Lay down your burdens

While this photo is not at all of us, it does describe what happened at the end of church today.

It was quite the teary morning. There were people crying during the service for other reasons but we were all awash at the end of the service: a dear 10 year old who has the sweetest soul, who loved the tenant who died Thursday in their house*, thanked the congregation during announcements (which come after the blessing and before the dismissal) for all the love we had expressed to him and his father this morning. With that, we were all crying so I told the two of them to come forward ('You both need this'), and we all laid hands on the two and blessed them. After that, we couldn’t go on with announcements. We did the dismissal and then beat the bounds and blessed plants for Rogation Sunday as is our wont.

I am so thankful that they didn’t leave and that they felt safe enough to be embraced.

A moment like this is the small church at its best. A newcomer (her second week and she volunteered to be on our rota!), a returning cradle Episcopalian, didn't feel at all left out, I think, but joined in the congregational laying-on-of-hands and blessing. I think a congregation that can weep together like that is a strong and God-filled group of people. And it is terrific that an entire congregation can be such good pastors to a father and son.

God was worshipped in many deep ways this morning.

*Apparently he rented their apartment and died Thursday night. The young fellow's mother found the tenant dead Friday afternoon. It probably was heart attack. The whole event has traumatised the family. You can pray for the repose of the soul of Bob.