their labor. Although this painting is of a single church, it also represents the present and a future as a church combined with another, proving that two are better than one.

The second scripture that comes to mind is found in Ephesians 2:10. Paul wrote to the people of Ephesus, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” This painting is a powerful reminder of God’s handiwork. God created this church. God brought people together to establish this church. God molded and shaped the mission of this church. God developed ways for this church to grow and thrive and keep its doors open for 145 years. God’s handiwork created a place and space where people felt loved. This painting showcases how the good works of Christ impacted hundreds of people. Whether visiting or long time members, people who knew of Prairie UMC, every time they see this painting, will be reminded of how this church produced good things for this community, how this church showed love and developed faith, and this how this church became a home, with a heartbeat and a pulse. This painting tells the viewer that God prepared this church for God’s people, for all of us. Prairie UMC is a reflection of God’s handiwork that is certainly worth more than a thousand words.

The painting that is now mounted in this frame is a testament to how meaningful and special Prairie was and always will be to those here and not here and to those who have passed. Memories were made in this church. Friendships were established here. Stories were told and laughter we was heard. Hugs were shared and smiles were genuine. And the love and mission of Jesus Christ felt within this church is what brought people together. Prairie is certainly a creation of God’s handiwork in many ways.

Today, we dedicate this painting, not as an icon to worship, but as God’s handiwork to help us remember something special. This painting is being dedicated to the history, to the legacy, to the story, and to the love that resided here for 145 years. And most importantly, we dedicate this painting to the hundreds of people who called Prairie UMC their home. May this painting forever be more than a thousand words, may it be a precious reminder of God’s handiwork, and may it be a testament to Christ’s love and mission. Although the doors are closed and the physical church is standing no more, may this painting represent, for many, something that changed their life. We dedicate this painting, a representation of Prairie UMC, and we thank all who kept and still keep Prairie UMC alive back then and today. Amen.

Congregational Hymn: “We Are The Church”

          Let us now join together, as one voice, in one spirit, to sing the hymn We Are the Church.

[Refrain:] I am the church! You are the church! We are the church together!
All who follow Jesus, all around the world, yes, we’re the church together!

1. The Church is not a building, the Church is not a steeple. The Church is not a resting-place, the Church is a people! [Refrain]

2. We’re many kinds of people, with many kinds of faces: all colors and all ages, too, from all times and places. [Refrain]

3. Sometimes the church is marching, sometimes it’s bravely burning, sometimes it’s riding, sometimes hiding, always it’s learning. [Refrain]

4. And when the people gather there’s singing and there’s praying, there’s laughing and there’s crying sometimes, all of it saying: [Refrain]

5. At Pentecost some people received the Holy Spirit and told the good news through the world to all who would hear it. [Refrain]

Blessing/Prayer:

          O Lord, as we get ready to depart from this holy ground, help us to remember the legacy of Prairie UMC: a church made by your handiwork, a church that developed disciples, and a church that extended Christ’s love to all people. Lord, we thank you for the great service that Prairie offered for 145 years and for the mission it extended to hundreds of people. We pray that this painting be a reminder to all who see it of what dedication and love look like, and how even though something may not physically be here is still present in our heart. May this painting be a reflection of the church that resides in our heart today and every day. All honor and glory is yours, now and forever, almighty Father. And all God’s people say, Amen.

Thank you for being here!