The events of January 21 here at St. John's brought to light two women in my life who modeled what this day was about.  In my eyes these were women of great strength, courage, and faith beyond my comprehension.  Let me give you a snapshot:   Grandma Kenney, or "Grandma K" as referred to by all her grandchildren, was a woman barely 5' in stature, but a giant of a woman.  She was widowed very young and left to raise eleven children.  She used to do housekeeping and iron for the priests at Incarnation Church.  She would set up shop in her sun room where she could keep an eye on the neighborhood andstarch everything from the bed sheets to the boxers!  No kidding!  She had a charm bracelet which had a charm for each of her 40+ grandchildren.  It became too heavy to wear, but a testament to quite an abundant family.  She did special things and as her granddaughter, I was the recipient of my favorite malted milk balls from Dayton's candy counter.  She would give them to me and whisper, "go put these in your drawer and don't share them."  She was quite a character.  She received special honors from the Pope because five of her eleven children were ordained religious.  She volunteered at St. Mary's hospital until at least 80 years of age.  She had a series of strokes that found the last years of her life spent in a nursing home.  As grandma's death drew new, she expressed fears not of making it to heaven, she wondered aloud if she had lived her life well enough.  How is it, I wonder, that she could have any doubt about her full, faithful and challenging life?  I know the embrace she received upon her arrival in the Kingdom was more than she could have ever imagined.
     "Gramma Sherry" always had cookies in the cookie jar and a squeaky kitchen drawer that had candy treats in it.  You could fish down the heating grate in the living room and she would lay in bed with you on sleep over nights and play games until you were done!  She was a woman who always had on a freshly ironed housedress and apron.  She always wore her "morale boosters" (earrings); Rich, her husband and my "bumpa" was the love of her life.  No mistake about that.  He died and she waited 30+ years to be reunited with him.  She had a simple, no frills life.  She understood hospitality so well and could tell a great story (over and over again!).  When Gramma moved to the nursing home for the last year of her life, she told my dad, "well, this is my last stop."  She knew and welcomed the day when she would finally get to meet God face to face.  We had her with us until her 95th year!  Two great and strong women.
     Yesterday, January 21, we gathered at St. John's with many other churches who brought with them their own faith stories, their own particular skin color and culture, their own language.  We gathered as many faiths; one purpose.  Some 1600 people gathered to hear the Word proclaimed and sung in Spanish and English.  Issues of inequity that affect many lives each day were brought to the table and we were challenged to our very bones to finish the work that Martin Luther King, Jr. began before his untimely death.  The speaker, Rev. C.T. Vivian, said "most prophets lose their lives before their work is complete; but we know what the work is and we have a responsibility to continue that work!"  There was no doubt the Spirit was very present.  We heard about Martin Luther King, Jr., a man of small physical stature, an articulate command of language, a man of undying passion for his family and the larger family of humanity, a man of simple means; one of God's own whose life was ended as he was gunned down because of his beliefs, his faith, his persistence to make his voice heard.  We will not and must never forget him and the challenges he placed before us.  Our efforts toward unity must begin to outweigh our words of bold judgment and arrogance about others.  We sang, "teach us the way of your peace, kindle your fire within us, give us a vision of a world where people care for each other."  While many words were spoken yesterday, I was reminded of the people in my life who have made a difference to me by the faithful lives they led.  We are not all remembered by the masses, as we Martin Luther King, Jr., but we all impact the lives we meet on our way.  Much like the wonderful women I described to you.  We are each responsible for a part of building a fair and equitable kingdom.  No one gets off the hook.  Our own personal lives must be a testament to our understanding of the inclusivity of the Kingdom of God.  No matter what the size of your voice or the scope of your influence, you must live with a clear and faithful purpose.  We all will someday share seats together around the eternal banquet.  I am grateful I had such good teachers.
       Anne Marie Bartlett
       Pastoral Minister