Almost 5 years ago I was elected to the Vestry of Grace Episcopal Church, Muskogee. After a 3-year term on the Vestry and 4 months left on my 2-year term as Senior Warden, I’m still fascinated and inspired by the people that made this place what it is today.

A few years ago, I began digitizing historical photos and documents to make sure that future generations would have access to and knowledge of the incredible people that made this [s]anctuary possible (literally)! Yesterday I posted on my Facebook page a side-by-side photo of the Sanctuary from long ago next to one I took recently. I realized the pews carved similar light and shadows coming through the stained-glass in both photos. This morning, Lora and some others were asking about the photos.I never realized there were two stained-glass windows on the North side of the Sanctuary that you can’t see from inside. They are located to the North of the Pulpit, which used to be an open area that displayed the Organ pipes. I believe that in 1959-60, the Church’s Organ failed and had to be replaced. The Vestry and Wardens went to work fundraising and planning, resulting in the construction of a custom-built Austin Organ (Opus 2335), with enough pipes that the open area (and stained-glass windows) had to be covered to provide sufficient space. I looked inside the organ box after Church today and wanted to share what I imagine only few have seen (and I never could have imagined) what was hiding behind those walls! Last week, I was talking about the Grace Heritage Society and what it meant to honor those people that worked so hard in the past to build what we enjoy today. Like the pews in that old photo, the people that sat in them carved a beautiful light that continues to shine to this day. My hope is that the Grace Heritage Society will not only honor that light, but keep it shining for generations to come. It is such a blessing to be part of that and I thank you all for giving me the opportunity.Sincerely,Alex Wilson, Sr. Warden ... See MoreSee Less