02-21-24

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
February 21, 2024
Today is the funeral service for Tammy Wilson, who served as our Nursery Director for more than 32 years. Tammy loved what she did, while also being very clear that she had no desire to be recognized or stand before any groups beyond a group of toddlers. She was fantastic at what she did, and countless children (many of them now adults) received grace-filled care from Tammy. It is a number we cannot begin to estimate. Grief is real for many individuals this day, and while recognizing the pain many are feeling this day, I wish to acknowledge the communal grief that is being felt. I believe the Apostle Paul’s metaphor for the church, the Body of Christ, was more than a catchy way of describing who we are. The bond of love draws the community together in such a way that there is a unique life that is greater than the sum of the individual members. And inside that body, there is a grief that must be named and processed. Someone who helped to undergird something so foundational as the place where we entrusted the care of our youngest participants is not something we can simply move past. I know many will be present at the service today, and that representation of the larger body will be part of our healing work. As we pray for Tammy’s family and friends, let us also be mindful of our own body and the grief that is felt.

By your immeasurable grace, O Ever-present God, we pray for healing to pour over every individual and every body that grieves this day. May we give thanks for the amazing gifts that have been shared while also praising you for the love that embraced Tammy in life and continues to embrace her in the life everlasting. Amen.