Blog Archives - Atonement Church

Where Jesus is Present

Posted on March 26, 2025 by Linda Cobourn

REFLECTIONS ON THE SUNDAY SERMON

Linda Waltersdorf Cobourn, EdD

March 23, 2025

Pastor Amy Peters, Speaker

WHERE JESUS IS PRESENT

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.”

Matthew 26:26

“This is a very special time,” Sister Veronica reminded us as we entered the church, a single file of children dressed in white dresses or suits. “Your First Communion is the only time that Jesus Himself will come into your heart. Every other communion will be the reminder of this time.”

We all nodded solemnly and headed towards the altar, rosary beads draped over our prayerful hands in imitation of the statue of the Blessed Virgin.

Following my brother to our assigned pews, I caught sight of my parents, smiling as their children prepared, for the first time, to receive the Eucharist. The weeks of catechism class had imbued me with awe for this special moment in my life, but Sister Veronica’s words concerned me.

This was the ONLY TIME Jesus would come into my heart? Why hadn’t I been told this sooner? How could I possibly keep Him in my heart? I wanted more of Jesus, not just a once-in-a-lifetime meeting.

Image result for Matthew 26:26

My seven-year-old self did not need to worry; while Sister Veronica had intended to remind us of the solemnity of the occasion, she had somehow missed what I know as an adult to be true:

Jesus is present everywhere.

The sacrament of Holy Communion was instituted by Jesus as He ate the Passover Supper with His Disciples; the broken bread was a symbol of the Body He sacrificed for us; the wine was a symbol of the Blood spilled for us. And while Holy Communion serves, as Sister Veronica stated, as a reminder of the sacrifices made and a “bit of Heaven,” it is not the only time we are invited into the presence of Christ.

He is in the morning sunrise. He is in the chirping of the birds. He is in the person sitting next to you. He is in all who call Him Savior. He is in Atonement Methodist Church.

John Wesley’s approach to Holy Communion is, as Pastor Amy reminded us on Sunday, threefold:

Holy Communion Images

Christ is PRESENT in the act of Holy Communion. This is illustrated in Charles Wesley’s hymn:

This is the richest legacy
Thou hast on man bestowed,
Here chiefly, Lord, we feed on thee,
And drink thy precious blood.

Communion is the “grand channel” of God’s grace to us.

Revival and Communion go hand in hand. Our lives are transformed by the acceptance of the Bread and Wine, the Body and Blood.
Holy Communion is pastoral, meaning it focuses on our spiritual growth; it is inclusive and caring.

We are entering a time of change at Atonement. As Pastor Amy retires and moves onto other callings, we need to remember what God has started here in Claymont. We need to base our continued trust in God that he will finish what he has started. He has told has already told what we are to do:

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Care for another.

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his love endures forever.

Psalm 118:1

Psalm 118 is the final song sung at the traditional Passover meal. Its verses remind us that God is with us always and will not let us stumble or fall. No matter what the future holds for us, God will continue to channel his grace to us. As we enter into a new season at Atonement, let’s reflect on the last two verses of Psalm 118.

You are my God, and I will praise you;
you are my God, and I will exalt you.

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his love endures forever.

And ask God how you can be a channel of his grace to others.

A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR.

Everyone has a “God story” to tell! Please talk to me about sharing yours. If you’ve enjoyed reading this and would like to read more about my own faith walk, please join my free blog at:lindaca1.substack.com

BREATHING

Posted on March 18, 2025March 18, 2025 by Linda Cobourn

REFLECTIONS ON THE SUNDAY SERMON

Linda Waltersdorf Cobourn, EdD

March 16, 2025

Pastor Amy Peters, Speaker

BREATHING

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”

Psalm 46:10

“I missed the exit!” exclaimed my daughter. “Sorry, I’ll get off at the next one and head back.”

I closed my eyes and concentrated on my breathing. One, two, in. Three, four, out. I wondered how my husband, awaiting a heart ablation at Hahnemann Hospital in Philadelphia, was breathing. While Ron tried to remain positive despite the multiple surgeries he’d had in the last ten years, the cardiologist was concerned about Ron’s heart. It was enlarged and only working at 30% capacity. An ablation—which destroyed parts of the heart to restore normal rhythm— was minimally invasive, no surgery had ever been routine for my husband.

