Big plans are in the making! The church's 50th anniversary celebration is being planned and will be happening later this year...organ music selected, choir anthems practiced, invitations printed, and sermons written, etc. I'm sure there will be special guests, and charter members in attendance. I'll bet past ministers of the church will be invited, and special dinners served! Special ministers...ministers that used to lead this church? And if some of those ministers are dead? They will be talked about, and remembered, and praised for their many accomplishments. [Actually, most of the ministers who led our congregation are still alive.]
But not him. EF is gone. Some of our long-time members remember him though, and think he was a wonderful founding minister. Yes, there are people who remember the early years of this church. I'm sure there will be pictures on display and stories told. And although I wasn't here when this was "his" church, I was here when he came back in retirement to "his" church.
I do not really look forward to this anniversary year in my church home. I know I will be involved in some of the celebration activities, because I'm still active in the musical ministries here. But I do not look forward to hearing the old stories, seeing those historical pictures, and hearing how much everyone loved Reverend EF. I knew him in a much different way. And I hate those memories that tarnish my view of the church I love.
I'll be trying to focus on the good memories in the life of our church. After all... I've been here since 1968. My children grew up in this church. And two husbands died here during my time in this church. I've had many years of participating in music, and puppetry, and Christian Education.Dear Lord, Help me to remember the good... not the bad.
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