Rosie will be heading home to Oklahoma at the end of the year. She wants to spend more time with her parents, her daughter and friends from back home. George was married in August and he and Mary Anne are living in Lincoln, Rhode Island. He is still working in Norwich but on the weekends he is looking for a church home closer to where he lives so he can get involved there and share his gifts.
Yesterdays' service was filled with music and a tribute to both of them. At the same time we spoke about what it means to be part of a church family and to serve God there. We noted how every person has a role to play and how important our service is in making a church a home.
Brian Goldin, Rosie's son, sang a solo. Brian sang in the choir for many years and grew up in our Sunday School. It was nice to have him back for a day. As the children came forward, I invited Rosie to stand up. almost all of the young people who are 25 years old or younger have had her for a teacher. A little later in the service we invited her up to show her the plaque that will be hanging in the nursery from now on. It says that the area will now be known as the Rosie Main Nursery.
I invited the children to look at the Nativity scene at the front of the sanctuary and told them how each figure was important in telling the story of Jesus' birth. Then I reminded them that they are just as important because each of us has a job to do in order to make God's plan work. As the children headed down to the Rosie Main Nursery Area, Fred Green and I invited George Rezendes to come forward to join the choir in singing one of his favorite anthems, "A New King is Coming." It was a special moment.
After the announcements and prayers, the choir sang "A Tiny Child Will Come" and Rosie sang the solo part as she had done in the past. I think one of the things that kept Rosie coming back over the years was the fact that she loved to sing and the choir gave her a place to share that gift. My sermon was short this week as I spoke about Mary and her willingness to answer God's call. She didn't count the costs. She simply trusted God and did what she needed to do. I pointed out that George and Rosie had done the same. They both came here as they traveled life's journey and then answered his call and never looked back. They both gave of themselves and blessed us.
I pointed out that blessings always come when we serve God. They flow to all those around us and then they come back to us. I pointed out how this ministry has been blessed by the willingness of so many to answer the call. From the Property Committee, to the ushers, to the Sunday School teachers, to the musicians: everyone makes a difference and the blessings flow. Then I noted that in giving of ourselves, we are also blessed. Mary sang of God's blessings in her prayer following God's call. The truth is that both George and Rosie and all of us know that when we give of ourselves, we always get back more than we give.
The Praise team followed up on that by singing "Above All" and pointed out that Jesus is the reason we are all here and have come together as family.
We watched a video presentation that looked back on Rosie and George's years among us and then shared with them a few gifts. They both got a copy of the video and a specially crafted book of memories. We closed out the service around the communion table, which seemed very appropriate on this very special day and then went down to Fellowship Hall for a reception in their honor.
It was a great day. Here are some photos from the event.
Cal
No comments:
Post a Comment