SEville Allen

Dear Abbey Members and friends,

I just saw a notice that a long time St. Georgian and one of our founding Abbey members, Seville Allen, passed away this afternoon. I will miss her. Penny & I met Seville when we first came to St. George's. She always impressed me with her fierce independence, her love of life, her compassion, and her spirituality. seville was a very private person..and only let a very few into her intimate circles. We served together as Stephen Leaders for a number of years when St. George's had an active Stephen Ministry program. Seville took on the task of assigning Stephen Ministers when someone in need called. Seville had a wonderful insight into people and helped match he most appropriate Stephen Minister to the person in need. Seville was active in our Abbey, though mostly behind the scenes. She was one of the motive forces in the Abbey's Intercessory Prayer Group (IPG) and served as the focal point for those needing prayer. I had the pleasure of being in an Abbey Listening Group with Seville and experienced first hand her rich spiritual insights and reaffirming words and presence.

I saw a poem from Weavings this evening that sums up some of my feelings and thought I'd share it with you:

Winter Sunset by Jennifer Lynn Woodruff

The Sky is blue and rose tonight
the clouds paint trails across the sun
the dark comes swiftly down the road
and all the day is left undone.

These are the colors that I claimed
the blue for darkness, pain, and loss
the rose for joys as yet unborn
and blossoming at countless cost.

These are the choices we make
here in the shadow of the night
to know our ambiguity
and yet live into the light.

Not knowing when the light will come
nor what will blossom from the pain
of roads that cannot be gone down
and days that will not come again.

Shalom, Seville, one of God's saints called home.

George DeFilippi