good-bye to a friend

sometimes saturday comes and i got nothing. this wouldn't be such a big problem except that tomorrow is sunday and more than a few people will be expecting me to have something, namely an enlightening and uplifting sermon for them to listen to.

today is one of those saturdays. i got nothing and for pentecost of all times. pentecost being the day we remember the coming of the Holy Spirit, the third person of the trinity who is supposed to inspire my preaching.

so, well over an hour ago i sat at the computer expecting to flit around the internet hoping for something to start my creative juices flowing when i stopped by a discussion board i like to frequent. mostly it's made up of other pastors from all over north america, who have become friends even though i have met none of them in person.

i stopped there because there is a link on my bookmarked page to another site where other pastors discuss the readings for sunday, but before i could clink on the link i saw a post entitled "sad news. a-w-g dead."

awg was a pastor in maine who worked with congregations who suffered from clergy abuse and with pastors who were suffering burn-out. there was more than once that he offered me encouragement and his prayers. i sat and cried before i responded to the post. funny how someone you've never met could touch you like that and yet it happens all the time.

there is a lot of ugliness that can be found on-line, but i have also found a group of people who have become dear to me... people that i could walk right by on the street and not recognize. awg was one of them and i grieve the fact that now i will have to wait until heaven to see him face to face.

God's peace y'all