TEMPLE OF LOVE AND HEALING

2 Corinthians 1:4   "Who comforteth us in all our tribulations, that we may be able to comfort them which are in trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God."

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Please join us on a journey through our little church and a special personal tribute to an exceptional man - of course, I am talking about Ed Mann. 

 

As we enter the church, to the left is the bookstore. This is where the stained-glass pieces that were made by Ed  are for sale. He was also known for his artwork, as is demonstrated by the pictures that he made. Many of us from the church have an Ed Mann original in our homes. The bookstore also has flyers that Ed put together showing our events and classes. There is also a pencil sharpener in the bookstore. Ed would come in to use the pencil sharpener. I will tell you that I could never get it to work, but Ed would patiently put it on the edge of the desk, sharpen his pencil to perfection and then go into the sanctuary and take his seat and start drawing a new picture or writing a new story. Every Christmas, he and Kay would give us a personalized Christmas card with a picture done by Ed.

 

As you enter the sanctuary part of the church, the first chair to the right is the usher chair and Ed, being one of our ushers,

would occupy it and also be one of our keepers of the lights -- turning them up and down when various parts of the church service were taking place. Ed always had a smile and a greeting for everyone.

 

So, now we are going to continue our journey to the front of the church. In front of the pulpit, you will see the table that would hold our flowers. However, at Christmas time it would hold the manger that Kay and Ed would put up and take down every year. Such a special memory.

 

There are many times that Ed would speak at our church and give inspirational talks about his life and the way that God affects our lives. This is the area of the church where our organist, Kay, sits and plays such beautiful music for us to enjoy. Kay and Ed were married for 66 years and were the love of each other's life. I personally have always considered Kay and Ed as the matriarch and patriarch of our little church. They have been coming to our church since 1985 which is 38 years. 

 

When the service would begin, Kay would play the music and Ed would sit in the usher chair. He would sing along to the songs that Kay was playing especially when she was playing songs related to the military service. Ed's favorite was the Navy song, as he was a proud veteran of that branch of the military service.

 

Ed would draw pictures and write stories. He was one of the ushers and would take up the collections on that side of the church. During the last hymn, Ed would get up and turn on the lights to the bookstore and the entry way lights so that people could see their way out. Ed and Kay were usually one of the first ones to arrive at the church for the services and the last ones to leave. Their true dedication to our church is so incredibly special. As is their place in all of our hearts and minds when we remember Ed.  However, Ed will always be with us in our church and Kay will always be our musical angel. This is my dedication to an absolutely wonderful and spiritual man, who will always be a part of our church family. Our church family is such an important one and although we are not related in one sense, we are related in our forever love, support, and admiration for each other.

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With Loving Memories,
Judy Russell