My Mother died on April 15, 2002. The experience of the loss was beyond anything I had ever felt. She was my Mother. It was different having her die, than it was having witnessing the ending of life of some other person. She was the first female known to me. She taught me the stories of Jesus, while I sat on her lap. She was my friend, teacher, true "laptop theologian". And, in the end, she was still teaching me.
Ten months later on February 19, 2003, my father died. Experiencing the death Mother had taught me to accept the dying of my Father.
Death is the ending of life as we know it on earth. Accepting the reality of death and dying sent me to the Scriptures and into the human questioning of God. "Why? Why now? Why MY parents? Why will the same come to me, my spouse, our children, and of course all existing life known to us? My God, why?"
Thoughts of eternal life quickly came, and quickly lost influence on my weakened human emotions. My mind held the words of faith and my soul grasped the promised assurance of God's deliverance, but my heart ached and my eyes poured tears. I did not want to hear about faith or hope in eternity. I knew it all. I had heard it before. All of my life, Mother taught it and Daddy preached it. I need not need another sermon. I needed and wanted my parents. My Mother and Father had died. Period. I would never see them again. And, then, I asked myself: "What do I do now?" My parents who had met my needs and wants in life, at the ending of life could not meet my heart's strongest desire - eternal life now. They tried not, because they knew Jesus Christ paid the price for our glorious eternity.
The Church at its best seeks to meet the needs of people, not as objects of service, but as children of God. Why? Because the Church is the body of Christ - Easter people - created for the care of humanity. As Easter people, we celebrate the atoning act of God in Jesus of Nazareth. The doctrine of the atonement expresses the belief in the work of Christ as the act of reconciling God with humanity.
The ending of life is the beginning of life, and dying in Christ makes it right.
Agape!
LAR
Death is the ending of life as we know it on earth. Accepting the reality of death and dying sent me to the Scriptures and into the human questioning of God. "Why? Why now? Why MY parents? Why will the same come to me, my spouse, our children, and of course all existing life known to us? My God, why?"
Thoughts of eternal life quickly came, and quickly lost influence on my weakened human emotions. My mind held the words of faith and my soul grasped the promised assurance of God's deliverance, but my heart ached and my eyes poured tears. I did not want to hear about faith or hope in eternity. I knew it all. I had heard it before. All of my life, Mother taught it and Daddy preached it. I need not need another sermon. I needed and wanted my parents. My Mother and Father had died. Period. I would never see them again. And, then, I asked myself: "What do I do now?" My parents who had met my needs and wants in life, at the ending of life could not meet my heart's strongest desire - eternal life now. They tried not, because they knew Jesus Christ paid the price for our glorious eternity.
The Church at its best seeks to meet the needs of people, not as objects of service, but as children of God. Why? Because the Church is the body of Christ - Easter people - created for the care of humanity. As Easter people, we celebrate the atoning act of God in Jesus of Nazareth. The doctrine of the atonement expresses the belief in the work of Christ as the act of reconciling God with humanity.
The ending of life is the beginning of life, and dying in Christ makes it right.
Agape!
LAR
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