I’m not a stuff person, and I don’t go asking for gifts a lot. But I feel like this might be a good occasion.
I’d like you to give me something. Nothing huge, and preferably something that can be sent by email or explained via phone call. A poem. A picture. A prayer (I’m specifically looking at you, E.D., because you know how I love your prayers).
Some of you have honored me with a gift already. C.Z., your concert dedicated to me counts. T.V., your quote counts. G.D., your email, which you thought communicated nothing except that you didn’t know what to say, that counts. I’m collecting these little treasures, and they help honor, grieve, and celebrate the little treasure I lost.
Consider it a shower, a non-baby shower, a showering of love. Consider it me doing a rare thing– asking for help.
here’s my gift to myself, an unfinished poem:
rose, unopened
pinched and folded,
brightness swallowed
inside cramped,
clenched, contracted,
folding back
on itself
closed before it opened,
brittle before it bloomed
showered in dew
drops like tear drops
like blood
red petals fallen
We Your People, Ours the Journey 
A communion call you can use:
“Come to this table. Not because you’re perfect, but because you are forgiven”.
From Rev. Barbara Lunblad, extraordinary person and professor at Union Theological. (Pastor at Our Saviour’s Atonement ELCA, 1980 – 1997. Communion call is still used at OSA.)
(…and I owe you a poem, but it’s late)
Thank you John, and I’ll take prayers whenever you’ve got ’em.
Becca
Rev. Clark,
I humbly offer this prayer for you (not that I’m a especially good “prayer”).
Blessings be with you and your family,
Richard
Heavenly Father,
Thank you for this special person you have given us. While I have not been blessed to meet her, through your gift of the web, I know of her and the effort and passion she exerts in serving You and those around her.
During this time she has been through much. Surround her with your comfort, consolation and strength. Please give her moments where she can be still and know you are God. Give her discernment to hear your voice and lead her flocks to the paths You seek. Help her to understand that her value to you is not utltimately measured in human accomplishment but simply in the fact she is a precious child of God.
Please bless her ministry, family and parishoners. Thank you for calling such people to minister to all of us.
Amen.
Richard,
You may not think that you are especially gifted in prayer, but this is a blessing to me. Thank you for your prayers; I think I most especially need the reminder that my value comes from simply being God’s child.
thanks again for brightening the day of a virtual stranger through the connection we all share (and I mean God, not the internet 😉 )
Blessings,
Becca
I’m sorry this is so late, but I just shot a nice picture of one of our stained-glass windows, and posted it on our church site as Windows wallpaper. You might like it; it’s Jesus holding a lamb.
Go to http://www.wsumc.net and click on Photographs; if you like the top photo, you can download the larger versions, then right-click on the image and select “Set as desktop background” from the browser’s popup menu.