Festival of Friends

Amanda Kleine
St. Albert, Alberta
sister of Josh Krikke, Ted's roommate


Ted led a beautiful prayer at my brother's wedding reception this past summer. I cannot do justice to his thoughtfully placed words, but he mentioned that certainly our recently passed mother was communing with us as we shared in the joy of Josh and Sarah's wedding feast. His prayer touched me deeply that day, and I wanted to convey those same words to his family as a reminder of his presence at their own family feasts and joyous occasions in the years to come.

Canadian songwriter Bruce Coburn writes in his song "Festival of Friends":

Some of us live and some of us die
Someday God's going to tell us why
Open your heart and grow with what life sends
That's your ticket to the festival of friends.
Like an imitation of a good thing past
These days of darkness surely will not last
Jesus was here and he's coming again
To lead us to his festival of friends.

It will be lovely to meet Ted once again at the festival of friends.