First Church of The Marathon
Hope you had a chance to catch my Sunday column on First Church and the Second Wind ministry. You’ll want to be sure to check out the video, too. Lots of interesting stuff about a downtown church that has become a hub of activity during the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon.
A side story that I wanted to share here on the blog: today is the 120th anniversary of First Church. Located at the corner of Robinson Avenue and Fourth Street, it is the oldest Protestant church in Oklahoma. The congregation first met on the Sunday after the land run that opened the Oklahoma territory in 1889. It met on the very same spot where the church still stands.
The church nearly moved from that location after the bombing at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. The church was so heavily damaged by the blast that the congregation was displaced for three years, but despite the rebuilding, the church decided to stay put.
The sanctuary took the brunt of the blast that happened 14 years ago today. Glorious wooden beams were cracked and damaged. Beautiful stained glass windows were shattered to bits.
But found undamaged amid the rubble in the center of the sanctuary was a stained-glass face of Jesus. That the glass was intact was unbelievable, but it was hardly the most unbelievable aspect. The face was part of a window on the south side of the sanctuary. Because the explosion occurred to the northwest of the sanctuary, the force and thrust of the blast should’ve blown the Jesus face out of the building.
Instead, it was found in the middle of the sanctuary.
The Jesus face is now part of a stained glass window in the church’s prayer chapel.
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