When Gary Safrit retired from the pulpit of
Lutheran Church of Our Saviour, Greenville, S.C., he didn’t stop
sharing the message of God’s love. He just changed his method.
Even
before he entered first grade, Safrit sat drawing at the family’s
kitchen table. Though he never had formal training, his artistic talent
helped support him financially through college and seminary.
So
in the early 1990s, when church conflict resulted in depression and he
began to question his call to ministry, it was art that provided light
at the end of his tunnel.
His wife, Brenda, often suggested
Friday/Saturday “getaways” to help him cope. On one of those outings he
walked the streets of Atlanta on a Saturday morning. He stopped in
front of an antiques store that was closed and stood at the window
admiring a display of religious icons.
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© 2013 Augsburg Fortress, Publishers
