PAINTING DAY ON SATURDAY

“...for ye are like unto whited (that is, whitewashed) sepulchres which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones...” (from Matthew 23:27)

I know that reference is a real stretch, but I was trying (from memory) to find SOMETHING about “painting” in the Bible.  I don’t mean painting as in a painting by Picasso, or something like that.  I mean painting as in painting a house.  On Saturday, October 14, a group of us will be painting the church building at 32 South Street.

When we bought our present church building (former United Auto Workers union hall) in 1994 we were excited about a “no maintenance” building.  

“There’s NO grass,” some people said, “NO lawn to cut!”  What they did not notice is that there are a lot of weeds and a lot of “growth” all over the property.  At least 6 times per year I bring my mower to the church property and “mow the weeds”!

Others said, “It’s a BRICK building!  There’s NO exterior painting!”  

Wrong again.  Now about half of the building’s exterior surface IS “yellowbrick” and does not get painted.  What we failed to realize back in 1994 is that the back of the building and the side of the building facing Waverley Street DOES get painted- yellow.  AND, there is brown trim all around the building.  Now, that may not sound like much, but take a look at it.  We’ll probably end up using at least ten gallons of brown paint.

Around 1998, my daughter Amy and I spent the whole summer painting the exterior of the building “peace-meal”.  Eventually it got done and it looked nice.  Unfortunately, the paint fades quickly and after around three years it starts peeling a lot.  By 2001, it was looking “ratty” again.  In 2002, the brown painted area was covered with gang graffiti one night.  We ended up getting a crew of volunteers from New England Aftercare “The Bridge House” to spend a Saturday painting all the brown.  By 2005, the brown was looking bad and the yellow was looking terrible.  I began whining to our Board that we need to paint the building.  Now, when it comes to a project such as this, in our tiny church, there is no money, and I mean NO money.  Well, after about a year of whining, a very generous person donated $800 towards the paint.  I picked up the paint at the favorite hardware store of Michelle Swartz of www.ThisIsFramingham.com (Monnick’s Supply) this week.  Well, actually it was from Monnick’s larger store in Marlboro only because they have a much bigger paint department than the Framingham store does.

I am a perfectionist.   I was only planning to have 3 or maybe 4 people (that I considered extremely proficient as painters) help me paint.  When I was checking out the paint the female cashier asked me, “Is EVERYBODY from your church going to help with the painting?”  I realized if I really expect the people to “take ownership” of the church, I can’t forbid all but 3 or 4 from painting- so I’ve been putting the word out.   I HAVE told people that if painting really isn’t their thing- if they’re really awful at it, I will not be offended if they do not participate!

(A big test is, if you get paint all over yourself, and all over everything that is NOT supposed to be painted- you’re probably NOT a gifted painter!)

My daughter Rachel will be home from Westfield State College this weekend.  She will be very busy working on school projects, but has promised to try to give me a couple of hours to paint on Saturday.  Honestly, Rachel is one of the best painters I know.  She paints classrooms a Marian High School during her summer college breaks.  She’s as good as any professional painter I’ve ever seen.  I’m an “O.K.” painter- not outstanding, but O.K.

Anyway- Saturday is the day. I hope to get at least 60% of the church building painting done- and perhaps as much as 90%!  If THAT’S the case, I’d finish the other 10% (“fine points”) during the coming week.

If you are in the downtown Framingham area on Saturday, October 14, come by and cheer us on!