Shortly before Thanksgiving this year, Brenda Rozier Clark said to me, “I’m ready to let them go.” She arrived at my door holding the clergy robes and stoles worn by her husband, Paul, throughout decades of ministry. Paul Clark, a pastor, poet, leader and dreamer, passed away on April 3, 2020, from ALS. I wrote about Paul and shared one of his poems in a blog post There is Wonder in the World in December 2019, four months before he died.
Throughout this holy season, it has been my joy to wear Paul’s beautiful Advent stole around my shoulders like a hand of encouragement. I treasure my memories of Paul. And Brenda’s courageous journey through her own valley of grief has inspired me deeply. The faith, wisdom and strength of those who travel with us, and those who’ve gone before us, are gifts that nourish our lives. Thanks be to God for the body of Christ.
If you are in town this weekend, I hope to see you at the Christmas Eve service this Sunday at 4:00 as we celebrate the holy moment when, as George Buttrick put it, “God climbed down the back stairs of heaven with a baby in [God’s] arms.”
In the Great Love,