“It’s not 9 O’clock yet,” said Bonnie. “Surgery isn’t until nine. We’ll make it.”

“Sure,” I said, although I had my doubts. Ron was probably already being prepped for surgery and might be on his way to the operating room. I held back my tears. I’d always been able to pray with Ron and kiss him before each surgery. It looked like I might not make this one.

“Let’s pray,” I told Bonnie. “I’ll call Chris. She can pass the word at church today.”

Breathe in the Spirit of God.

At Sunday’s service, Pastor Amy spoke about JD Walt’s ministry and a breathing exercise that can help us to calm our hearts and minds and concentrate on God. The video is at https://youtu.be/Sypz7muHWOE. It’s a simple practice that can provide assurance for us in any situation. Be conscious of your breathing as you try this. Breathe and exhale deeply. Remember that Jesus grounds you. Your breath comes from God.

Be still. Inhale deeply and hold for a count of two.

And know. Expel your breath for a count of two.

That I. Inhale deeply and hold for a county of two.

A God. Expel your breath for a count of two.

You can continue the verse using two words at a time to rest in the mercy of God. As JD Walt reminds us in the video, we have nothing else to do in those moments but to rest in God and be his Child.

My daughter and I knew our loved one was a Child of God. As Bonnie expertly drove us back to Hahnemann, we breathed and prayed. God knew what was best for Ron. I knew our entire congregation would also be praying, alerted by my best friend, Chris.

We reached the hospital at 9:30 and took the elevator up to Ron’s room, expecting he would already be in surgery. But my husband greeted us with a bright smile.

“They canceled surgery,” he said as we hugged and kissed him. He didn’t know why. In a few minutes, the cardiologist stepped into the room.

“We were preparing him for surgery,” he said, “when suddenly his heart went back into rhythm. It’s beating normally now.” He held his hands up. “I can’t explain it.”

Bonnie and I looked at each other. “Do you know what time that was?” I asked.

Dr. Engle looked at his watch. “Around 9:05, I think.”

We nodded, understanding that God had heard and responded to our prayers.

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.

John 16:33

We live in a troubled world with many unknowns. But we can, always and anywhere, breathe in the peace of God. How can you trust His peace today?

A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR.

A Triumphant Exit

Posted on March 11, 2025March 13, 2025 by Linda Cobourn

REFLECTIONS ON THE SUNDAY SERMON

Linda Waltersdorf Cobourn, EdD

March 9, 2025

Pastor Amy Peters, Speaker

And they said, “The Lord has need of it.” Luke 19:34.

“We don’t want to miss Jesus!” Pastor Amy said at the beginning of Sunday’s message. A small boy who had been too sick to attend Sunday School responded this way when his dad came home from church bearing palm leaves and explaining the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. “The one Sunday I miss and Jesus comes!”

I settled into my pew to hear the beloved story we had heard before, the herald to our Lenten study in the days before Easter. My thoughts returned to an often-overlooked passage: The Lord requires it. The colt owners let the disciples untie the animal without protest. God needs us all, I reflected. But do we respond? Do we miss Jesus because we do not answer the call?

The people along the path didn’t want to miss Jesus. They lined the rocky dirt road, cutting down palm branches, throwing their cloaks before the Messiah, and shouting “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” Some of the Pharisees, those wet blankets, wanted Jesus to stop the people from their joyous celebration.

He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”

Luke 19:40

Jesus thus fulfilled the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9:

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!

Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!

Behold, your king is coming to you;

righteous and having salvation is he,

humble and mounted on a donkey,

on a colt, the foal of a donkey

The arrival of the Messiah began a new chapter in the history of Israel. In 2025, it is still a call, Pastor Amy reminded us, “to start something new.”

That was when our dear Amy told us she herself was doing “something new” and stepping down as the Pastor of Atonement Methodist Church. That announcement surprised many; some were stunned. Her tears expressed sorrow, not happiness. She asked for our prayers as she faces some health challenges; she asked for our patience as leadership is changed; she asked us to continue our own walks of faith as she made, in her words, her “triumphant exit.”

I want to concentrate on that triumphant exit. Amy has served God for years. She has borne our various burdens and her own. She has led us into a new chapter as we transitioned from “Church of the Atonement” to “Atonement Methodist.” She has held hands with each of us, crying with us, praying with us, encouraging us, and rejoicing with us. Her retirement decision, though difficult, stems from a divine call for rest. God needed Pastor Amy here at Atonement; none of us who attended and paid attention could “miss Jesus” because she always and everywhere exuded His love and compassion to us. Amy’s continued rest, healing, and devotion remain important to God.

