From the Pastor
Thoughts on Grief, Remembering, and Celebrating New Life
Dear Friends,
It has been a long, difficult and yet rewarding journey for me the last several months. Thank you for your patience and your support.
In April my father was suddenly hospitalized. He had pulled a muscle in reaching for some-thing and then was in so much pain he could not do anything but stay in bed. He was not able to prepare food and so did not eat which set his diabetes into a flurry. Because he lived in a retirement community someone came and checked on him and found him on the floor by his bed. He was immediately transported to the hospital, never to return to his apartment. After a week’s stay in the hospital, Dad was transferred to a nursing facility associated with his retirement community.
He spent 99 days there with his health continuing to deteriorate. His mind was quite sharp up until his last few days. Dad died on July 19, exactly seven weeks before his 93rd birthday.
Although I did not lead the memorial service I did write it from beginning to end and had several of Dad’s friends deliver it. It began, as I begin all services for Christians:
We come here today to Celebrate the life of T. Richard Muth.
We come here in the name of Jesus Christ who is the one who said: “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me shall live, even though they die, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die.”
Christ also said: “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. I died and behold I am alive forever more; and because I live, you will live also.”
Dick believed these promises of our Lord – and so we come here to celebrate his life here on earth with us – but also his new life with Jesus Christ.
As difficult as it was for both my father and me during these months, we talked about how fortunate we were to have our faith. He was not afraid of his death, in fact quite the opposite as he was confident that he would be receiving the gift of eternal life that has been promised to us. I was comforted by that assurance as well and also by knowing that Dad believed in that promise.
It was a gift for both of us to spend the end of his life together . . . a gift I will always cherish. My Dad and I both thank you for making that possible!
I’ll see you in church!
-Nancy