Since Christine’s Death…

This will be the last week that I will use the above title for what I write in the Westwood Message. On Sunday, I will again preach at Westwood and over the next two to three weeks will resume other regular weekly activities, including Bible studies. I am looking forward to resuming my usual activities and looking forward to being with you this Sunday and into the future.

Nancy will be with me this weekend and through the first half of next week. During those days, we will begin going through many things that still need to be taken care of at home. This will, I am sure, be an ongoing process for a few months, but we must begin with some of it.

My sermon Sunday will address how our faith in Christ can and should be respond to personal tragedy. I still have much to process and much to learn from what the future holds after Christine’s death. While that will take a while, some things have already become clear to me, and I want to share those things with you. I hope that these things will help you resolve your own feelings about Christine’s death and even more will help shape you for when and if you face a personal tragedy of your own.

As you recall, we asked people who wanted to make a memorial gift in Christine’s memory to make a donation either to Westwood or WCMA. My family and I have been overwhelmed at the response people have made with memorial donations. On Sunday, we will announce our plans for use of the money given to Westwood.

Among the blessings of the last week in my life were two phone conversations with long-time friends of Christine and I. Both calls were made last Saturday.

The first was to Mike and Carol Nauman. Carol and I both attended Lincoln Christian University at the same time. She had moved on before I graduated. After Christine and I were married and then moved to Oklahoma six years later, I was surprised to find she and her husband were attending the church that we went to Oklahoma to serve. Christine met Carol for the first time, and we both met Mike for the first time. A couple of months after our ministry began there, I baptized Mike. Today they live in California, and Mike has been in ministry himself for over 30 years. Our friendship continues, and it was a joy to talk to them again.

The second call was to Irv and Bev Linn. We have been like family since we first met in Orion, IL, the town in which I had my first preaching ministry beginning in 1975. We have shared family events, I married their three children, and we traveled to Israel together in 2000. Due to health issues, they could not be at Christine’s funeral, but their two daughters were here.

These people are dear to Christine and I. Their support, along with yours and that of many others, is a great strength to me during these days.

God bless,

Ken