Karen Hunnie Memorial Window

The window in memory of Karen Hunnie was dedicated on Sunday, April 19, 2009

Words of Welcome

 This is a special Sunday when we turn our focus to the ancient Christian ritual of dedication.  Throughout history, this practice of setting persons, places or articles apart for sacred use has been an important part of living faithfully. It is the act of acknowledging that the greatest gifts in our lives come from God , and that causes us to live with greater thanks… Today we celebrate the gift that has been Karen Hunnie, a wife, mother, grandmother, faithful Christian, energetic worker, tireless walker and our friend.  In her honour and to her memory we will dedicate a new window that will remind us always of God’s creative work within this community of faith.

Introduction to window

Karen Hunnie was a tiny dynamo.  Whether she was walking, running or cycling….she was always on the move.  Karen worked hard at everything she did.  She did not waste energy on worry or inaction…she saw what needed to be done and she did it.

Even after her diagnosis last year, I offered to walk with her thinking that she’d tire after a block or two.  Boy, was I wrong!!!  Off we went at breakneck speed around Windsor Park.

She approached all of life this way.  Her family, Don, Connie, Mark, Carson, Sheri, Dave, Jacob and Madison have been blessed beyond measure by her love and courage and zest for life.

As a congregation, we miss Karen and are so grateful to have this tribute to remind us of her life and to inspire us in our faithful service to God. (Sharon)

Description of Window

The scene we are looking at is the view as you would see it from Karen and Don’s cottage at Lee River – a very special place, where Karen and Don enjoyed spending time.  The two dragonflies in the middle ground represent Karen and her husband Don – Karen always in the front and Don trying to catch up from behind.   The dove at the top represents heaven.  The two blue butterflies are for their two grandsons, Carson and Jacob.  Karen and Don’s two daughters, Connie and Sheri, are represented by the two white roses.   The three red roses represent love, especially Karen’s love of flowers.   The pathway represents Karen’s love of walking.   As mentioned earlier, the view is from their cottage, and there is great blueberry picking near the evergreen trees in the distance.   Inscribed in the lower corner of the window are the words “In Loving Memory of Karen Hunnie – Loved by your Family.”

 Dedication

In this window, we see a beautiful rendition of some of God’s awesome creation…and in this image we remember…memories of laughter, memories of love, memories of hugs and of tears…memories that will live on through the generations to come as we pass them along to our children and their children, just as the ancient Christians did for generations…

We are grateful to Don and his family for their generosity in making this gift to Windsor Park United Church.  We are honoured to be entrusted to this memorial to Karen.

We set apart and dedicate this window in this holy place, as it fills this space with light and dances with colour, as its pictures stimulate our minds to thankfulness, as its beauty reminds us of the wonder of Creation, may your glory be known to all we see it.  Now in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit I dedicate this window in loving memory of Karen Hunnie.
Let all God’s people say…Amen.

Prayer and Lord’s Prayer

Gentle God, you always walk with us….even when we don’t notice.  Your presence is a source of strength when we feel weak and clarity when we are confused.  You manage to work your miracles in the most ordinary aspects of everyday living and for that, we thank you.  We are so grateful for all our memories of Karen and for the legacy she leaves to our congregation—her’s was a steady, deep and sure faith—and if we aspire to even a portion of that for ourselves, our lives will be infinitely richer.  Allow this window to be an inspiration and not merely a decoration.  It calls us to service, wisdom and a boundless faith…..but most of all it urges us to a tenacity of spirit that seeks always to squeeze the most from the blessings of this  life.  Grant us grace fuelled by joyful memories and expansive dreams.  We pray in Christ’s name in the words he gave us, Our Father….

To learn more about Karen’s life go to:  http://passages.winnipegfreepress.com/passage-details/id-130389/name-Karen_Hunnie/date-range-all/classification-id-1/first-name-Karen/last-name-Hunnie/order-publish_date%7CDESC,last_name%7CASC,first_name%7CASC/