June 21st, 2015
Historic Church, Saint Peter’s Episcopal Church, The First Church in the First Town in the First State, The Churchyard, The Labyrinth, Lewes, Delaware, Southern Delaware
Sundays are days of worship, but on this Sunday as the tragedy in Charleston, South Carolina, is still fresh in our minds and hearts, it is also a day for reflection.
Saint Peter’s Episcopal Church is the First Church in the First Town in the First State. It is located at 2nd & Market Streets in Lewes, DE 19958 Tel. 302-645-8479 Website? http://www.stpeterslewes.org
You can imagine how surprised my friend, Cindi, was when I asked her if she wanted to walk around The Churchyard at Saint Peter’s. After all, I had invited her to Lewes to spend the day celebrating her birthday. Graveyard? Birthday? That was not on the agenda, so she thought.
This is a historic Church. It is beautiful in its simplicity. It is an Episcopal Church. The doors of the Church are open 24 hours a day, providing a sanctuary in Lewes for spiritual reflection, meditation, and prayer. I love a totally quiet church. I enjoy visiting them to catch a quiet moment away from all the news and the hectic world we live in. I am in awe of their beauty and strength.
Saint Peter’s Parish was founded in 1681. The original church building was finished in 1724, sat in front of the current structure. A second church, consecrated in September 1808, had a small bell tower. The bell rings every Sunday announcing their services from that tower.
The building in which services are held today was constructed from 1854 to 1858. A steeple was added in 1870 and the Sacristy was added in 1903-4.
Among Saint Peter’s historical possessions are the communion table used in the original church of 1724, a prayer book showing the changes made after the War of Independence, and a silver communion service given by John Penn, grandson of William Penn, on June 10, 1773.
As Cindi and I started to walk the Churchyard her attitude changed completely…from total perplexity to inquisitiveness. She saw other visitors walking around, reading the tombstones.
In addition to the Churchyard, Saint Peter’s owns the oldest cemetery in the state of Delaware. The Pilottown Cemetery was the site of the first western settlement in what is now Delaware. Some of the early colonists are interred there on Pilottown Rd.
The most noteworthy graves are marked and there is information for you to follow them.
The oldest tombstone is the one from Margaret Huling. #17 This is what the inscription says: Here lyeth ye body of Margaret ye widow of James Huling who desert Febry ye 16th in ye 76th yeare of her Age 1707 Born 1631.
The second oldest is #18. It also belongs to the Huling family. It says: Huling mARTHA HIS WIFE deCEST FEBRY YE 1708 IN YE 8TH YEAR of HER AGE. There is a portion of the stone broken so the whole inscription cannot be read.
The Labyrinth – It is an ancient symbol found in many traditions around the world. It is not a maze. It only has one path with no tricks or dead ends. You are not to solve a puzzle, which creates anxiety. The Labyrinth shoud lead us to the Source of our solutions, creating peace. And God knows, we need peace.
Walking a labyrinth becomes a metaphor for spiritual journey. It is used as a form of walking meditation or contemplative prayer. The Labyrinth helps us find inner peace. It welcomes those of all faith traditions and those with no traditions at all.
There is no right or wrong way to walk the Labyrinth. With only one path in….follow it and you will arrive at the center. Each walk is unique. You may want to take a moment to breath deeply and focus on an intention for your walk.
The center is a place of meditation and prayer. As you can see visitors leave some offerings.
Stop by and discover. Have a good one!!
Tags: Activities, Coastal Delaware, DE Beaches, Delaware Beaches, Episcopal Church in Lewes, Historic Lewes, Lewes, Saint Peter's, Saint Peter's Episcopal Church, Southern Delaware, Sussex County, The Churchyard, The First Church in the first town in the first state, The First Town in the First State, The Labyrinth, The Labyrinth at St. Peter's, Things to do at the beach, Visit Lewes, Visit Southern Delaware, What to do at the beaches, Worship in Lewes