And what of you, dear friends, who have heard the words from our dear Pastor’s lips? Do others see the joy in us that the ancient believers displayed? Will we wait for the stones to cry out because we do not? Do we collectively proclaim God’s blessings, personal and communal?

The Lord said, “Amy Peters, I have need of you.” And Amy responded, “I am here, Lord. Send me.” Her words reflected those of Isaiah 6:8: Here I am. Send me. God sent Amy to Atonement. To Hope Church. To Knollwood.

We can honor Amy’s legacy by starting “something new.” We can respond, as Amy did, to “The Lord has need of you.”

What is the Lord asking of you?

O Love, How Deep

Posted on March 4, 2025 by Linda Cobourn

By Linda Waltersdorf Cobourn, EdD

March 2, 2025

“O Love, How Deep”

Pastor Amy Peters, Speaker

The date on the church bulletin startles me: March 2, 2025. It has been twenty-five years since the driver of a red pick-up truck ran a red light and ploughed into the side of my husband’s white Taurus. Ron lived, but the injuries he sustained were severe. Much of the next nineteen years were spent in hospitals, surgery rooms, and rehabilitation units. In just a few seconds, I went from wife to spousal caregiver. I saw Ron in the recovery room after the ten hour surgery to repair his crushed chest, ripped spleen, and ruptured aorta. He was gray and still and punctured with tubes and wires.

I don’t think I can do this, I thought. God, only you can give me the strength.

Image result for God, give me strength

So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.

Ephesians 3:17-18

As Pastor Amy pointed out to us on Sunday, we cannot even begin to comprehend the depth of the love God has for us. A favorite song of the Sunday School students I once taught begin with “Deep and wide, deep and wide, there’s a fountain flowing deep and wide”, but the hymn we sang last Sunday took the love of God to a more meaningful level.

“O Love, How Deep, How Broad, How High” was written by Thomas a Kempis. Twelve times, the words of the hymn ring out, “For us!” demonstrating the inconceivable depth of God’s love.

The first stanza tells of the Birth of Christ, “That God the Son of God should take, the mortal’s form for mortal’s sake.” The third stanza explains His baptism and “for us temptations sharp He knew, for us the tempter overthrew.” In stanza four, the hymnist describes how Jesus prayed and worked “still seeking not Himself, but us.” Succeeding stanzas reveal how He “bore the shameful cross and death, for us at length gave up His breath,” went onto Heaven to reign and “for us He sent the Spirit here, to guide to strengthen and to cheer.” The hymn concludes with the “boundless love” which has won “salvation for us through his son.”

It was this boundless love that I needed on the night of March 2, 2000, and continued to need through 46 hospitalizations and 36 surgeries. In myself, I had neither enough physical strength to care for a husband who was so damaged and ill, nor the emotional power to continue to love him as I had on our wedding day. I did not, but God did. Our lives were changed forever from the moment the truck hit the side of Ron’s car, but God continued to deepen our love for one another and for God. It was a love I could not have imagined, because it was given by God.

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and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Ephesians 3:19-21

Ron left us for Heaven on July 13, 2019. My children and I remained changed forever, knowing our loved one resided in a much, much better place.

How can you let God’s love change you?

Highway to Holiness

Posted on February 26, 2025 by Linda Cobourn

REFLECTIONS ON THE SUNDAY SERMON

“The Highway of Holiness”

February 23, 2005

Pastor Amy

And a highway will be there;
it will be called the Way of Holiness;
it will be for those who walk on that Way.

Isaiah 35:8

My son-in-law, Jared, has four pet peeves: bridges, wet socks, country music, and major highways. My oldest son, Dennis, has made up a country song about walking over a bridge in wet socks that he sings for Jared. Yes, we are that type of family. But Jared is an excellent husband to my daughter and we love him despite his quirks.

Highways are a particular sticking point. Jared prefers to find back roads to any destination—avoiding bridges, of course—and calls these departures from the beaten path the “winky, winky way.”

