Our thoughts are filled this week with the loss of our dear friends Judy Leslie, and Laurel Ross.  Such kind, wonderful, generous souls.  Both significant contributors to our community.  Both well-loved and appreciated.  The tear in the fabric of our church their parting leaves us with is long and wide.  We will close the tear, eventually, but the mended place will remain a reminder of our loss and our love.

To join a community, to make dear friends and hold them close, to give our time, and work, and love, to others, is to expose ourselves to the pain of loss.  It is the risk of making connection.  To open ourselves to real relationship is to make ourselves vulnerable to the pain of loss.  These are tough times for a community.  But our pain is a testament to the value of relationship.  I’m so glad that Judy and Laurel accepted the challenge of community.  And so grateful for all of you who choose to accept the same challenge.