The Deacon’s View
“The Gate of Eternal Life”
‘
I’m writing this the evening following Bobbie Monroe’s amazing memorial service.  I say “amazing” because initially it just didn’t seem possible.   Bobbie wanted the service to be at St. Paul’s, but Bobbie also knew at least half the town.  The Chorale all wanted to sing.  But once again, St. Paul’s became the “little Church that could”.  I’ve never seen so much furniture get moved or re-positioned, with so little fuss.  For a day and a half, workers just appeared to make reserve seating signs, bake for the reception, fix the sound system, etc.  From other churches came people who put together and printed the bulletin, rehearsed the choir, arranged for musicians, and moved all the outdoor chairs up from the storeroom, and the Parish Hall.  Over 185 people were seated!  And, within thirty minutes after the service the sanctuary looked as if nothing had happened.  All was back in place.  Indeed, we were part of a well-oiled machine...oiled by the Holy Spirit, that is.
    What a gift it is to be part of the St. Paul’s faith community.  And what a gift it was to be part of the larger faith community of Cambria on this day, for those helping in this effort came not only from St. Paul’s, but also from Living Waters Christian Fellowship, Santa Rosa Catholic Church, Cambria Community Presbyterian Church, and the First Baptist Church.  (There may have been others that I’m not aware of.)
    One of the prayers I used said in part, “Give us faith to see in death the gate of eternal life…”   After most of the crowd had left, I stood outside gazing at the hills beyond the meditation garden, and I realized that today we had experienced, in part, this “gate of eternal life”.  On this peaceful afternoon of remembrance the issues that divide and separate the denominations had vanished for the moment.  We had all held hands together as we prayed together, in unison we had lifted up our voices, singing: “And I will raise them up on the last day”.

All this happened as a result of Bobbie’s death.  But beyond this, we worshipped together because we share one Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ.  We caught a glimpse of the gate of eternal life. 

        Gay Blundell, deacon