Okay here goes my last mystery for these days before All Saints Day. Many years ago I had a member that came every Sunday and enjoyed everything about worship. The singing (no matter how poor), the responsive reading, the lifting our lives up together in communion. He would just sit quietly sharing with the believing community. People knew very little about him because he was always so quiet but he never missed worship and when preaching I always looked for him and his great smile.

He was physically a very sick man. He had cancer that was eating away and there wasn’t much that could be done for him. One Sunday he gave me a gift. Wrapped beautifully and when opened I discovered a stone communion cup. Inside was a note on which he had written, “Dear Pastor on special occasions, if you can, use this cup as a center piece to draw attention to our Lord’s Supper and our blessed Savior’s sacrifice.”

My brother in Christ, died shortly after giving me this gift. So,for the last nineteen years I have placed it on our altar during special worship times. To draw, to focus our attention to that moment Christ gathered with His disciples to “remember” to prepare for what lies ahead.

But where is the mystery pastor? Well after some time an oily substance started appearing at the bottom of the cup. I would wipe it out, clean it and put it away. I would then bring it out months later and there it would be again. Wipe it out, put away, take out and there it was…again. I have since stopped wiping it away and accepted the presence at the bottom of the cup.

Why is it there? Haven’t got a clue. Why this cup and not another? Haven’t got a clue? You must be doing something preacher that causes the substance to appear in the cup. Haven’t got a cue. All I know is the cup is a simple communion cup given by a fellow believer. But I also know each time I see it there is a feeling of comfort and confidence that we stand together as believers washed in the grace of our living Savior.

Go before us dear God so we may stumble in your steps. Go behind us, God, to push us down the right path when we wander off. Walk with us, God, as our strength because at times we grow weak, and walk with us in joy of salvation.

Amen!