Tim was an active member of the church I served on internship in Ohio. He and his entire family were leaders in the congregation. One thing, however, perplexed me about Tim. While the rest of his family would come to church all dressed up in their Sunday best, Tim showed up Sunday after Sunday in a pair of shorts, an untucked t-shirt, and tennis shoes. 

For the past 10 years, the Annual Mission Trip to Marion, Virginia has been one of the many ways we have taken our Mission Statement to heart. St. John’s Disciples have loaded up vans, trucks, and trailers, and made the trip to Marion, Virginia to become the Hands and Feet of Christ, completing home repair projects through Project Crossroads.

 It was Kay, in the parlor, with a hug.  The Grief Support Group was ready to begin, and Kay’s hug found one of the newer participants.  “I prayed for you all week,” Kay said.  And she wasn’t the only one praying.  Members of the group have listened and prayed and shared stories, growing closer as they talked about what grief has been like for them. 

Just this past week, National Public Radio (NPR) reported that British Prime Minister Theresa May has appointed a Minister of Loneliness for the United Kingdom. Apparently, loneliness in the United Kingdom has reached a critical level with more than 9 million people in a recent study claiming that they “always or often feel lonely.” It seems somewhat ridiculous that in today’s global society in which we are more connected than ever through social media and the internet, the experience of loneliness has reached such critical levels.