Part of the Music Team at my church... Our team has dealt with a lot of goodbyes over the past few years. Every six months or so, we say farewell to another member. It feels like the whole structure of the Music Team is undergoing major change. This week we say goodbye to Lucile, and to her dad as well, who have given of their time and talent many a Sunday. As they return to France after 14 years in Lebanon, I find myself looking around, wondering who else will join, only to leave within a few years.

Such welcomes and farewells are common at my church, as common as the tide's movements. They are part of the burden of living on Earth. The bittersweet moments of parting with friends cut to the heart if not viewed through the eyes of hope - hope of heaven, hope of a world that grows smaller with each passing day, and even hope of advanced technology.