By Rich Melheim I
kidnapped Pastor Ray one Sunday last summer.
Against objections that it wasn’t worth the hassle to break him out of the nursing home for an hour of worship that he wouldn’t remember, and against the accusation that I was doing this more for me than for him, I kidnapped dad. I literally lifted him from his wheelchair and plopped him into my car for the drive to church. In the first three minutes and while still in the narthex, he received eight handshakes, five hugs and three kisses.
He slept 48 of the 58 minute- worship service, holding my hand. He woke to sing “I Love to Tell the Story.” Then he slept again. He woke to pass the peace and, when three dif- ferent women reached out to shake his hand, he clasped their hands and wouldn’t let go.
I’d been told he couldn’t feed him-
After his son “kidnapped” him for church, Ray Melheim (center) enjoyed a fish picnic with son Rich (left) and son-in-law Steve Brubakken. A week before his father died, Rich Melheim took him out for a walk and photographed the two of them (inset). On the walk he told his dad, “If you want to go see mom now, it’s OK. We’ll be fine. You did a great job!”
Melheim is an ELCA pastor and founder of Faith Inkubators and the Preschool Incubators Project (www.
faithink.com). His father, Ray Melheim, died Sept. 27. He served for 38 years as a pastor in the American Lutheran Church (a predecessor body of the ELCA).
Son ‘kidnaps’ his father for a final trip to worship Wholly and 34 The Lutheran •
www.thelutheran.org
holy different
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