To Live Again

At Emanuel UCC, one of the groups meeting at our church is called "To Live Again." It is a bereavement support group for those whose spouses have passed away. They meet on the 2nd Saturday of most months, beginning with a dinner at 6 p.m. (At present, I don't have a link to any contact information for the group; I'll update this post if I get any information.) They have traditionally invited the pastor and other members of Emanuel to attend their December meeting, and so I represented Emanuel UCC this year. It was my first meeting with the group, and while most of those present were middle-aged or older, they were a lively (verging on rowdy) bunch. For a group whose members have experienced mourning, the room was full of life. Several wanted to see the sanctuary of the church (which is upstairs from the social hall) and so I turned on the lights and invited them to take a look. (They didn't get away without a commercial; I also invited them to our 10 a.m. worship and our 7 pm Christmas Eve service.) I was grateful for the reminder that even out of death, God brings new life.