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HOLY HUMOR. JOY ROOTED IN THE GOSPEL

Posted on April 29, 2025 by Linda Cobourn

Holy Humor: Joy Rooted in the Gospel

April 27, 2025
Jokester – Mark Peters
Written by Linda Cobourn

Key Verse: John 15:11—“These things I have spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

A Family Man with a Joke in His Pocket

My husband loved a good joke. Even more than the joke itself, he loved doing things he thought would make the kids and me laugh.

We had little money when our children were young, but our lack of funds only fueled his creativity. One Halloween, he dressed up as “Underwear Man,” wearing long johns with T-shirts and shorts pinned all over them. Another time, after breaking the earpiece on his glasses, he tied a piece of yarn over his ear to hold them in place.

It’s been almost six years since Ron moved to Heaven, but his hearty laughter still echoes in my ears.

Does God Have a Sense of Humor?

I think God loves a good joke, too. Just try looking at a hippopotamus without smiling!

But unlike worldly jokes rooted in sarcasm or cynicism, the joy we experience as Christians is grounded in the Resurrection—Jesus’ triumph over death (John 15:11). And God delights in our laughter.

Remember Sarah’s chuckle when she heard she’d have a child in old age? (Genesis 18:12). When that promise came true, she named her son Isaac, which means “laughter.”

The Greatest Punch Line in History

When we laugh with joy at the Resurrection, we’re joining in on God’s greatest joke—played on Satan. The enemy thought he had won. Judas betrayed Jesus. Pilate condemned Him. Jesus took His final breath on the Cross. But Satan had only set the stage for the greatest plot twist in history.

At sunrise on Easter morning, the women came to the tomb—only to find it empty. That empty tomb was the ultimate punch line. God flipped the script, turning Satan’s scheme into eternal defeat.

God Had the Last Laugh.

And we get to laugh, too.

Jesus’ Resurrection didn’t just secure our salvation—it gives us joy. Joy that frees us to laugh at the lies and foolishness of the Devil. The battle is over. The victory is won.

That doesn’t mean life is without suffering. Along with laughter, life brings tears. But “Holy Humor” reminds us that our trials are temporary. Joy is a powerful weapon against despair.

Research shows it’s even good for our health. The National Institute of Health reports that a joyful outlook can improve mental and physical well-being. The Mayo Clinic found that patients with a positive attitude often heal faster.

Ron’s Last Laugh

Ron’s final years were hard—too many surgeries, too many hospital stays. But in those last nine months on hospice, he held a quiet joy. He knew where he was going.

Just days before he passed, he told me:

“One of the first things I’m going to do when I get to Heaven is have a good laugh at the Devil.”

Joy Beyond Easter

That joy isn’t meant for Easter Sunday alone. It should fill every day of our lives. Satan is defeated! Jesus lives! His Resurrection is the greatest twist of all time—humbling the Devil and undoing his plot.

So, laugh loud. Laugh long. Laugh with victory—because Jesus has won. His joy remains in us and fills us.

Dear Father,
Thank You for laughter. Thank You for joy. Thank You for the ultimate triumph over the Devil that brings us daily j

oy. Help us reflect that joy to others and laugh with victory.

Amen.

Resurrection People

Posted on April 22, 2025April 23, 2025 by Linda Cobourn

The black night crushed down on me, a weight greater than any I’d ever borne. My soul felt devoid of all light.

Widow. I was a widow. A few hours ago, my beloved husband Ron died, leaving a hole in my heart I feared would never be filled. The tears streamed down my face. I reached across my bed for Ron’s pillow, needing the comfort of his familiar scent as I waited for the first pink threads of morning.

As I sat in the darkness, I realized I wasn’t the first to grieve a loss that shattered the world. The disciples, too, knew the weight of silence and sorrow. That silent Saturday must have stretched endlessly for them. The Man they had believed in, hoped in, and planned their futures around had died. Those few who had stayed on the hill of Golgotha had seen His battered body lowered to the ground, limp and lifeless. They had believed in Jesus’ earthly kingdom. They did not yet understand that Jesus of Nazareth had come not to lift their physical burdens but the heavier weight of sin on their souls.

