NaBloPoMo: Day 2-- Sainted Colleagues

It's All Saints' Day. We read the names of church members who had passed away in the previous year. We chose to include their names in the Great Prayer of Thanksgiving, just prior to celebrating communion. It was a pretty moving list... We also included a new little ritual and made prayer flags from strips of fabric. Folks were invited to write names on the fabric pieces. They were collected and strung on a string and the string of prayer flags was hung outdoors from wall to wall on our porte-cochere. It was colorful and animated by the breeze we have today. I hope we did a decent job in worship today remembering the departed. I kept thinking about my parish colleagues this morning. I've been very blessed, most especially over the last eleven years, to work with talented, creative people who are fun and thoughtful and flexible and deeply committed to their work. I have my grave shortcomings. I don't always pace myself well, and then I'm tired and cranky. I want to learn more about the art of coaching, so that I can help train leaders to be even more effective. I want to be more effective. too. I want to help others set their dreams in motion. I have some dreams as well, as does this terrific congregation. In the meantime, it has been a special joy that I do not take for granted, to work with amazing colleagues, past and present. I thank God for Tom and Ashley-Anne and Matt, for Carolyn and Joyce, for Therese and Chris, Marilyn, Alison, Patti and Stephanie, for Kurt, Elaine and Kristene. Thanks, God, for sainted colleagues.