April 2007

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I refer to you as my brothers and sisters because it is more evident than ever that Gilead is a family church. Easter is upon us, and praise be to God for new life and the witness to the resurrection, for we have had a sad and painfully tough journey in the wilderness this Lenten season. I had planned for something more meditative and metaphoric for our Easter preparation, but tragically, we have literally been in death’s shadow with Jesus these last several weeks. We buried two of our own, saying goodbye to Ed Allmond with tears and laughter, remembering all the joy his life brought us and his service to the church, our nation and his family throughout his long life. We also said goodbye to a child, a pain we hope we never have to face, as we held on to Renae, Louis and Sean Lent as they let go of Louisa, a beautiful light who shined in our presence far too briefly but no less brightly. And there have been other deaths as well in our extended family, as we held the hands of what seems like an unusually high number of our members burying parents, friends and siblings.

Is there meaning to be found here, or only emotional exhaustion as we pick up the phone to hear of yet another loved one making their final transition? For me, the answer is clear. I feel closer to Christ than ever, for I have seen him everywhere the last month. To feel the unceasing prayers of the church family is to be strengthened by Christ. To worship with streaming tears and unexpected laughter shows forth Christ. To see my Christian brothers and sisters reaching out to one another with food, transportation, money, services, talents and time-off from regular work and pray, brings me near to the heart of God, to quote a hymn from Louisa’s funeral, and I know the presence of Christ.

“What then are we to say about these things?” asks Paul regarding trials and tribulations, in his letter to the Romans (8:31). “We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to God’s purpose,” he says (8:28). That doesn’t mean it’s good that a child dies, or that God caused her death as part of a divine plan. It means that in the pain and torment, we can trust that those who put their faith in God will ultimately find salvation. Good can come out of pain if we stay with the love of Christ as our guide. That is the meaning I have found so deeply touching this month, that when the chips are down, we truly are brothers and sisters, and we love one another as the body of Christ. And that, my dear family, is the point. Paul elaborates in the very next verse, “For those whom God foreknew, God also predestined to be conformed to the image of God’s Son, in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family” (8:29).

Let us continue to be that family to one another, always striving to care for each other and always widening the family circle. Pray for the Lents, the Allmonds, our entire church family, and let us help one another to stumble out of the dark wilderness into the Light of the Resurrection. Happy Easter.

Martin

To read Martin's letters from past months, please click here.