Last night I attended the Requiem Evensong at St. Mary's, Lakewood. Bishop Greg encouraged clergy to go to this service as a show of support for our law enforcement officers and as a sign of respect.
It was a beautiful service with a lovely choir singing classic Anglican chant, with a brief homily by Kendall Haynes, the rector of St. Mary's. The church was nearly full, and included a number of people I assumed were law enforcement people.
The readers for the lessons were two men prominent in law enforcement: Col. Larry Saunders and Sheriff Paul Pastor. It was impressive to see them there and recognize the weight of responsibility they carry, not only for us, the citizens, but also for the lives of their officers on the streets.
The prayers were taken from the burial office in the Book of Common Prayer, and included the names of the three men and one woman who were killed. I thought of their last moments, and of the bravery of the officer who rose up and in his last moments wounded the assailant. I also thought of the families of these officers and what it was like for them to hear the tragic news.
The New Testament reading was from Revelation 7:9-17, and included the description of the scene in heaven where the martyrs surround the throne of God. "These are they who have come out of the great ordeal...and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." It seemed like a very fitting reading.
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