Last Sunday, Pastor Amy told us about the roads in Bible times when the majority of the population walked or rode along paths that were packed dirt with mud puddles and frequent cave-ins. Talk about winky, winky ways! Strewn with rocks, prone to wash-outs, narrow and often winding up mountains, roads were important for travel and trade. Those of royal heritage had “special roads” that mere mortals were not permitted to travel. The King’s Highway and the Via Maris were too such roads. Jared would have definitely stayed off of them.

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. Matthew 7:13

I thought about this verse for a few days. The easy path is not always the best way. Those that have material wealth are often lacking in spiritual wealth. As Jesus pointed out in Matthew 10:17-27, it can be hard to give up the riches on earth for the treasure that waits in Heaven.

Yet it is so worth it! Isaiah 35:1-3 gives us a glimpse of what Heaven will be like! Even the wilderness will rejoice and blossom; it will burst into bloom and shout for joy! The narrow, dusty road we travel will be as beautiful as Carmel and Sharon, reported to be two of the loveliest places in the old world. We will see the “glory of the Lord, and the splendor of our God.”

We need to be on the road that will lead us to holiness and not be deceived by other roads that look better paved and easier to follow. We have been reminded several times this month of February that we are spiritual beings; we need to seek spiritual roads.

Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.

II Corinthians 7:1

Our hands might become feeble and our knees give out (Isaiah 35:3), but if we keep to the path God has set before us, he will give us the strength to make it to the end. And what an end it will be! Look at some of what awaits us on the Highway to Holiness!

The blind will see
The deaf will hear
The lame will walk
There will be water in the wilderness and the desert
There will be bubbling streams and pools
There will be no dangers to fear

Best of all, “everlasting joy will crown our heads” (Isaiah 35:10).

Inspired by my son-in-law, I have been taking more of the “winky, winky ways”, avoiding traffic and associated road rage, slowing down and enjoying the journey towards my destination. Sure, it’s easier to hop on the same road the world follows and fall prey to the temptations, but the Highway to Holiness leads to the destination where

Gladness and joy will overtake them,
and sorrow and sighing will flee away.

Isaiah 35:10

I hope you’ll join me on the journey!

To read more of Linda’s faith walk through spousal caregiving and widowhood, read her blog, Quirky: Because we’re all a little different, at lindaca1.substack.com

Have a story of your walk with Jesus to tell others? Talk to Linda!

Promises of Perfection

Posted on February 19, 2025 by Linda Cobourn

As for God, his way is perfect:
The Lord’s word is flawless;
he shields all who take refuge in him

Psalm 18:30 (NIV)

REFLECTIONS ON THE SUNDAY SERMON

February 16, 2025

Pastor Cliff Werline, Speaker

“Lord, be my shield,” I prayed as I started my car at 6:15 am on a cold Friday. Since my retirement from teaching in June, I hadn’t needed to be out in the winter’s morning hours, but today my daughter needed me. Living with a condition known as “iron-deficiency anemia”, Bonnie requires iron infusions every few months to bolster her red blood cells. Usually, her husband is able to take her to the series of five infusions over three weeks, but Jared was unable to get off today. I was happy to help.

But driving when it is still dark out is not something I do lightly. I have a visual disorder called keratoconus which causes double-vision and “halos” around lights. Still, a mom does what a mom has to do.

“Be my shield and my buckler!” I said as I drove the twenty minutes to her house. “I take refuge in you, Lord!”

God is perfect. As Pastor Cliff pointed out on Sunday, there are very few “perfect” things in the world. Among those scarce things are the Word of God and the Sacrifice of Jesus. Nothing else is truly flawless. While the pearl in John Steinbeck’s book, The Pearl, is said to be “perfect, reflecting light and refining it,” only God and his law are perfect.

The law of the Lord is perfect,
refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.

Psalm 19:7

As any of my ninth-grade high school students could tell you, having the “perfect pearl” did not work out so well for Kino and Juana.

How much better to trust in the promises of God! God is always faithful to his promises.

Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures through all generations.

The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises
and faithful in all he does.

Psalm 145:13

God treated me to a beautiful view of the sunrise on my drive, and as I pulled up to Bonnie’s house, I thanked God for his protection and faithfulness. God, however, wasn’t finished. He had something else in mind to gladden my heart.

Bonnie and I were sitting in the waiting room at the hematologist and we started talking about her brother, Allen, an adult with autism spectrum disorder. Back in October, I’d done one of the hardest things a mother could ever have to do: I committed him to a psychiatric hospital because his autism mixed with traumatic grief had spiraled him out of control.

