UNITY -- St. Peter’s Church in Unity hosted the annual Christmas Service of Prayer and Remembrance Dec. 3. The service is sponsored by Gerein’s Funeral service and supported by the work of a committee of volunteers, with participation by the Unity Ministerial Association, Pastors Ron Rutley and Gary Johnson, and Fr. Greg.
There were many solos and duets, with piano, violin and guitar accompaniments, to set the tone for the service. Some folks brought special decorations to add to the Christmas tree. Singers from various congregations gathered to form a choir.
The guest speaker this year was Eric Beyer, a man of deep faith who nonetheless struggled greatly with the death of his son five years previous. He talked about how hard it was to adjust to his son’s identity, to support him through mental illness and to heal from the trauma after his son committed suicide. He ended his talk with a plea for all to practice forgiveness and to spread the love of Jesus.
Michael Soloski read the names of the departed, both those who were local and some from other communities whom we had lost in the past year. The congregation filed forward to light candles in memory of their loved ones. The candlelight made the beautifully decorated sanctuary even more beautiful.
Everyone who helped in any way to make the service so meaningful, especially the musicians, were greatly appreciated. After the service there was time for lunch and visiting in the lower hall.
