It must be a comedy because they get married at the end

Sunday was Rev. Mary's last Sunday at our church. She's been with us for two years, as planned, and leaves to make way for our new Rev. Tim who will arrive in August. We had a party for Mary on Friday, but I knew that wasn't really goodbye yet. Did I mention I have trouble with goodbye?

The service was very sweet. Mary gave gifts to the children, and she served communion along with her fiance George, who she met at our church. That's what got me. As communion is being served, the choir is singing Holy Ground and I'm just thinking about Mary's kindness and creativity, and how we have grown to love and trust her, and how we will miss her. I couldn't stop my tears. I know I wasn't the only one crying, but I sit close to the front, and I didn't want to get Mary started. I regained my composure eventually, but started up again as Mary put out the altar candles at the end of the service. "That's the last time for her to do that here," I thought. snif

When a minister leaves her congregation in the United Church of Canada, she must attend services elsewhere and keep away from her old church for a period of 2 years. This gives the people time to start clean, building a bond of faith and trust with their new minister. We will miss Mary very much.

The good news is, we have permission to see her one more time. Next Saturday, July 1, she will be married to George at our church. We're all coming to the wedding.

question: did you ever think about how lucky we are that we can love people enough to cry when it's time for them to go do something else?

mompoet - oh gee, here I go again