Now what? I asked God the night Ron died. Now what?
The disciples surely asked each other the same thing.

“It is finished,” He had said. Did His followers understand the magnitude of what He had uttered?

The Greek word translated as “It is finished” is tetelestai, a term used in the ancient world to indicate that a debt had been paid in full. Jesus wasn’t just announcing His death—He was declaring our redemption. He spoke not of defeat, but of fulfillment. Not of loss, but of love.

Paid in full.

It was a dark night.

But morning came. I got up and wiped my tears, moving into my first day as a widow.

The women approached the tomb, ready to offer one final act of love for their Lord.

And everything changed.

Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her (John 20:18).

Oh, what joy there must have been at the news! Immediately, Peter and John ran to the tomb and found it just as Mary had said: empty.

The resurrection isn’t just about Christ; it is also about us. We are invited to live each day in the transforming power of God—new life, new hope, and new purpose.

Making us Resurrection People.

John Wesley spoke of the resurrection not only as a hope for the future, but as a call to transformation in the present. He said, “By the resurrection of Christ, God hath given us a proof of his power to raise our souls from the death of sin, to walk in the newness of life.”

As Resurrection People, we are continually being shaped, reshaped, and made more like Christ through the Holy Spirit.

It means we let go of bitterness and embrace forgiveness.
It means we choose compassion over convenience.
It means we live with joy, even in hard times, because we know the story did not end at the cross; it burst forth from the empty tomb.

Our own tombs are also empty. My husband’s earthly body might lie in a grave at Lawncroft Cemetery, where the carillon bells he so loved ring hymns into the air, but his soul has been transformed. No longer in pain from the many years of physical and mental illness, he now rejoices at the feet of his Lord and Savior.

As we enter the season of Eastertide—the 50 days leading us to Pentecost and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit—we’re given space to practice resurrection. To discover what new life in Christ means on a personal level. To move forward in a life shaped by the hope of the risen Lord.

As Resurrection People, we are not perfect but transformed.
Not finished but made new.

So this Eastertide, let’s not just celebrate the resurrection.

Let’s live it.

A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Do you have a story to share about your own walk with Jesus? I’d be happy to help you write it for the church blog! You can follow me for more stories about faith, hope, and widowhood at lindaca1.substack.com .

WITNESS

Posted on April 15, 2025 by Linda Cobourn

Jerusalem is crowded with pilgrims who have come to celebrate the Passover in the Holy City. Like me, many of them have heard of the Teacher from Nazareth and the miracles He has done. I was present when He entered the city four days ago, riding on a donkey. I cheered and waved and my husband was among those who cut down palm branches to lay along the path. I had never seen Jesus before and I strained to get a good look at Him.

He looked like any other man, I suppose. Bearded. Long haired. Wearing a simple robe and sandals on His feet. He may have been shorter than my husband, Josiah, but it was hard to tell since He was on a donkey.

“I don’t see what’s so special about HimHim,” I whispered to Josiah.

And as if He had heard my words, Jesus turned to me. His eyes held mine for a moment, searching me. My breath caught in my throat. In that moment, I knew that He had looked into my soul, that He knew all there was to know about me. He knew of the child I had lost three years ago, of the poverty in which Josiah and I lived. He knew that while Josiah was obedient to the teachings of the Torah, I was often unhappy with my life. I tried to pull my gaze away from His face, but I found I could not. My heart pounded in my chest. Would He, like others, condemn me for my childless state?

Then He smiled. Gentle. Caring. A smile that said He knew my life was hard. He nodded His head and touched His hand to His heart. In that simple gesture, I knew two things: I had been forgiven for my faults and lack of faith, and I was loved.

I grabbed Josiah’s arm. “He IS the Messiah,” I whispered. I do not know if Josiah heard me; the crowd was shouting and pushing us away from Jesus as they all tried to get closer. I watched Him even as Josiah put his arm around me and pulled me close to his side, keeping the surging crowd from parting us.

