Christ Church Cornerstone
October 8, 2005
Loyd E. Davis, W. Grand Orator

Most Worshipful Grand Master Gilmour, Distinguished Guests, Brethren, Ladies and Gentlemen. The Grand Lodge Free and Accepted Masons of Utah are pleased to join you today on this historic occasion. The Grand Lodge and Christ Church go back quite a few years. Grand Master Ferdinand Erickson presided at the tower stone ceremony for this complex on January 10, 1954 when Christ Church took the road less traveled and moved from 8th East and 9th South downtown to the uncharted "wilderness" of 33rd South, the new growth area of the city in need of churches to serve an expanding population. And now today, we lay the cornerstone of a new, larger, and remodeled complex.

Masons, like Christ Church, are dedicated to serving God. In fact, our ritual describes it thusly: Masonry . . . "is so far interwoven with religion as to lay us under obligation to pay that rational homage to Diety which at once constitutes our duty and our happiness. It leads the comtemplative (mason) to view with reverence and admiration the glorious works of creation, and inspires him with the most exalted ideas of his Divine Creator." No man can become a Mason lest he profess a belief in a Supreme Being.

Cornerstone ceremonies are full of pomp and circumstance and hold great symbolic meaning. The cornerstone has in all ages been deemed an item of great importance, as important to a building as is a keystone to an arch. In ancient times, human sacrifices were made at the laying of cornerstones to ask for favor from the Gods for disturbing Mother Earth. This gave way to animal sacrifices, thence to symbolic ceremony, which brings us to our ceremony here today. Masons believe that no great and important undertaking can begin without first invoking the blessing of Diety. Second, it is fitting and proper that the handiwork of the craft be approved by the Master of Masons prior to its certification as proper for use as a cornerstone and its installation in the building. In Utah, the Master of Masons is the Most Worshipful Grand Master Free and Accepted Masons in Utah. You saw him direct the use of a mason's tools to certify that the conrnerstone was indeed square, level, and plumb, and suited for its intended use. The shape of a cornerstone also has symbolic meaning to masons. The squareness of the surface is emblematic of morality, its cubical form is emblematic of firmness and stability of character, its finish and the quality of its material is emblematic of virtue and holiness. We celebrate the certification of the cornerstone for its intended use by symbolically giving to the masons who made it their wages - corn, wine, and oil; the corn of nourishment, the wine of refreshment, and the oil of joy.

Today we celebrate with Christ Church the fruition of their vision and faith. First founded as Liberty Methodist Episcopal Church on December 15, 1893 in the territory of Utah at 734 South 700 East, they labored for 11 years before completing their first major church building at 800 East and 900 South in 1904. This building served the needs of its congregation for nearly 50 years, but in the early 1950s, the two columns of pews and basement rooms of the 1904 building were no longer adequate and major change was necessary. Showing much more vision than most organizations, Liberty Church changed its name to Christ Memorial Methodist Church on Easter Sunday, April 9, 1950 and decided to move with the population growth trend to the southeast part of the city. Ground was broken for the new Christ Memorial Methodist Church at 2375 East 3300 South on May 30, 1953 with the cornerstone ceremony mentioned above taking place on January 10, 1954. Initial construction consisted of a Fellowship Hall and classrooms. Worship services were held in Fellowship Hall. In the 1960s, additional offices were added in 1963 and the present sanctuary was constructed in 1965. In 1968, the Methodist Church joined with the Evangelical United Brethren Church to form the United Methodist Church. At that time, Christ Church again changed their name to the present Christ United Methodist Church.

Fifty years after laying the cornerstone of the new church complex on 3300 South, the vision and industry of Christ Church was again so successful that the building was no longer adequate to the task, and expansion was required. This time, however, the congregation decided to tear down everything but the sanctuary, remodel the sanctuary, and build a new office complex. This was a major undertaking. The new complex would now include a music room, additional classrooms, a nursery, a day care area, a youth room, and a multipurpose gymnasium. Exhibiting their characteristic vision, Christ Church realized that the renovations and construction would be so pervasive that the sanctuary would be unusable. To solve this problem, they worked out a deal with First Congregational Church to rent excess space while the construction proceeded. The relocation to First Congregational Church began on May 17, 2004 culminating with first worship services on July 4, 2004. Ground was broken on July 18, 2004 signaling the start of the remodeling and new construction.. Now comes the interesting part; as part of their missionary work, members of Christ Church began to carry hot lunches to the construction workers each week to thank them for their labor and express their support for their efforts. While they were there, church members also performed neighborhood cleanup around the construction site. Because of their ministry, several of the workers expressed interest in becoming members of the church. They called their program "Building God's Way" and it is an example of quiet charity similar to those practiced by masons. Both Christ Church and the Masons understand that bringing new people into the fold requires that the organization make its good deeds known to the public.

Thirteen months after the July 18th ground breaking, the congregation returned to the new complex and held their first Sunday Services in the new complex on August 14, 2005. Yet to be finished is a large apartment to house homeless families of the Interfaith Hospitality Program. If you haven't yet toured this great new facility, today is the day to do it. The entire building committee is standing by to welcome you.

By now you may have noticed a pattern; every 50 years or so Christ Church has a need to basically reinvent itself and move boldly into the future. Each reinvention leads to a congregation infused with new vigor. They rededicate themselves to bringing God closer to the people. They redouble their fundraising efforts and make the impossible possible. We are gathered here today to celebrate their latest success. Congratulations, Christ Church, your cornerstone has been proven to be square, level, and plumb in the ancient and accepted traditions of the Free and Accepted Masons, and is suitable for its intended use. Our hats are off to you, Christ Church; you are a model for others to follow.