A. Ray Lee. BAM! Publishing, 2017. 130 pp. (Paperback).
A well-known former pastor from Morgan County who turned to chaplain work after he retired from the pastorate, A. Ray Lee also worked for 15 years as assistant director of a funeral home. When he writes about bereavement, you know he has something of interest and great value to share.
“There is a Time,” according to the author, targets those in the bereavement professions — chaplains, pastors, hospice professionals and funeral home personnel, but after reading it, I think it would actually appeal to a wider audience.
The book is a compilation of stories from the author’s experience, but instead of the dreary tales of death one might expect, the stories are infused with the faith of the author, making them filled with light and hope. Oh, there are the sad stories about a person who had no service at all, and one whose son — the only one who went to the graveside service — raced off immediately after the short ceremony.
There also are stories like the one when Lee comforted the daughter of a woman who had just died, then witnessed her using his own words to comfort the rest of the family. He slipped out quietly, knowing the family was in good hands. And the intensely personal note at the end, as the pastor and chaplain contemplates his own departure is moving and at the same time hopeful as he speaks of healing of a different kind.
The book is beautifully written, making me wonder why Lee hasn’t written other books.
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Meet the reviewer
Martine Bates Fairbanks, Ed.D., reviews books and movies for The Alabama Baptist. She is a university professor and retired principal. She is a member of Central Baptist Church, Decatur.
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