I toured Chip and Joanna Gaines’ Fixer Upper castle. It changed what I was going to write about this week.
For the past couple of years, I’ve been re-reading the scripture reflections I’ve written over the last dozen years, and then choosing one to update, improve, or revise. My idea is that, once I have refined enough of these, I could publish them in a collection. I had a lot of good choices this week. I could have written about the rock band Toto and its hit single “Africa” (“I bless the rains down in Africa!”). Or, I could have written about The Clash and its best-known earworm (“Should I stay or should I go?”). Both come with interesting stories attached. I also had a neat little story about a local craft village and its pottery operation. Any of these would have worked.
But, no.
Writers will tell you that sometimes a story just won’t leave them alone. That’s when they know they have to tell it. And that’s what happened to me after I toured the castle. So, instead of a re-do, I’m going to share a tale about a castle that kept not quite getting done.
In 1890, a stone contractor named John Tennant bought a piece of property on the western edge of the little town of Waco, Texas. The town, named for the local Native American Hueco tribe, had only been established for 41 years at that point. It would probably be wrong to call it the “Wild” West, but it was definitely not yet tame.
Mr. Tennant decided to build a home on his new property. Sixteen years later, he had only completed the basement and the foundation. That’s when he decided to sell the land and its partially constructed home to Ridley Hanrick, who immediately hired Mr. Tennant to continue doing the stonework. Just two years later, in 1908, they were both out of money. Everything came to a screeching halt.
Five years passed before Roy E. Lane, a well-known architect with impressive local buildings to recommend him, enticed Mr. Alfred Abeel, a well-off local merchant, to buy the unfinished project in 1913. Lane is credited with turning Mr. Tennant’s basement and foundation into a castle, modeled after a small German castle near the Rhine River. Soon, enough was done so Mr. Abeel and family could occupy his castle. “Finishing,” though, took over two decades of framing, flooring, roofing, importing materials, paneling, furnishing and decorating the place. The result: three stories and a basement, eight fireplaces, servants’ quarters and a tower; a castle tucked tidily into 6,000 square feet. They lived there until 1941, when they sold the castle to the Pipkin family.
I called this a tale of a castle that kept not quite getting done. You may be thinking I misled you. Clearly, people were living in it. Just wait. There’s more to the tale. To coin from a borrowed phrase: “A castle … if you can keep it.”
What came next was a succession of owners. Some invested in the property, some just used it. A local church used it mostly for youth gatherings. One owner managed to repair some aging problems and renovate the second floor, as well as secure a historical designation for the castle. Later owners bought with good intentions, but usually ran out of money before any significant renovation could be completed. On the whole, the decades leading up to the present have seen a long, slow decline.
In 2019, after 20 years of unsuccessful bids, Chip and Joanna Gaines finally purchased the castle. But, even for such a talented couple, the work to restore it to a livable home was daunting. Most of the floors could not be salvaged. Most of the walls were covered in graffiti. Massive repairs were needed inside and out. Plumbing, electrical, modern dwelling codes—all had to be addressed. The entire kitchen had to be relocated from the basement to the main floor. But, per their usual approach, the duo had counted the cost well before submitting their bid. They knew what they were in for.
The result is breathtaking.
You can see that result yourself by taking the tour. But time is limited. Those tours will end on October 29, 2022, when Chip and Jo start airing the “Fixer Upper” episodes documenting the castle’s restoration. See the links below for more information.
The long and winding tale of the castle’s see-saw through time perfectly illustrates what Jesus said in this week’s Luke passage. Most of those who owned the castle came to that position without properly counting the cost of making it habitable. In the scripture, the crowd following Jesus has grown very large. Jesus turns and questions their willingness to pay the real price of discipleship.
Are they ready, He asks, to be rejected by their family because they have chosen to follow Him? Are they ready to be dispossessed and/or evicted because of their belief in Him? What will they do if falsely accused and forced to be publicly disgraced? If they realize they can’t win, will they keep following? Will they stay with Jesus, even at the cost of their very lives?
What about us? Are we like those well-intentioned people who took on the castle without properly assessing what it would cost them to live there? Can we stay the course? Only time will tell what challenges will arise in our Christian journey. Have we considered what those might be? Now is the time to count the cost, well before those challenges arrive.
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PHOTO: Steve Orr
Waco’s Castle Ready For Fixer Upper Treatment:
A brief history of the Cottonland Castle with photos:
https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=131557
The Castle: A Restoration Story (blog by Joanna Gaines):
https://magnolia.com/blog/article/422164/the-cottonland-castle-a-restoration-story/
A longer history of the castle (with “before” photos):
https://wacohistory.org/items/show/94
Link to “Africa” performed by Toto (with lyrics): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDLJ3pUZm9A&app=desktop
For more about Homestead Heritage and their pottery:
http://www.homesteadheritage.com/
Link to “Should I Stay Or Should I Go?” (with lyrics):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9dhHv7xrdc
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Friday morning is coming. Will you be with us? DaySpring’s Lectionary Breakfast is a perfect place and time to explore the scriptures, discuss how they impact our lives, and eat a nice meal. We read, we talk, we eat, and we laugh. Join us at 8:00 at Our Breakfast Place or on Zoom.**
Blessings,
Steve
**Contact me for the Zoom link:
NOTE: Zoom allows you to mute the camera and the microphone if you don’t wish to be seen or heard.
SCRIPTURES FOR SUNDAY AND THE COMING WEEK
Find them here:
https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/texts.php?id=278
Print them here:
https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/pdf//Cx_Proper18.pdf
Jeremiah 18:1-11
Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18
Deuteronomy 30:15-20
Psalm 1
Philemon 1:1-21
Luke 14:25-33
Proper 18 (23) (September 4, 2022)
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