Dear Church Family,

Our friend and Christian brother Jack Pack went home to be with the Lord on August 8, 2007. We celebrated Jack’s life and the promises of eternal life in Jesus Christ at Westminster a week later.

Jack was quite a guy. Even after his doctors had told him there was nothing else they could do for him and his life expectancy was only a matter of months, Jack maintained a positive spirit and was an inspiration in the way he handled the debilitations of his congestive heart failure and the sure knowledge of his mortality. Jack had said his prayers and had received that “peace which passes all understanding” which comes from knowing God is good and our salvation is assured in Jesus.

Jack was a faithful Christian disciple. He expressed that faithfulness in a variety of ways including regularity in worship and being a work-hound on Session. As an elder Jack was given charge of the Stewardship Committee. One of the themes of Jac ’s stewardship promotion was planned giving to the Church. He wrote several articles for the CHIMES in which he encouraged people to remember the Church in their will. In leading by example, Jack wrote in the April 2002 edition of the CHIMES, “Diantha and I HAVE seen our lawyer and HAVE established firm bequests payable to Westminster Church upon our deaths. It’s a GOOD FEELING – TRY IT !”

Jack did practice what he preached. His bequest to the Church was delivered this week.

It says in the Scriptures, “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord henceforth. ‘Blessed indeed,’ says the Spirit, ‘that they may rest from their labors, for their good deeds follow them!”’ Certainly Jack’s life and death reflects this beatitude.

Jack once said to me in a jocular way his sins were more a matter of “omission” than “commission.” Well one sin of omission he didn’t have to worry about was omitting the Church from his will. Let us take heed and follow Brother Pack’s example and be “blessed indeed” as the Spirit says, and have that “good feeling” Jack talked about. When you speak to your estate planner please remember to make provision for the Church as an expression of your faithful discipleship.

Pastorally yours,

Frank

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