Glory Breaking Through
I attended a funeral Wednesday of one of Good Shepherd’s most loved parishioners. There are many parishioners that fit this category, but Jack Speese was that very special person that to know him was to love him. It is also most fitting that Wednesday of Holy Week was “Life’s Greatest Moment”. That moment in Jack’s life was February 14, 1980 when he met the love of his life, Sheri. Together they served the Lord for 42 years. The last years of their service together was here at Good Shepherd where Jack was a Lay reader, at times for more than one service, and he and Sheri spent many Sundays after church taking communion to shut in parishioners. Mike and I were the recipients of that gift of their time on many occasions.
Jack and Sheri remind me of the faithful women of Galilee . These women rose before dawn on that Sunday morning in order to anoint Jesus’s body for a proper burial. Their initial plan never happened, but that didn’t stop them. After being reminded by the angels at the tomb that “ The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified, and on the third day be raised again”, the women rushed back to tell the disciples. How long would that discovery had been if God had not been using these women? The disciples were locked away in fear for their lives. God’s plan, however, was not delayed by fear.
We have all been blessed with gifts from the Lord. May we all be like Jack Speese in finding those gifts and serving others with all our hearts.
Carol. I think of all the reflections for Lent, yours today was the most meaningful for me. While I only met Jack a couple of years ago, his faith was so visible. What a gift to us at Good Shepherd he and Sherry still are. Happy Easter to you and yours. Ray
Just perfect Carol, thank you.