RUMBLINGS FROM THE RECTORY
Well, did you phone someone from your past this week?  I don’t just write these rumblings for the good of my health, you know.  I truly hope that when you read them you take them to heart. (except of course the whimsical flights of fantasy that I occasionally stick in just to see if anyone is actually reading the rumblings.)    Speaking of old friends and people that you may have lost touch with over the years, some of them are right here in Dryden, not even a phone call away.  In the time that I have been here, a short almost three years, I have celebrated funeral services for twenty-five members of our community, most of whom were Anglicans who were active members of our congregation.  I don’t need to list them, as many of you can remember who they are.  Most of them left family behind in the community, some of whom are still grieving their loss.  Grief can take many forms, and there is no timeline or deadline (no pun intended) for the grieving process.  Every one deals with death in different ways.  People who have never gone through it or who don’t understand the process sometimes have the attitude “Get over it”, or “suck it up, these things happen.”  Many of those who are grieving would love to “get over it”, but in the meantime the process continues.  YOU CAN HELP.  You don’t need to be minister or a counsellor to help others through their losses.  A phone call, better yet a visit, or even something as impersonal as an email can make a difference to someone who has lost a family member or a friend.  Don’t know what to say?  Afraid of opening wounds or floodgates?   One of Jesus’ most common sayings is “don’t be afraid”.   You don’t need to talk, you need to listen.  We call ourselves a “Christian Community”, and one of the roles of a Christian Community is to look after our members.  Jesus calls us to “care for the widows and the orphans”.  PICK UP THE PHONE.  CALL SOMEONE TODAY.  LET SOMEONE KNOW THAT YOU CARE.  Yes, I am yelling.  Being a member of this congregation means much more than just showing up in church on Sunday mornings.  It means taking responsibility for the well-being of our members, no matter who they are. Take this opportunity to show your Christian love for your friends and neighbours.