The Rock Mann

When Pastor Al Mann asked "How are you?" you knew he really wanted to know. Pastor was one of those people whose smile lit up his face. And he smiled alot. He enjoyed life and enjoyed his family and friends. He also loved rocks.

In their house, he had a room full of different samples all labelled with the scientific name. Each sample had a story, either of where he found the rock or a story about that type of rock. Pastor would spend hours showing us his collection. He talked about the process of polishing the stone and how depending on the hardness of the stone, the materials used to grind and polish were different. Some stones took longer then others to be completed. He showed me how a rough, ugly stone, would turn into a beautiful stone after hours of grinding and sanding.

He was a wonderful teacher. He told a gawky, shy 9 year old that just like the rock was turned into a beautiful stone after being jostled around in a barrel with just water and sand, God did the same with us. It takes time, but soon the beauty of the rock became vi sable. Some rocks took more time then others, but no matter how they looked on the inside, but God could always see the beauty within.

God called Pastor Al Mann home on June 13th. I can only imagine the fanfare and joy as one of God's children came home. Well done, good and faithful servant.