Thank you, Ann Weems!

Presbyterian News service announced the death of Ann Weems. She left behind this unpublished poem as one last gift, which the New Service shared in their obituary:

When You Hear of My Demise
by Ann Weems

When you hear of my demise
Don’t believe a word of it! 
Our God is the God of the living 
And I am living still! 
If it were not so 
He would have told us! 

Don’t believe a word of it! 
And whatever you do 
Please please please 
Don’t eulogize me! 

Gather instead for worship! 
To celebrate God 
Who gives each of us Life Abundant! 

Turn mourning into morning 
Turn tears into laughter! 
Turn sadness into joy! 
Turn somberness into celebration! 

Remembering that Jesus is 
The way, the truth, the life. 
Gather to celebrate life with scripture and prayer 
With jazz band with choirs, with pipers with dancing 

Follow with faithfulness the life you have been given! 

I left this earth in Alleluias 
Dancing with the angels of life 
Among the stars of God.

Praying

A gruesome terrorist attack during Holy Week feels especially evil. I pray:

God of grace and peace,
we pray for the city of Brussels
and the people of Belgium.

Help and heal the wounded,
receive the dying into your embrace,
and comfort those who mourn.

Strengthen rescue and relief workers
who protect and provide for others
in the midst of crisis and chaos. 

Give leaders the wisdom and determination
to understand the causes of hatred
and prevent it from gaining force.

Put an end to all violence and war,
and restrain the impulse
to use injustice to seek justice. 

Continue to pour out your mercy
upon the victims of violence in Bangladesh;
Istanbul, Turkey; Peshawar, Pakistan;
and all the places we forget or ignore. 

Surround us all with your grace
and bring peace to our weary world.
This we pray in Jesus’ name.

Gradye Parsons
Stated Clerk of the General Assembly 

Heath Rada
Moderator of the 221st General Assembly (2014) 

Tony De La Rosa
Interim Executive Director, Presbyterian Mission Agency