Pastor's Corner - November 2011
None of us in this congregation knew the late Cody Myers of Lafayette, but the blessing of being able to touch his family through the generous donation of the McMinnville Church family has been moving and faith building. On Sabbath, October 22, Del Lewis and I had the honor of visiting with Susan, Cody’s mother, and delivering the donation which the church collected the Sabbath before. When we entered Myers home, Susan greeting both of us with a gentle hug and as she related the story of her pain in the reckless murder of her son, the grace of Jesus could be heard in her voice and was expressed on her face. Though she would never in a million years have chosen the road she now has been called to travel, she believes that blessings will continue to reveal themselves through Cody’s passing.
Susan told us that she could choose to be bitter and vindictive towards those who took her son, but she believes it would dishonor him to do so and also dishonor her Lord and Saviour Jesus who said on the cross “Father, forgive them for they don’t know what they are doing.” In her reflections of her oldest son, she relayed that he was a generous and carrying young man who continually looked out for members of his family and others. He attended Clackamas Community College and loved playing in the college jazz band and hoped eventually to study for and enter the ministry. She admitted that she has no explanation for Cody’s early demise, but she refuses to be angry at God. Instead, she has chosen to trust in His power to one day send Jesus back to earth to raise the dead in Christ and bring us all to the Father’s presence in His Kingdom. Such faith amid such tragic loss is an inspiration not often seen in the world.
What is it that gives the believer in Christ the ability to move forward with such courage and hope? The only answer which I can understand is the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit and the nurture of unseen heavenly angels literally holding up the child of God. This kind of peace comes through the intercessory prayers of others who believe and individual believers trusting through prayer in the encouraging Word of God.
On the front of the program for Cody’s memorial service, the familiar words of Matthew 25:27 were printed: “The Lord said unto him, ‘Well done, thou good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.’” Susan told us that passage summarized the life of Cody. I believe Christ asks each of us the question: Does this summarize our life?
If we, like the faithful servants of the parable in Matthew 25, will be found faithful in using the “talents” granted to us by our Master Jesus, the same will be spoken of us on that day when He returns in glory. All around us are people in the world and in the sheepfold of the church who are in need of a compassionate and kind hand and voice to encourage them towards the Kingdom of Heaven. Christ calls us to reach out in faithfulness to His Word and in His faithful steps to share the gospel message in His name.
I close with the powerful words of the Apostle Paul found in Philippians 3:10–14: “I want to know Christ – yes, to know the power of His resurrection and participation in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me to the upward calling in Christ Jesus.”