The Rev. Dr. Joanne S. Martindale
First Presbyterian Church Napa
Newsletter # 15
September 15, 2020
Dear Friends,
Thank you for your sweet well wishes, in returning home to you, after my son Quinn and his wife Kathleen had their lovely wedding on September 5, 2020. It was a beautiful time leading up to the wedding of visiting the National parks: Zion, Bryce and Moab as well as some fun places in Colorado that I had never visited: Aspen, Breckenridge and Vail. The wedding was exceptional, but then again, I am biased as the Mother-of-the-Groom. I enjoyed how Quinn and Kathleen had traditional elements to their wedding ceremony but also made the wedding their own with donuts instead of wedding cake. My entire Martindale family came to town from several states, which made the occasion quite festive and fun. Thank you again for your kindness in asking about the wedding.
As I returned home to the smoke of California fires and watch on the news about the fires in Oregon, the world and the pandemic still feel heavy. I also know two firefighters who have been sharing their stories of fires blazing as well as their tiredness. And as you know, from my sermon on Sunday about Forgiveness, as well as stories of September 11, I carry that day and the weeks that followed in my heart as we collectively remember the 19th Anniversary of September 11. I am struck with both emotions: the love that I feel for my son and his wife who just got married and the still ever-present collective grief of the world.
It occurs to me, as we ponder our faith in these uncertain times, that God acknowledges our grief and mourning, and, even more, cares about it, being tender-hearted. Jesus weeps over Jerusalem in Luke 19 and weeps over the loss of Lazarus in John 10: Emmanuel, God-with-us, grieved. We grieve things that never would have occurred to us to be worthy of grief – we’ve had dreams that have passed the point of possibility, or missed a chance to do something, or have lost friendships or jobs. We don’t normally think of these transitions in our lives as times of grief, but they are. We have lost something or someone that will not return. As Christians, we believe that death, whether of loved ones or of dreams, doesn’t have the last word. Resurrection is not just a promise of new life, but an assurance that the living God who cares for and created all life is the steward of all
of it, a steward of such strength and love, that death’s power is nothing, dissolving into the glorious light of the Triune God.
On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines, of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear.
And he will destroy on this mountain the shroud that is cast over all peoples, the sheet that is spread over all nations;
he will swallow up death forever. Then the Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces, and the disgrace of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken.
It will be said on that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, so that he might save us. This is the Lord for whom we have waited; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.
Isaiah 25
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.
Psalm 34
For the Lord will not cast off forever, but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love; for God does not willingly afflict or grieve anyone.
Lamentations 3
Even Jesus says, “blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” (Matthew 5) In fact, comforting one another, weeping with one another is always part of our call as people of faith. We are created as community, rather than separate individuals, so if we love one another as we love ourselves, we understand that grief brings sorrow and pain to others, just as it does to us. “Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep.” (Romans 12)
This week we have surpassed 190,000 dead from COVID-19 in our country alone. People died in car crashes yesterday, and people have died of natural causes this week. And grief seems to be multiplying: families are being evicted because they have lost their jobs – so many millions of jobs.
This call of ours, a call to be people of empathy and compassion, doesn’t ignore our own suffering or struggle. Instead, because of our conviction that somehow life and possibility will grow out of these trials, we know our experiences can prepare us to comfort one another.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation, who consoles us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction with the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God.
2 Corinthians 1
Maybe we can let today draw our attention to this ministry that we all have: to accept our own grief, and to accept one another’s grief, to be with each other in grief and mourning. It is not easy to care for others when we are in pain, and we can’t always do it. But sometimes we can. Even if we don’t know what to say, we can sit patiently with others to bear witness to their sorrows, knowing that “the Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.” (Romans 8)
No suffering is good because it is suffering. But God, “at work with the power within us is able to do abundantly far more than all we could ask or imagine,” (Ephesians 3) even in the midst of suffering. So when we read these next words, remember that the sufferings themselves are not glorious: it’s that the living God is with us every moment, our God whose design is life, not death.
…we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
Romans 5
First Presbyterian Church Napa News:
- Thank you all for your surveys!
- October will begin Mission Study Groups as well as Bible Studies and programs. Check the website frequently for updates.
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If you would like to participate in the October 4th "Is He Worthy" video, please come by the FPC office and we will take your photo, or you can send them to children@fpcnapa.org.
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Don't forget to join us for our Sunday Worship, September 20th at 10am!
You are loved,
Pastor Joanne
