Post: Readers Respond

Sandy Nelson’s elegant description [Fall-Winter 2023-24] of her experience as a “thurifer” (incense-bearer) immediately and vividly reminded me of my one and only far less elegant “thurifer” experience. But first some background.

During my 35 years as medical editor for ABC News, I often became involved when friends needed help with a medical crisis. One of them was a gay man whose partner suffered a long and difficult battle with AIDS which resulted in his death in 2000. Because I had been so involved in his care, during which time I became very close to them both, I was asked by my colleague to give the eulogy for his partner during the funeral mass.

So it was that I showed up one morning at the Catholic parish that both attended, where I was greeted by Father Leonard, a lively and beloved parish priest then in his early 70s. His first comment to me as he was dressing me in the appropriate robes was “Of course, I am going to have to wash these after, since you are a Protestant.” I knew I was in the presence of a kindred spirit.

The funeral mass proceeded as planned — including my heartfelt eulogy — until we reached the end of the service. Father Leonard was standing in front of the casket, thurible in hand, ready to process up the middle aisle when he suddenly and very unexpectedly turned around and motioned for me to join him. Quickly I found myself standing next to him with no idea why, when he suddenly handed me the thurible (the actual device) and said to me, very quietly, “Just walk up the aisle by my side and swing it.” That was the extent of my “training.”

So it was that I found myself in the role of “instant thurifer” with no idea of what I was doing. That was obviously apparent to my many colleagues sitting in the congregation, who had broad grins on their faces as they watched me “just swinging it.” I can only hope that God glorified the incense from a very amateur thurifer as though it came from one like Sandy Nelson who was thoroughly and thoughtfully trained.

G. Timothy Johnson,
LINCOLN, Massachusetts

Where is it inked?

Rev. Tim Hawkinson, a Covenant pastor in Carroll, Iowa, brandishes his P. P. Waldenström tattoo, based on Steve Elde’s iconic 1985 cartoon. Pastor Hawkinson was the speaker of the week at senior high camp at Covenant Point in Michigan, where vacationing Pietisten editor Mark Safstrom snapped these photos.