Follow Up to Yesterday's Emergency
During the service yesterday, Ralph Atchison had a "health blip." His fellow choir members and then Denis Filips and Krista Brodie offered medical assistance and called 911.
We departed the sanctuary to give space to emergency personnel and adjourned to the social hall where we prayed for Ralph, shared communion with each other, and shared our gifts with the world in the form of our offering.
My deep thanks to you all for your concern for Ralph, your flexibility in changing locations, and your care for each other and for the world.
The good news is that Ralph is home and seems to be fine. Thanks to David Batson for accompanying him to the hospital and keeping an eye on him.
What I saw yesterday was love, kindness, and compassion. Our time of prayer, communion and offering downstairs was informal, a bit confusing, tinged with worry. And it was supportive, gracious, and powerful. I said to several people that what we experienced together downstairs was true church; what we do upstairs seems to be a rehearsal for the kind of moments we experienced downstairs.
Thank you for being the church together yesterday.
If you would like to send Ralph a note of good wishes, his mailing address is:
Ralph Atchison
4826 Butterworth Place NW
Washington, DC 20016-4357
In yesterday's sermon, I invited us to consider how we speak words of peace in a violent world, how we seek reconciliation in a fractured political climate, how we see all people as children of God. Holy Week invites to walk through betrayal, pain, death, grief and doubt as we make our way to new life, to new ways of being. As a nation, we need new life, new ways of being. I hope your Holy Week walks you in that way.
Continue to pray for Ralph and for one another. Share your thoughts and hopes with each other. I look forward to sharing Maundy Thursday and Easter Sunday with you.
Love, peace and grace to you . . . and to all the world.
Timothy B. Tutt
Senior Minister