September 9th, 2012, Garden Valley Community Church celebrated it's 100th year. The ladies of the church stepped up and organized an amazing day of celebration. It far and above surpassed my expectations. A couple people attempted to take a head-count but stopped at 130. Not bad for a church build to house 60.
We offered a "remote site" outside, which had both video & audio of what was going on in the sanctuary.
The celebration was topped off with a fantastic picnic. The work that went into this was staggering and their "labor of love" made this an exceptional day. God was praised and hearts were turned toward heaven.
And the good Lord offered His special touch. We began the picnic with warm skies and sunshine, then clouds and serious thunder grumbling through the mountains, followed by more sunshine, a few sprinkles of rain, more thunder, and finished off with bright sunshine.
Once the picnic was in full swing and everyone had plates of food to work on, a wonderful family approached me and asked if I would take a moment and officiate a memorial service for their parents. About 10 of us stepped around behind the church into the cemetery with the 2 burial urns.
One of our church Elders noticed me packing a shovel and followed along to see what was going on. Once he realized we needed to put the shovel to work, Marty began to dig, occasionally pausing to offer the family words of comfort and perspective. The family stood quietly by as each of us served as God led.
Once the urns were placed, we joined together in quoting the 23rd Psalm. At this point, I told the family that their parents were dear friends of my grandparents and parents. And that I had fond memories of being at their house when I was a young child. Not only that, but their parents were active members in the church I grew up in. So we had many wonderful memories to share. I was asked to read an obituary that the father had written before he passed away. I would like to share the obituary with you:
"My Obituary
I was born of the flesh, February 19, 1914. I was born of the Spirit in May 1955 and baptized at the Garden Valley Community Church August 7, 1955. When this is read, don't you believe that I am dead. I am more alive than I ever was. I have gone up higher, far beyond the starry skies. I have gone out of this old clay tenement into a house that is immortal, a body that death cannot touch, that sin cannot taint, a body like unto His own glorious body. That which is born of the flesh may die, but that which is born of the Spirit will live forever. II Corinthians 5:1-2
'Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my word and believeth on Him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death unto life.'
John 5:24, 'I am the resurrection and the life. He that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live, and whosoever liveth and believeth in me, shall never die.' (John 11:24-25) "
We concluded our memorial service by joined together in singing Amazing Grace and closing in prayer. The grave was closed and we left the cemetery, knowing that honor and respect was properly paid to a husband and wife that faithful loved God and their family.
I will forever fondly remember God's people gathering in celebration of our 100th anniversary as a Church, but my memory will be much sweeter because that memory is flavored by the gathering of a small family in our cemetery, honoring their parents and praising God for preparing an eternal home in Heaven for those who believe.
NOTE: I did not mention the families name because I was unable to contact them for permission to use their parents names.
“Don’t let your hearts be troubled.
Trust in God, and trust also in me.
There is more than enough room
in my Father’s home.
If this were not so,
would I have told you
that I am going to prepare a place for you?
When everything is ready,
I will come and get you,
so that you will always be with me where I am.
And you know the way to where I am going.”
“No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said.
“We have no idea where you are going,
so how can we know the way?”
Jesus told him,
“I am the way, the truth, and the life.
No one can come to the Father except through me."
John 14:1-6 NLT
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