Josiah did not want me to be here today, on this hill outside of the city. The Place of Skulls, they call it, the place where the Romans hang their criminals in the most cruel way. My husband tried to persuade me to stay away, but he did not forbid me. He indulges me more than his mother says he should. For the past four days, I have spoken of little else except Jesus.

We stand on a hill, near the site of the crosses. Josiah will not let me move closer. I am on my tiptoes, my hand on the shoulder of my husband, to see. It is a gruesome sight and I will not describe it. It is enough that the memory of it will remain in my mind.

I see those gathered at the foot of His cross. There are soldiers who played dice in the dust, gambling for his cloak. When they look at Him at all, it is to taunt Him.

“Where are your angels?” they inquire. “If you are the Son of God, come down from there!”

He looks down at them, the movement painful to Him. His face is full of pity. “Father, forgive them!” He says. The soldiers at the cross hang their heads.

Another voice, raspy and choked with pain, rises up. “Remember me,” says the man hanging on the cross next to Jesus. “When You come into Your kingdom, remember me!” A young woman at the base of this cross reaches up to the man. Is she his sister? His wife?

Jesus’s words carry on the wind. “This day,” He says, “You will be with Me in Paradise.”

The young woman kneels in the dirt, her head bowed. His words have given her comfort.

His disciple, John, is there, supporting a woman I think is Mary, the mother of Jesus. She leans against him, but she does not take her eyes off her Son. How brave she is. I think of my own son, who lived so briefly and died in my arms. How can she bear this? But she will, I know. She has had His whole lifetime to prepare for this.

“Behold,” Jesus says to John. “This is your mother. Woman,” He says to Mary. “This is your son.”

I hear her cry out. John wraps his arms around her. She will survive. Women always find a way.

The sun grows hot. Josiah tries to lead me away, but I cannot go. I need to be here. I need to do…something. I don’t know what. Not yet. Josiah finds a young boy selling gourds of water. I am sure he paid too much for it, but I sip the cool liquid. Jesus has refused to drink what a soldier offered to Him on a sponge. Josiah says it was probably filled with gall to dull His pain. He chooses to feel each pang.

The sky grows dark and I cling onto Josiah. What is happening? The earth rumbles and shakes. Many in the crowd scream.

“It is finished!” Jesus cries. His voice is strong and sure. His eyes search the crowd. Briefly, they land on me. “Father, into your hands I commit My spirit!” His head collapses onto His chest.

The soldiers look up. One of them cries out, “Surely this Man was the Son of God!”

I lean onto Josiah’s shoulder and my tears stain his tunic. My husband leads me away. He whispers to me soothing words. I give one backward glance at the Cross. I have been a witness.

Now, I know what it is that I must do. For the rest of my life, I will be a witness.

May we, too, live as witnesses to His love, mercy, and resurrection—today and always.

Foxes and Hens

Posted on April 8, 2025 by Linda Cobourn

REFLECTIONS ON THE SUNDAY SERMON

Linda Waltersdorf Cobourn, EdD

April 6, 2025

Mark Peters, Speaker

FOXES AND HENS

Very early in the morning, the chief priests, with the elders, the teachers of the law and the whole Sanhedrin, made their plans. So they bound Jesus, led him away and handed him over to Pilate.

Mark 15:1

“Count off by twos,” Mr. Matthews instructed as we lined up at the door of my second-grade classroom. “Today we’re playing Foxes and Hens.”

Most of my classmates were delighted to be able to run outside on a warm day in April, but I groaned. Running kicked up my asthma and made breathing difficult, and the sun high in the sky hurt my eyes and reflected off my new eyeglasses in strange ways. I was never very good at running games; I was destined to always be a hen, never a fox who was stronger and had more power. The fox could capture the hen, but the hen could only run around clucking. It didn’t seem at all fair to the hen!

As an adult, however, I have had to reconsider the role of the hen. After all, Jesus Christ compares Himself to a mother hen. Luke 13:34 says this:

Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.

