A Note from Pastor Bill

Dear St. Luke’s Saints,

I just left the memorial service for George Bailey (the real one, this time!) who was an icon of positive support and enthusiasm for West Orange County for half a century. The publisher of The West Orange Times, George was a tireless advocate for all the things that make a community a place where people want to live, work, and raise their families.

A member of The Episcopal Church of the Messiah in Winter Garden, George was a man of great faith who never knew a stranger, and who considered St. Luke’s his second church home. When we talk about “the St. Luke’s family,” we are talking about folks like George and his wonderful wife, Ann. Because the family knew the turnout for George’s service would be large, we offered to host his family and friends here. Right now the rotunda area is filled with people laughing and remembering this wonderful man.

I said in my welcome remarks as the service began that it isn’t often that we get to know the people who have given shape to a community. They are usually long gone before we arrive, but in this case I have been blessed with sixteen years of serving on boards with George, worshipping with him, and posing for pictures in his newspaper.

This coming Sunday is Human Relations Day, and the sermon title is “Debit My Account.” Luke records Jesus teaching his disciples, “If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you?” We so often want to build up credit in life by relating to others in love, but it seems to me that God’s desire is that we try to debit the account by taking the initiative to love FIRST, not in response. That means loving our enemy, the one who has wronged us, and even the one we would just as soon not have to ever see again. It is a high order, to be sure.

George was eulogized today as one who was always doing the good thing, the noble thing, the compassionate thing. As a result, tears were in eyes and smiles were on faces as we all gave thanks for who he has been in all of our lives. Human relations in West Orange County were not always something to be proud about. Racial violence in Ocoee is still remembered as we mark the 40th anniversary in 2008 of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. But people like George Bailey saw the goodness in all of us and encouraged us to make community a living reality and not just a notation on a map.

I hope you will join us this week as we think about debits and credits in love. The full scripture text is Luke 6:27-42. On January 27 in our traditional worship venues we will welcome the Bethune-Cookman University Concert Chorale and Dr. Rebecca Walker Steele at all services. Dr. Gary Mason from Belfast will preach in the contemporary service that morning.

With faith, hope, and LOVE,

William S. Barnes