The same could be said of the new banner that adorns the wall of the refurbished Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Sunnyvale. The fellowship is housed in the Congregational Community Church on Bernardo Avenue, which was severely damaged in the tornado that swept through parts of the city on May 4, 1998.

A few days before the fifth anniversary of the tornado, fellowship members completed the rebuilding of their meeting space and hung the cloth banner, which was designed by Judith Wagstrom to represent a flaming chalice in the same vibrant colors as the building's new windows.

"This is the culmination of five years spent making our space more beautiful than it was before," said fellowship board President Margaret Lawson. "Slowly everything's gotten done."

The fellowship held a ceremony on May 4 to dedicate the revamped space with a sermon titled "Sacred Spaces."

According to Lawson, the rebuilding effort got off to a slow start since "the Congregationalists had to deal with insurance issues for quite a while." On the first anniversary of the tornado, fellowship members sat on metal chairs set on a bare concrete floor and surrounded by boarded-up windows to listen to Rev. Roger Jones' sermon, titled, "When Bad Things Happen to Good People."

"It was a totally depressing room," Lawson recalled. "The place was like a barn."

Eventually the Congregational Church was able to replace the windows and the carpet. The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Sunnyvale spent about $12,000 for the rest of the repairs, including cushioned chairs and a new paint job.

A committee headed by fellowship member Ben DeBolt was formed to tackle the many tasks at hand. DeBolt also built a new pulpit of cherry wood and walnut for the meeting space, and committee member Walt Doucett created a matching table for the podium.

Committee members chose everything from the paint color to the light sconces, but DeBolt said there wasn't always universal accord. "We might differ on the color," he explained diplomatically. "Working with a committee of Unitarians is very interesting, especially an artistic bunch like this. ... Everyone feels free to speak up."

Unable to find a paint swatch that was to everyone's liking, the committee got an outside opinion. Interior designer Mary Ann Saylor chose a deep raspberry red that matches some of the glass in the new windows.

"It's not something we would have chosen, but now that it's done, it looks great," Lawson said, adding half-jokingly that Saylor "didn't change too much because she was married by a Unitarian minister."During World War II, members of the Unitarian Universalist Association who were helping Jews evade the Nazis wore badges depicting a flaming chalice. The symbol was a signal to Jewish refugees that a safehouse and supportive community were nearby.

The same could be said of the new banner that adorns the wall of the refurbished Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Sunnyvale. The fellowship is housed in the Congregational Community Church on Bernardo Avenue, which was severely damaged in the tornado that swept through parts of the city on May 4, 1998.

A few days before the fifth anniversary of the tornado, fellowship members completed the rebuilding of their meeting space and hung the cloth banner, which was designed by Judith Wagstrom to represent a flaming chalice in the same vibrant colors as the building's new windows.

"This is the culmination of five years spent making our space more beautiful than it was before," said fellowship board President Margaret Lawson. "Slowly everything's gotten done."

The fellowship held a ceremony on May 4 to dedicate the revamped space with a sermon titled "Sacred Spaces."

According to Lawson, the rebuilding effort got off to a slow start since "the Congregationalists had to deal with insurance issues for quite a while." On the first anniversary of the tornado, fellowship members sat on metal chairs set on a bare concrete floor and surrounded by boarded-up windows to listen to Rev. Roger Jones' sermon, titled, "When Bad Things Happen to Good People."

"It was a totally depressing room," Lawson recalled. "The place was like a barn."

Eventually the Congregational Church was able to replace the windows and the carpet. The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Sunnyvale spent about $12,000 for the rest of the repairs, including cushioned chairs and a new paint job.

A committee headed by fellowship member Ben DeBolt was formed to tackle the many tasks at hand. DeBolt also built a new pulpit of cherry wood and walnut for the meeting space, and committee member Walt Doucett created a matching table for the podium.

Committee members chose everything from the paint color to the light sconces, but DeBolt said there wasn't always universal accord. "We might differ on the color," he explained diplomatically. "Working with a committee of Unitarians is very interesting, especially an artistic bunch like this. ... Everyone feels free to speak up."

Unable to find a paint swatch that was to everyone's liking, the committee got an outside opinion. Interior designer Mary Ann Saylor chose a deep raspberry red that matches some of the glass in the new windows.

"It's not something we would have chosen, but now that it's done, it looks great," Lawson said, adding half-jokingly that Saylor "didn't change too much because she was married by a Unitarian minister."