Our United Church Women and their four male helpers serve up a great meal once a month for a group of over a hundred seniors, as well as a table of ten from the nearby drop-in. It is a wonderful outreach into the community.
My pattern is to smell the meal all morning, then head up as folk gather to chat with my parishioners and others. Only a dozen or so are from St. Paul's but I have got to know many more through the years. We make small talk and joke most of the time -- this is a cheerful gang -- but on occasion it becomes more serious. Today a woman who is not part of my flock admitted that she almost didn't come for the meal. A good friend who was there a month ago but experiencing back pain was diagnosed with lung cancer and died within weeks. This friend left behind was shaken by the experience.
When I said the blessing I prayed for those gathered and those remembered. Getting older can be marked by deep sadness because of loss. These men and women are positive most of the time but issues of health and bereavement move to the forefront of their lives.
I'm grateful for the thoughtfulness and dedication of those who provide the meal and the opportunity for encouragement and hospitality it represents.
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