Weighty Matters

I wasn't halfway into the sanctuary door when an usher said to me accusingly,"Now don't tell me you didn't lose weight this time." I paused because I was at a loss for words. It was early in the morning and my witty reply mechanism was not quite operating. I said nothing.

Had I once told her that I had not lost weight? Does being a doorkeeper in the house of the Lord include weight-loss monitoring?

My general amusement turned to sadness later in the service, when I learned that a man who had been one of the pillars of the deacon board had just died. I was very used to seeing him and when I saw him during the past few weeks, he was quite alive and seemingly well. It is hard to believe that he is gone.

But my sadness did not last: despite having a paper with the words, a soloist butchered a rather popular gospel song, so I was amused again. And then the sermon reminded me of how easy it is to concentrate on what you don't have and that we'd all do better if we looked at what we do have.

So, R.I.P. Deacon Robb. We'll miss you, but we are better because you were here.