“He’s come a long way since the hospital,” my daughter commented. “When he calls me every day, he actually has a conversation with me.”

I nodded. People at church also mentioned that Allen was more engaged during and after services. Finally agreeing to medication, my son was adjusting to a life in which he had more control. “He wants to learn to cook more things,” I told my daughter.

Just then, a woman sitting in a chair across from us broke in.”I don’t mean to interrupt,” she said. “But are you talking about someone with autism?”

I told her it was my son and she told me she had a niece on the spectrum. We conversed for the next few minutes as Bonnie went into get her infusion, and I reached into my purse and pulled out a card that had the link and QAR to my blog. “I write about autism, ” I told her, “among other things. Maybe you would be interested in reading it.”

She took the card. “I am signing up now!” she said. And she did. We talked for a few more minutes, sharing the knowns and the unknowns about the spectrum disorder, until she, too, was called back.

Among the many reasons I retired–and I had a hundred!–was the desire to write more about autism and widowhood combined with faith. And I had just had the opportunity to reach one more person.

For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.

II Corinthians 1:20

This world, Cliff reminded us, is just a shadow of what we will one day experience. Yet if we allow ourselves to, we can experience the glory of God wherever we are, even in a waiting room.

Where can you find God today?

Linda Cobourn also writes at Quirky: Because we’re all a little different

HOLINESS OF MIND: WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Posted on February 11, 2025February 12, 2025 by Linda Cobourn

Reflections from the Sunday Sermon

Todd Bezilla, speaker

February 9, 2025

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.

Mark 12:30-31

It was a very chilly 52 degrees in the house when I woke up on Sunday, January 12. I sighed, pulled myself out of bed, and went to the basement to try and cajole the old heater into surviving one more winter. I had a lot of practice at this, so I banged it a few times in strategic spots and waited for the clanking noise.

Nothing.

I sighed and ran back upstairs to get ready for church, knocking on my son’s door as I headed for the shower. Unlike the heater, he responded.

“Cold today!” I warned him. “Get dressed quick! I turned the electric firelog on!”

We left for church shortly after; I prayed my heater might decide to function while I was absent from the house.

I, like you probably, am used to such things as heat and running water. I tend to think of myself as a physical being, concerned with the physical needs of myself and my son. My spiritual self is just a part of me. But Todd Bezilla’s sermon on this past Sunday, February 9, caused me to think of myself in a different way.

I’m a spiritual being.

The words of the prophet Jeremiah in 1:5 make it clear; God formed us as spiritual beings.

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,

before you were born I set you apart;

I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.

If we were truly physical beings, we’d have only dust to look forward to!

and the dust returns to the ground it came from,

and the spirit returns to God who gave it.

Ecclesiastes 12:7

Dr. Todd gently reminded us that we are all just TEMPORARILY housed in a physical form. Our bodies are not designed to last, how ever well we treat them. And if we spend time caring for our physical bodies–as we should, because they shelter the spirit–then we ought to spend even more time working on our spiritual selves. We need to make sure we are growing in our spirits. How? Well, we know an apple tree is doing what it should if it produces apples. We should, as spiritual beings, produce fruit.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Galatians 5:22-23

This involves a change of mind-set. What we endure right now–such as my heater issues–are temporary. They are merely physical problems. But if we focus not on the CREATION, but on the CREATOR, we can become more like Jesus. Well, a little bit more, anyway. We can

to be made new in the attitude of our minds

Ephesians 4:23

I’ve changed my mind about my heater. It continued to defy my gentle and not so gentle cajoling, and within days I found myself not only installing a new heater, but also new gas lines and new electric wiring. These were safety issues that may have existed way before we moved in. And they could have caused many problems. My son and I stayed in a hotel for three days while people who know about these things were at the house. During that time, however, I was able to realize how blessed we had been. We were safe; we were warm. We took a break from the world, played card games, watched movies, ate take-out, and watched the snow fall outside.

You will keep in perfect peace

those whose minds are steadfast,

because they trust in you

Isaiah 26:3

Was it perfect peace? Well, not yet. I’m still working on it. And that’s okay, because growing your spiritual self takes time.

Whatever it is that is keeping you tethered to the physical world today, do not make it your top priority.

