On Sunday, November 24th, we welcomed ten new members into the Grace Memorial community. For the next several weeks, we’ll be learning more about all of them. This week: Paul and Debbie Walter!
Paul grew up in Japan, and Debbie grew up in California along the Central Caast. They have been married for 44 years and have two adult children, Eric and Michelle, both of whom are married. Eric teaches high school in Los Angeles and loves it. Michelle is a librarian who works in special education at a small school down the Valley. She and her husband have two delightful teenage kids, so Paul and Debbie are grandparents too!
Paul and Debbie have enjoyed traveling but are essentially introverts who enjoy quietness, reading, a cup of tea or coffee, and no TV.
Paul sees himself as, “something like a married monk — whatever that is.”
Paul and Debbie are both retired. They have been on a forty-year ecclesiastical pilgrimage, from Baptist, to Episcopalian, to Lutheran, to Roman Catholic, and now back to Episcopalian.
They write, “We are finding Grace to be a welcome balance between high and low church. There is a refreshing blend of both the vertical and the horizontal dimensions. The focus on the beautiful music, liturgy, and church interior, punctuated by moments of corporate silence runs so counter to all that swirls around us outside the church doors, but rather than being stuffy, there is warmth between our brothers and sisters in Christ and a respectful handling of the Word of God. Thanks to everyone for making us feel welcome and for the role each on you plays in making Grace a beacon of light in a dark world.”