Jesus clearly laments for Jerusalem. The Book of Luke mentions Jerusalem 90 times, yet the city had continued to refuse to accept Jesus as Messiah. In verse 31 (Luke 13:31), some of the Pharisees had warned Jesus to leave the area because “Herod wants to kill you.” But Jesus is not intimidated by Herod. He tells the Pharisees “ ‘Go tell that fox, ‘I will keep on driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal” (Luke 13:32). The coming death of the Savior will not be part of Herod’s plan, but about the establishment of the Kingdom of God.

Jesus, who longed to gather the people of Jerusalem as a mother hen gathers her chicks, did not fight, as a fox would, against His arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane. He could easily have called down angels to save Him, but He allowed Himself to be led away (Matthew 26:56) as the lamb to the slaughter (Isaiah 53:7).

I imagine, as Mark described to us on Sunday, the image of the hen, wings spread wide, breast exposed, making no move to shield herself as she gathers her chicks. Her wings provide shade from the sun and warmth from the cold and protection from predators.

And what if the chicks refuse to come? She will continue to wait for them, patient and vulnerable, leaving herself open to harm.

It is an image to hold onto as we complete the days before Easter Sunday. The image of the mother hen, mourning for the children that will not come, leads me to think of three things:

We are called to radical vulnerability. In the face of danger, Jesus gives us His own body. He offers Himself as our refuge. Can we do the same for others?
We are called to lamentation, for those lost, for missed opportunities, for Israel.

We may not be able to save them, but we can mourn for them and pray for them.

We are called to return to Him. What does He ask of us? What role are we to play in the Kingdom of God? Can we take the risk to love sacrificially, as He does?

The people of Jerusalem were not willing to come to Jesus. Are you willing to come?

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 faith walk, please join my free blog at: lindaca1.substack.com

FAMILY

Posted on April 1, 2025 by Linda Cobourn

REFLECTIONS ON THE SUNDAY SERMON

Linda Waltersdorf Cobourn, EdD

March 30, 2025

Pastor Amy Peters, Speaker

FAMILY

Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble

1 Peter 3:8

What would it have been like to grow up in the earthly family of Jesus? Our church members called out the adjectives as Pastor Amy talked about the importance of family, both natural and spiritual. We know little about the family life of Jesus when He was a child in Nazareth. The Bible gives us a few facts.

Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? (Matthew 13:55)

Jesus had at least four named brothers. James, probably the writer of the Book of James, and Judas, the writer of the Book of Jude, became followers of Christ. We know less about Joseph, also called Joses, and Simon.

People knew Joseph, a carpenter, as the father of Jesus. Probably because of His birth in Bethlehem and the family’s sojourn in Egypt, no one questioned the parentage of Jesus or His birthdate. The belief exists that Joseph, crucial to Jesus’ early life, died before his ministry began. The Bible’s last reference to Joseph is in Luke 2:48-49.

And are not his sisters here with us? (Mark 6:3)

Jesus had at least two sisters. The plural form of “sisters” shows that there were at least two biological sisters.

This is the little we know of the natural family of Jesus. We probably know a great deal more about our own families! But we know quite a bit about the spiritual family, of which we can be members.

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. (I John 4:18-19).

In the spiritual family of Jesus, we have perfect love. We are not perfect people, but the love of our Savior surrounds us.

Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves (Romans 12:10).

We are commanded to love one another. No matter what.

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. (John 1:12)

Anyone who believes in Jesus as Savior becomes part of God’s family.

The natural family of Jesus may have had seven or more people living in one house. That’s a big family! But the spiritual family is even bigger. Over 2.6 billion people acknowledge Jesus as Savior.

We need to take care of one another and continue on the path before us.

And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us (Hebrews 12:1b).

How is God asking you to care for His Family?

A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR.

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:

Image result for care for one another

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!

Category: Blog

HOLY HUMOR. JOY ROOTED IN THE GOSPEL

Resurrection People

WITNESS

Foxes and Hens

FAMILY

Where Jesus is Present

BREATHING

A Triumphant Exit

O Love, How Deep

Highway to Holiness

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