Commit to the Lord whatever you do,

and he will establish your plans

Proverbs 16:3

Doesn’t that sound better than kicking a heater?

What do you need to do today to work on your spiritual self?

Dr. Linda Cobourn is a writer, editor, and teacher. To learn more about Linda’s faith journey as a spousal caregiver, a widow, and the mother of an autistic adult son, you can follow her on https://lindaca1.substack.com/

A Widow’s Valentine: God’s Promises

Posted on February 6, 2025February 6, 2025 by Linda Cobourn

Valentine’s Day can be tough for widows. Last year, a student asked me what I thought I would get from my husband for Valentine’s Day. She hadn’t realized he had died because, she said, “You always talk about him as if he is alive.”

It was a lovely compliment that got me thinking about the years since Ron passed and how each Valentine’s Day has become a little less painful. I am still a widow, but I have come to learn the true meaning of love.

⁴Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

⁸Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

I Corinthians 13:4-8

What is the true nature of love? It is impossible for human beings to live up to what the Bible describes as “love.” Ron and I were married for almost 44 years. We had a good, solid marriage despite the two decades Ron was ill, but we fell short of these ideals often. I know I was not always as patient as I wanted to be, and I know that Ron often envied other couples who had more material wealth than we did.

It is only God who can live up to the ideal of love. After all, he created the emotion within us. He sets the standards for it. The verses we think of as “the love chapter” were not intended by Paul to be romantic, but rather the foundation of all things.

The church at Corinth struggled with immorality, idol worship, and self-interest. Paul wanted to remind the church that whatever they did, it did not matter if it was not done in love. These verses are full of 15 action words that constitute real love. I’ll look at just two in this post.

Love is patient. Truth. Loving Ron was not always easy. In 1994, he began having mental issues and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. For years, he swung on the pendulum between manic and depressed. There were many nights I heard him playing basketball on Allen’s court in the backyard at 3 AM. There were other mornings I awoke to find him gone with a note hastily scribbled on the kitchen table. Ron’s bipolar was difficult to explain to others outside our family. In a way, his car accident in 2000 made it easier, because people understood physical maladies in a way they could not fathom mental illnesses.But I made the choice to love Ron. Not because it was easy, not because he was always lovable, not because I was necessarily a good person. I did it because I had taken a vow to love him. I had made a commitment, the same commitment God makes to us.
Love is kind. We should always react with goodness and kindness, but it’s a hard thing to do. There were times Ron blamed me for his illnesses, yelling that if I really loved him, I would cure him. Of course, curing Ron was beyond my human power. I did the best I could by taking care of him, taking him to doctors, working extra jobs to pay the medical bills not covered by insurance, and trying to understand that he needed someone to blame and I was handy. In the early years, I tried to reason with him. Eventually, though, I would just pat him on the shoulder and turn away.God never turns away from us. God always responds to us with love, even when we are dead wrong.

Have you ever found it difficult to love someone, even when you knew it was the right thing to do?

Want to read more about Linda’s life as a widow and the mother of an autistic adult son? Check out her blog at Quirky: Because we’re all a little different.

Secret Identities: HIdden In Christ

Posted on January 28, 2025 by Linda Cobourn

Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

Colossians 3:2-3

How do you identify yourself? Are you a mother, a father, a brother, a sister? Do you work in a bank or a school or a supermarket? By what names are you called? How we identify ourselves and how the world identifies us might be different. For thirty years, I have identified myself as TEACHER. On January 19, I was encouraged by Pastor Amy to take on a new label: that of preacher. That Sunday proved to be a snowy day, but a few brave souls were present as I spoke about our identities in Christ at both services.

I started by asking everyone to take out the insert from their bulletin and see how many “names” and “roles” they fulfilled. I pointed out that these roles were how the world saw them. But as Christians, we have other roles that might be hidden from the world.

WE ARE ALIVE IN CHRIST.

Christ not only died for our sins but so did our old, sinful selves. When He rose from the dead, we were reborn into life again! We are no longer defined by our old selves, or what is written on our bulletin inserts.

Ephesians 2:1-3 says this:

At one time you were dead because of your sins. You followed the sinful ways of the world and obeyed the leader of the power of darkness.

But the loving-kindness of God “Made us alive by what Christ did for us!” (verse 5).

WE ARE CHILDREN OF GOD.

