Ray Benner

My friend Ray Benner passed away this past Sunday.

Ray was a blessing to me, as I'm certain he was to many others.

When we lived in Findlay, and after all opportunities that Ray would be in a class I taught had passed, Evelyn and I socialized with Ray and Stephanie.  The list of students with which we had that sort of relationship is extremely small.  We were acquainted with Brittany and Josh when they were mere crumb crunchers.

Ray and I served on the ERC Renewal Commission in its earliest days.  When we were both in congregational ministry, we spent some time attempting to figure out what a sermon actually is, based on the Word.

I was, I'm certain, very little help to Ray when Stephanie was dying of cancer.  However, when Evelyn was struggling with cancer, he was a very good friend to me, even though the pain of losing Stephanie was still fresh for him.

Ray was a reader of this blog.

I know of at least one time I copied, into the blog, private comments to me that he had written.  Ray was very supportive of what I wrote on the blog, though, so characteristic of his special gift, I'm not certain Ray agreed with me.  I think he did.  But, all I really know for certain, is that he supported me as I lived out my gift and calling.

Ray Benner was a beautiful man in the Lord and I will miss him.