Graceful Community

I am humbled-- these days, more than ever, I can tell you!-- but I am referring especially to the response by different churches and persons I knew long ago to the death of my mother.

Cards of condolence have been coming in from all over, from a variety of churches in our Region, and from a number of former parishioners. In fact, one woman, 90-something years old, called me from her new home in Florida during the time I was with my family!

I must confess, when I was a pastor and would receive these notices of the deaths of relatives of other pastors, I would take my care for them into prayer, but I never sent a card... Now that I am the recipient of such cards, I finally understand how much they mean.

At least, they mean a lot to me! Sometimes I have missed that as Church, we are to be communio sanctorum, a communion of the saints. But I must say, in the sadness of these days, I feel comforted in a special, and even sacred way, by these expressions of love and concern.

I am grateful for the grace being shown to me by the church.