A Generational Roof Rack
Monday Ministerial Musings
By Rev. Mark William Ennis
2024 Blog #31
August 4, 2025
A Generational Roof Rack
I am now back from my vacation and working again in Glen Rock, NJ. I really enjoyed my time away but, of course, it is always good to get back. I had many great adventures, most of which were terrific. One incident, in Albany, NY stands out in my mind.
We spent a bit of time in our cabin in New York State. We attended church at First Church in Albany, NY. We attended the outdoor worship there which has been a hallmark of the church since anyone can remember. I can’t remember a summer when this church did not hold an outdoor drive-in service.
I learned that some old friends from the Third Reformed Church of Albany, now closed, were currently attending First Church in Albany. They were Susan Lloyd, my daughters’ first Sunday School teacher when we moved to Albany, and her daughter, Patricia, who became one of my daughter’s first babysitters. Our families do have a long history together.
It seemed ironic to me, that on my car roof on this Sunday, was my old roof rack. This rack has a history with the Lloyd family. I owned this when I first moved to Albany in 1990. It had served my family well during many family vacations and it was a blessing to Patricia, who, in the early 1990’s was ready to go off to college. Her family, in need of such a roof rack, borrowed it on a trip from Albany to college in Massachusetts.
Yes, there was a bit of nervousness in the Lloyd family as they used this roof rack for the first time. Using a roof rack for the first time comes with a bit of anxiety. Will the rack stay on the roof? What happens if it blows off? Are the straps really strong enough to function? Are my belongings safe up there?
The rack worked well for them and Patricia, and her belongings made it safely to Massachusetts. It even brought her back home from college and did it safely.
The roof rack looks nothing like it did when I first purchased it. It has been damaged over the last forty years. Waterproof tape covers several cracks that have occurred over the years. It isn’t pretty, but it does work, even until this very day.
This roof rack has a long history of service. It served us well on vacations. It brought my daughters to and from college. It hauled many tools to my cabin in New York State in the days when I was renovating it. Last summer, this old rack moved my daughter and myself into our new offices as we begin new ministries in new congregations.
At times, people have laughed at my old and battered roof rack. I have even been described as “ghetto” as this roof rack looked bad compared to new and sleeker models of roof racks. Yet, it still does its job.
I hope that I as a person, learn a lesson from this old roof rack. I’m not always very glamourous, but I try to get the jobs done. In our culture, often we emphasis the new and the glamorous. Perhaps we would be better off if we emphasized utility over glitz. Maybe if we all had that focus, we could better solve the problems of today.
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