Today was a tough day. We celebrated the life of one of our members, Neal, who passed away right before Christmas. He had a long battle with cancer, and I was blessed to know him in my year at Saint Joseph. A drummer, a husband, a father and grandfather. A strong exterior, with a gentle heart. In a bittersweet twist of irony, our digital soundboard locked up forty-five minutes before the service, and so in a quick moment, we put in the sound board Neal had donated to the church this fall. His sound board for his funeral service. Seems fitting.
And so the morning passed in a bit of a blur of tech issues, people, music, and stories. I spent my late afternoon at Taylor Chapel UMC, another local church in the Fort Wayne area. A fire destroyed their sanctuary earlier this week, and their worship gathering on Sunday morning has been moved into their family life center. We provided a portable sound system and I will be helping to lead worship there in the morning. We set up, tested out our equipment, and met to discuss tomorrow's service and pray for the congregation. Such courage and faith I see in these people, who are trusting in God, who are clinging to the promise of hope we have in Jesus.
I am thankful for the opportunity to serve and walk alongside people. I pray for wisdom and discernment and peace. That days like today remind us that we are living for more than what these flesh and bones feel. We celebrate grace.