The joy and vibrancy of our Christ & St. Luke’s community bloomed on a recent November weekend in the Flower Guild classroom. Sixteen enthusiastic parishioners gathered for a special Thanksgiving-themed flower arranging class, guided by Flower Guild member and retired elementary school principal, not-to-mention accomplished church musician, Sid Neighbours. Everyone left with stunning arrangements ready to grace their holiday tables and, perhaps more importantly, with hearts full of laughter and wisdom derived from Sid’s nearly half-century dedicated to the art of sacred space.
The gathering was a beautiful embodiment of how our parish, which claims St. Luke, the patron saint of artists, as a namesake, values the creative arts not just as decoration, but as a deep expression of our Liturgical Worship and a way to foster a beautiful community. Sid’s teaching transcended technique: it was a testament to his passion, humor, and perseverance.
A truly dedicated floral arranger is like a master chef who knows how to make a gourmet meal even from “leftovers.” They understand that the materials, whether broken stems or an anxious heart, are simply waiting for the application of skill, love, and grace to be transformed into something beautiful and sustaining for the community.
The Gritty Reality of the Graceful Arrangement
When you picture an artist working with delicate blooms, you likely imagine serenity and grace. But Sid, with decades of experience preparing flowers for churches across Virginia, delivered a dose of cheerful reality. Reflecting on his long career, he shared an unvarnished truth about the floristry business. When he began working in the local flower shop, Sandra’s House of Flowers, his flower mentor and long-and-cherished friend, Sandra Brinkley, the shop owner, thought that Sid had an eye for the work and told his mother she thought she could teach Sid to do flowers.
While people often assume working in a flower shop is “all fun” and “artistic,” Sid admitted: “I will tell you it’s the dirtiest job I ever had. Bar none.”
His hands are often adorned with Band-Aids from flower-related cuts, and he keeps a cup of coffee and some Diet Pepsi handy to stay focused on his arrangements.
Sid’s journey into the world of floral design began early, when he was just old enough to drive, attending high school at Isle of White Academy near Windsor, Virginia. As a boy in a small town, he wasn’t the athlete; he was the piano player and the yearbook editor. He joked that working with flowers became “I guess you could almost say my football, you know.”
It’s a passion that has sustained him for over 45 years.
“I had a heart attack when I was 50, so I’m thankful for every day,” said Sid. And the perspective undergirds his ministry: Ensuring the flowers fulfill their purpose for Sunday worship because, ultimately, they “did what they were supposed to do.”
“I will tell you it’s the dirtiest job I ever had. Bar none.”
Sid neighbours
MaryJohnnie: The Colleague Who Found God in the Leftovers
Sid also shared the story of MaryJohnnie, a remarkable community lady at the local flower store, whose real name was Mary, but they called her MaryJohnnie because her husband’s name was Johnnie. At the time there were several women named Mary who frequented the store, and it was the convention to mix their first name in with that of their husbands.
“So, we had MaryJohnnie, Mary Bruce, Mary Sherman, Mary George, Odell Presley, Odell Rawlston, Hazel Jett, and Hazel Aubrey. Wow. And that’s just so you don’t just say ‘Mary” and have five women looking up,” Sid said.
MaryJohnnie’s crucial role was conditioning the flowers as they arrived. But her most profound contribution came at the end of the day. Sid recalls that after the big arrangements were done, there would always be a little vase of leftovers — broken flowers and small pieces. MaryJohnnie would take those leftovers home to arrange for her own enjoyment. Sid said this habit was so inspiring that he once wrote the story up in a story form for a children’s sermon. The lesson: “how God takes the leftovers and whatnot and makes something out of them.”
Sid has written about MaryJohnnie on his blog, if you’d like to read more.
From High School to Flower Influencers
Despite his lengthy time arranging flowers, Sid is far from stuck in the past. He emphasized the importance of not making “perfect arrangements,” because “this is not 1982,” when arrangements were often geometrically perfect if a little too uptight. A great arrangement includes imperfections, he said, and there’s no perfect way to do it.
“Often, I find myself saying, ‘I didn’t mean to do it that way, but I’ll work with it’,” he said.
Sid also gave credit to contemporary designers, particularly one flower influencer based in Tennessee named John Mark Sharp. Sid recounted learning some truly clever, modern tricks from influencers like John. For example, he demonstrated John Mark’s innovative approach to arranging hydrangeas in a vase without using floral foam (oasis). Instead, the designer simply holds the blooms tight to the vase and cuts them, so the hydrangeas themselves act as the oasis. Here’s a brief “how to” video of Sid arranging hydrangeas like that, using John Mark’s idea, in case you’re interested to learn more:
Sid also shared practical tricks that ensure durability and impact, such as using wooden picks from the Dollar Tree to integrate ornaments into Christmas arrangements (“You’d be surprised at how much decorating you can do from Dollar Tree,” he said) and a common arranger’s technique for encouraging roses to open: Turning them upside down and spinning them back and forth between the palms once all the thorns have been removed.
Finding a New Beginning in Community
The class concluded not only with beautiful arrangements but with excitement about the future of this ministry. Barb Kersey, an attendee soon to embark on a new chapter of her life, was eager to take her arrangement home to prepare for Thanksgiving, a special occasion this year as her two adult children will be home for the first time in three years. One of them has been touring the country with a Broadway show.
“I love being part of this church community,” she said. “I’m about to retire after 40+ years working as a family and marriage therapist and I’m looking for something to do, and I’m going to sign up to be an apprentice in the flower guild. This community is just a place where connection happens, and where you find your way into things. I love it.”
Barb’s decision perfectly illustrates the “Go and Be” aspect of our mission: finding ways to leverage our individual gifts to make a difference and strengthen our bonds.
If you, like Barb, are inspired by this essential ministry, whether you are seeking spiritual growth or simply wish to learn a new skill, please consider joining the Flower Guild. Contact the church office, and we will connect you with Sid and his colleague, Maria Lyall, to discuss starting an apprenticeship.
