The whole thing is stupid and unnecessary, Judy was thinking as she was driving to the nursing home. There was no reason to get rid of Pastor Kyle except the town congregation wanted him all to themselves.

But that was enough for the rural congregation's council. "If that's the way they feel about it, then let them have Pastor Kyle. He's never around here, anyway. We'll go it on our own." So the council with the help of the synod, found a part-time pastor who lived thirty miles away to take the call.

But when the nursing home called Judy at work to let her know that her father's breathing was increasingly labored; that he was about to die, she just knew the new pastor wouldn't do anything about it. "Has a pastor been to visit?"

"Yes, earlier today. He left a note."

Before she left for …