From the Pastor's Pen

Dear Friends, 

The picture attached is of one of my favorite flowers, a black eyed Susan.  I mentioned my love of this flower one day in my previous congregation and a few days later one of my members showed up with a transplant from her garden.  She called it a brown eyed Susan but I think it was the black eyed variety.  It was small and more compact than the brown eyed version.  Still I called it a brown eyed Susan because that’s what Sharon called it and the plant reminded me of Sharon with her beautiful large brown eyes.

I was looking at this picture this morning and I was reminded of Sharon.  Sharon was one of the quiet saints of the church.  She was one of the helper saints.  If there was something that needed doing and you asked Sharon to help, she would tell you she might not do it satisfactorily and then proceed to do an outstanding job.  She was also one of the quiet saints.  She didn’t need to be out in front getting lots of attention for what she’d done.  In fact, she was happier to have the work be well received and remain unnoticed personally.  Lastly she was a loving saint.  Sharon loved well.  She had a heart for compassion and was always concerned for how so and so was doing, how her pastor was doing and how her pastor’s family was doing.  Sharon and her husband moved south to a retirement community toward the end of my pastorate, and I still miss them.

The truth is I have blessed to work with so many saints over the years in all of the churches I have served.  The Elkhart Presbyterian church is full of them – saints who are helpers, saints who work quietly behind the scenes, saints who are full of love for the beloved all around them.  I thank God today that I have been called to work among his saints.

Bless you all,

Pr. Sally