We were once orphans, but Christ gave us new status. God has adopted us into his family. The Bible gives us many examples of adoption.

Romans 8:15-16 says this:

You should not act like people who are owned by someone. They are always afraid. Instead, the Holy Spirit makes us His sons, and we can call to Him, “My Father.” For the Holy Spirit speaks to us and tells our spirit that we are children of God.

SET APART FOR GOD’S PURPOSES

We are no longer defined by our mistakes. Whatever we have done, God has forgiven us and given us a new purpose in life.

Ephesians 4:24 says this:

You must become a new person and be God-like. Then you will be made right with God and have a true holy life.

REST IN GOD’S GRACE

At times, we all feel as if we are carrying heavy loads. Jesus gives us rest and comfort. We still have to do the hard things, but we do not need to do them alone, because Jesus gives our spirits comfort and rest.

Matthew 11:28-29 says this:

Come to me, all of you who work and have heavy loads. I will give you rest. Follow my teachings and learn from Me. for I am gentle and do not have pride. You will have rest for your souls.

WE ARE FOUND, NOT LOST

We are no longer lost in the dark forest of sin. We walk in the light, even without the benefit of a GPS. Our very names are written on the palms of God’s hands! ( Isaiah 49:19). That’s how much he cares for us!

Luke 19:10 says this:

For the Son of Man came to look for and to save from the punishment of sin those who were lost.

WE ARE FREE FROM SHAME

The rejection of others and the inability to live up to our own high standards can cause us to feel shame. Psychology Today defines shame as a negative image of yourself. But in Christ, we have no shame. In the Book of Isaiah, the Israelites are mourning the loss of their lands and exile, but the prophet gives them hope.

Isaiah 61:7 says

Instead of shame, you will have a share that is twice as much. Instead of being without honor, they will sing for joy over all you receive. So they will have twice as much in their land, and joy that lasts forever will be theirs.

Where should you root your identity? In the world or in Christ?

Let’s close with this poem by St Teresa of Avila.

Christ Has No Body

Christ has no body but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
Compassion on this world,
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,
Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,
Yours are the eyes, you are his body.
Christ has no body now but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
compassion on this world.
Christ has no body now on earth but yours.

Will you be the eyes of Christ? Will you be the feet of Christ? Will you be the hands of Christ? Will you be the body of Christ?

Will you?

A Long Time Ago

Posted on January 20, 2025January 20, 2025 by Linda Cobourn

All this was a long time ago, I remember. And I would do it again.

These lines begin the final stanza of Eliot’s poem, “Journey of the Magi.” The speaker of the poem—a Magus—leaves the physical descriptions of the harsh journey and focuses on his own feelings about the experience. He has, the first two stanzas have indicated, terrible memories of the trip. But, he says, he would “do it again.”

While much of the poem focuses on the Epiphany (Matthew 2:1-12), the journey was for each of the Magi a very personal one. But it is also a universal journey, one that each person must make for themselves. We each need to count the cost that is part of such a journey. This mirrors Eliot’s emotions in rejecting secularism for Christianity. In the last stanza, the Magi are forced to measure their former lives of rich opulence and sensuality against the simplicity of Christ’s gift of salvation.

Would I do it again? If I had known, way back in 1996 when my husband first began to exhibit symptoms of mental illness, that a car accident four years later would radically change my life, would I have stayed? Would I have willingly endured many more years of such a challenging life, full of hospitalizations, crisis units, and financial constraints?

It’s a question I’ve thought about often in the years since Ron’s death. And the answer is, “yes.” Like the Magi, I would “do it again.”

My answer is not based just on the vows I made to Ron and God at the marriage altar but on my personal growth during what was a very difficult journey, where I often felt unsupported and even, in the case of my father-in-law, blamed. I gained strength physically, emotionally, and spiritually during the journey. I would not forsake it.

REFLECTION:

Think back on your own difficult journey. What did you gain from it? Was it worth the sacrifices you made? Would you do it again?

Would you like to know more about how God can provide comfort during the many difficult journeys of our lives? Read more on my blog at http://lindaca1.substack.com

Category: Blog

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A Triumphant Exit

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Highway to Holiness

Promises of Perfection

HOLINESS OF MIND: WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

A Widow’s Valentine: God’s Promises

Secret Identities: HIdden In Christ

A Long Time Ago

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