Steve Lewis died on Christmas Eve 2021. Here's a video of yesterday's service in his honor (YouTube, 93 minutes, on MCC Portland's channel).
I have had virtual communion with MCC Portland only a few times since the pandemic started. Today it was a joy to celebrate with the community again. I hurriedly found a Triscuit and splashed some Merlot in a tiny glass that we got at a local Cider Summit.
[Photo feat. the bag the Triscuits were in, argh.]
Under present conditions it's an epic achievement to have a memorial service at all; I've lost many people for whom we've decided to celebrate their lives "later, when we are able to." I'm rethinking that now.
For as long as I attended MCC, Steve and Charles were the guys who showed up. In addition to living their own full lives ... ahem, ahead of living full lives with large extended families and interesting jobs, Charles and Steve did the things that Jesus asked us to do, helping the sick, visiting captives in prison, and giving their own coats (physically or spiritually) to people who were cold. They always participated and often led in the hard work of nurturing our community life and challenging us to be better Christians, including engaging with the larger world in confronting hate and discrimination.
The son of a preacher, Steve was never himself preachy, but simply led by example. (Here's to everyone on the Congregational Life Team, one of the beating hearts of the church.)
Yesterday Charles and Steve's birth family organized a wonderful memorial. Many were there in person and I got to hear musicians whom I miss a great deal. Nathan's preaching (and sung invitation to Communion) were as strong and beautiful as ever. Bernadette's and Charles' tributes wrapped things up. Charles was able to tell a short, fun story because Dave's eulogy and the impromptu contributions of other attendees and a lovely slide show had already sketched the big picture.
I woke up this morning thinking about Steve's older brother Dave reminding us to "hold onto our fork" (just as if we were at a church potluck) because for Christians the best is yet to come. We celebrated Steve's life of adventure and love (all 4 kinds) and service, and all of Steve's people showed by example (Steve-ishly) the importance of holding each other in community.
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