Not long ago I was planning a visit to a church member in the hospital. I had called a family member of theirs to confirm this person had not yet been sent home. When they told me their family member was, indeed, still there, I said I would stop by to see them. When I got to the hospital, the church member was being tended to by medical staff, so I stepped into the hall with another member of their family to see how the treatment was going. As we spoke, he told me that when his spouse had called to let them know I would be stopping by, the person I was coming to visit said, “Oh good, it’s Monday, that means they’ll bring flowers from the service!”
This comment stuck with me. Now fortunately, I did have a beautiful bouquet of flowers that our dedicated Flowers to Friends team had put together that morning from the arrangement left over from that Sunday’s service. I often visit hospitals on Mondays and always enjoy the opportunity to brighten someone’s day with a floral blessing. But his comment was about so much more than the appreciation of the flowers. His words recognized the weighted work of decades of caring service given by so many who lovingly took blossoms and blooms that had been soaked in the congregational songs and proclaimed word of the worship service, arranging them to be transported to the bedside of those who needed assurance and comfort. It wasn’t that I was bringing flowers. These were flowers from the service. That distinction, that connection, was important.
That simple statement captures part of the beauty of the Kin-dom that God draws us into. Delivering the flowers depended on the work of Flowers to Friends to create them. Flowers to Friends depended on those who provided the flowers in order to begin their work. Yet, in between, the faith of the community intertwined with the Spirit of our Creator infuses these floral tapestries with an unexplainable connection to the Divine. We participate in that moment, often without even knowing. It is one of many when, unbeknownst to us, our presence reveals the light and life of our Creator to others.
So for that, I want to say, “Thank you.” Thank you for being a part of the beauty of First Baptist. Thank you for adding your songs and prayers to the petals of each bouquet we deliver. Thank you for the Kin-dom connection you help create. And the next time you struggle with whether or not you are going to make it to church that Sunday, know that your presence is a blessing in ways you have never imagined.
Michael McEntyre, Minister of Engaged Aging