Dear Good Samaritan,
Last weekend I traveled to Texas for the wedding of my niece. We visited a dear seminary friend and his wife in Dallas and then joined family for the wedding in a small town outside of Waco. The wedding itself and the visits were wonderful.
Even as we were greeting and celebrating, we were mourning. As I left the church to drive to the airport on Wednesday, I was called to the hospital to say Prayers at Time of Death for Lou Naggy. Sherry and two of their daughters were there at the bedside, and it was both beautiful and very sad. Beautiful to be in the presence of such love, sad to say goodbye to a dear one, a fellow child of God.
Then, on Saturday, as we were dressing up for the wedding, we saw the news about the USA and Israel attacking Iran, and Iran’s retaliatory attacks. A new war in the Middle East has begun. Hundreds of lives already lost.
Psalm 23 says:
This psalm describes the darkness of death and the blessings of love side by side. As we mourn our losses and pray for peace, may you know the loving-kindness and mercy of God. May we love and support one another in these times. May our worship be a time of renewal and encouragement. May our fellowship and prayers be a source of comfort.
With much love,
David+
