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During a special dedication service held November 23 at the church on Chestnut Street, in Taylors Falls, Pastor Mark Woeltge shared an observation anybody involved in restoration projects could relate to. Admiring the newly painted sanctuary ceiling and walls, handpainted decorative murals and embellishments, the pastor said, "I didn't realize how badly this place needed work."

The First Evangelical Church in Taylors Falls was built in 1903. For all intents and purposes this place of worship has seen three paint jobs since then, so it was due for one. But, this would not be your run of the mill freshening. The church congregation sought out a renowned church interiors artist, Eric Carlisle for this project.

Carlisle Studios are based out of Mora. The First Evangelical project is his tenth church. Carlisle came highly recommended to this Taylors Falls congregation having completed highly-detailed and majestic interior renovation of the Center City and Fish Lake Lutheran churches.

Carlisle told the congregation during the 11 a.m. Sunday dedication after rousing applause from those in the pews, that he was the fortunate one. "I get a lot out of it," he shared. He thanked the members for allowing him to transform their sanctuary.

Carlisle's is an odd life, spending weeks and even months bringing life back into a structure, taking breaks for bag lunch, growing very familiar with church staff and those involved in weekday church doings. As an artist he toils to honor the history and sanctity of his project site, while achieving an end product that needs to please a diverse group.

Carlisle said it is an honor to be entrusted with the priceless and sacred spaces where he works and doing churches is a special joy. He also does residential and commercial painting-- but places of worship are unique tasks which he so obviously excels at.

Said Gene Andersen, First Lutheran Church Property Committee, "(Carlisle) is such a neat, clean worker too, and very easy to work with, we are the lucky ones. He is really an artist...when this (gesturing toward the altar's right) wasn't exactly what he wanted he painted it over until it was just right."

Andersen explained that the three-month painting project was accommodated by using half the church at a time. Scaffolding, tarps, etcetera, were contained to one side and moved to the other while the pews on opposite sides could be used for services.

The decision to spend a goodly amount of money to restore the First Lutheran Church sanctuary wasn't arrived at easily. There were "two camps" of thought within the congregation, said Pastor Mark Woeltge.

One opinion was there could be a lot of other things accomplished with the approximately $30,000 earmarked for restoration, and the other school of thought was "we need to care for this place."

The pastor thinks Christ would have approved.

In his sermon message he spoke of a Bible story when Christ was anointed with rare, aromatic oils and a disciple became indignant with the waste. Christ told him "leave her alone she does something beautiful."

Pastor Woeltge told his congregation human beings live by "taste, touch, sound and feel." The church is where rituals are experienced and where God comes to dwell in His people; through the feel of the baptismal water, the taste of wine and bread. "We need this place," he explained. "He may be unbounded and immense, but we are not...we experience comfort here where we come together."

Carlisle's artwork is still only about half of what existed in the original structure, which can be seen in historic photos of the sanctuary. There may be future projects to add decorative scenes and flourishes but for now the church family is elated and looking towards the next 100 years.

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