June 2024 From Pastor Dawn Good morning!  I hope you are all doing well and enjoying the beginning of the summer, regardless of what the weather brings.  In keeping with my plan to answer questions you may have, I’m remembering a helpful tool I discovered at my first church.  This will answer some of the questions people have asked.     On my first day of work twenty one years ago, I looked in the desk drawers and found paper files the last pastor had left there.  One file was a funeral planning file.  As I looked over the papers, I found single pages of church member’s funeral plans.  This kind of resource is so helpful when a funeral happens, especially as we are dealing with longer lives and with memory issues. Let me tell you what these confidential files kept in the pastor’s desk contain.     Each paper has full name, address and phone number of the person who has chosen to write out their funeral plans.  There’s a place for the names of their favorite hymns and favorite Bible verses.  There’s a place where people can tell all about their lives-their children or relationships or jobs or military service.  Each of us has something that’s important to us.     The person chooses a church funeral or funeral home service.  They decide whether it’s a communion service or a non communion service.  If they have served in military service, they can request military honors at the cemetery.  Not everyone wants to deal with the thought of their death and you don’t have to.  But think about whether your next of kin will have the funeral you want if you don’t make your wishes known.  That’s motivating!     There’s another topic I want to talk about as we’ve discussed how heavily the health of others weights on our hearts and minds.  I will share a lesson that I learned in seminary.       Some years ago, Philadelphia Lutheran Seminary called a new president and I attended his installation service.  All professors and the seminary presidents are pastors and realize that the work around us is never done.  In this case, Professor Tim Wengert shared some advice with the incoming president.  Phil, he said, you don’t have to die for this seminary.  God already gave us a Savior.       We need to remember God already gave us a Savior.  Jesus came to walk with us in our lives and he walks with both the caregivers and those who need care.  Jesus also walks with the sick and depressed and those whose faith isn’t strong enough to hold them up.  I believe in this case we refer back to Romans 8:26 and following:  The Spirit helps us in our weakness for we don’t pray as we should, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.  And God who searches the heart knows what is in the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.  I will add I believe this intercession is important because the Holy Spirit is the spirit of truth and only the truth can be found in the heart.  We don’t carry the weight of ministry alone; we already have a Savior.  And Jesus does the heavy lifting for us. Peace, Pastor Dawn