March 2016
The Pastor’s Ponderings Pastor David’s cell phone—348-330-4170 and email address—fleeneda@gmail.com Not too long ago, while visiting someone at Ball Hospital, I met a fellow pastor in the parking lot. I had retrieved my communion set from the car and was preparing to go inside when he stopped me. He said, “That’s a nice communion set you’ve got there. Where can I get one like it?” Much to his disappointment, I told him that he couldn’t get a communion set like mine. Each part of my communion set is unique, and come from different places to make up a whole set. I didn’t deliberately set out to make a set like this; it just happened over time as I went about my work. Some of the pieces are more interesting than others. The case it-
self is (no kidding) an old cigar case, a gift from my ex-mother-inlaw. The cigars inside were pretty bad, some off-brand. I ended up giving most of them to my little brother. But I kept the case, and a number of years later, realized that it made a quite serviceable communion case. The paten (plate) has a sad story behind it. There was a gentleman at my internship parish who was one of the gentlest human beings you could hope to meet. Unfortunately, he was diagnosed with tongue cancer (he never used tobacco), suffered greatly in the span of a few months, and died. After copresiding at his funeral, I received his communion kit which he had used as a member of a visitation team. To his set, he had added a pewter paten with an intricate de-
Zion’s 2016 Council Members Elder & President ...................................................................... Jody Stanley Elder & Vice-President ................................................................. Larry Hile Secretary ............................................................................... Barb Hardwick Deacons ................................................................................... Scott Clamme Drew Walker Allen Stallsmith Trustees .................................................................................... Chris Stroble Tom Armstrong Mark Prout Treasurer ................................................................................. Max Langdon Financial Secretaries .................................................................... Tiann Coy Kathy Sharp
sign. With the family’s permission, I took that paten and use it to this day in his memory. It’s a tangible reminder to me that when we commune, we never commune alone, but are united with the saints in the heavenly realm.
The chalice comes from another communion set I purchased my final year of seminary on EBay. I took the set to a priest friend at an Episcopal church in Rogers Park, Chicago, and he blessed and dedicated it to the glory of God. While I only use the chalice from the set now, that piece reminds me of that ecumenical bond I had during my time in Chicago. Like this communion set made of many disparate pieces, we in the body of Christ come from different places and have our own stories. But we are all held together by Christ and are used by Christ for his mission in the world – to embody the good news of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection; the good news that saves us from sin, death, and ourselves. From the beginning of the church, Jesus has united different people for that one purpose. We pray that he would strengthen that bond of unity and that sense of purpose, driven forward in love. Love to you all, Pr. David