This afternoon Trinity Presbyterian Church celebrated the life of the Reverend Franc M. Guthrie, who had been a parish associate for our congregation since his retirement from full-time ministry in 1998. Judging from the number of people present, Franc touched many lives in many places over the nearly 50 years of his ministry.
When I first got to know Franc, he struck me as a genuinely nice person -- but there was something about him that put me off-balance. I finally figured it out. When he asked "How are you?" he actually paused and waited for me to answer.
All too many people in the world ask that question and just keep right on going. It just something to say, something to fill dead air. Not so with Franc. When he asked you how you were, he was willing to listen.
When my wife's mother was in a nursing home following her stroke, he visited her on more than one occasion and brought her communion. When she died, Franc came to our home and visited with us and prayed with us.
We join hundreds of people in thanking God for Franc's ministry among us and we will miss him.
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