Each Fall in the early 20th century, millions of church members received invitations to “Rally Day” – a festive celebration of the opening of the Sunday School year and an opportunity to introduce teachers, classes, and notable events in the coming term.
We have seen other examples of these invitations which often featured very pleasing artwork:
Miriam Weaver lived on a Rural Delivery Route outside York, the historic city in York County of south-central Pennsylvania.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/York,_Pennsylvania
In October of 1940, Miriam received a colorful postcard from “Faith Reformed Sunday School”.
I cannot find the history of a congregation of this name.
It is possible that the congregation was located outside the city of York.
The congregation of what is now Faith United Church of Christ was only founded in 1951.
Likewise, I did not find any instance of Faith Presbyterian Church (which merged with First Presbyterian in 1961) ever using the name “Faith Reformed Church”.
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The face of the postcard is a bright sketch of older children and young people pausing their tennis game for a refreshing drink.
The figures are spotlessly attired in casual dress and are grouped around a round table shaded by an umbrella.
There is no need for protection from the elements in this pretty scene – the skies are blue, and bright flowers adorn the edge of a peaceful lily pond.
Overhead, the leaves have begun to show the coloration of approaching Autumn.
In the background, one sees the impressive outline of the church.
A placard proclaims the verse from the book of Acts: “For in Him we live, and move, and have our being”.
From the Google Summary:
The phrase “in him we live, and move, and have our being” means that our existence, actions, and identity are all dependent on and sustained by a higher power. “To live” refers to our source of life and vitality, “to move” refers to our ability to act and go about our day, and “to have our being” refers to our very essence and identity, which are rooted in that higher power. This concept emphasizes that God is an ongoing presence who provides everything for us, from our physical existence to our sense of self and purpose.
This is a lovely illustration of the Church forming a background for all the activities of living,
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The postcard was sent from the “Church School” or “Sunday School” – the printed invitation uses both terms.
Although the name of the church is inscribed by hand, the postcard is not signed by a Superintendent or Sunday School administrator.
Nevertheless, Miriam preserved the postcard in very good condition.
One hopes that she was able to participate in the celebration of Rally Day.
