The Lively Stones Award is given annually by the Congregational Church of Boothbay Harbor to honor volunteers for their service to the community. The award is named after a line in the church's original 1798 covenant, where the founders pledged to build a house of “lively stones” as a foundation for spiritual community.

If you want to catch up with this year's recipient of the Lively Stones Award, you better move fast. You might see her carefully placing a cloth on the communion table and adjusting the flower arrangements. By the time you get there, she is gone and rehearsing with the choir. You might catch her between the chorus and the beginning of the service, but she is handing out bulletins and greeting people at the door. She is everywhere on Sunday mornings, ensuring everything is in place and participating joyfully.

This energy is what you see in Ella Long, our Lively Stone, this year. You may not see all the things she does behind the scenes. She pays attention to the flowers and the landscaping outdoors. As Senior Deacon, she listens patiently to everyone with frustrations, complaints, and concerns. When something falls through the cracks, she is there to catch it.

It is worth noting that while Ella has been Senior Deacon, this congregation has had three pastors; one departing, one an interim, and one arriving and figuring things out. Being a leader during COVID-19 has put an extra burden on all decision-making and navigating many changes.

On top of this vital office, Ella also updated our by-laws to reflect changes made to our practices with the Council structure. This project required hours of getting feedback, edits, and rewrites, bringing together competing wordsmiths to find clear language.

There is probably more to say that I don't even know about because Ella does many things quietly and efficiently, so I hope you will take a moment and fill in any blanks left with your appreciation. Ella is a lively stone and a part of this congregation's spiritual foundation.