Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary

By Dennis Adams (G-E, 2007), Pastor St. Peter's & Faith UMC, Evansville, Indiana

3 Or don't you know that all of us who were baptised into Christ Jesus were baptised into his death?4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.5 If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection.6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin 7 because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him.10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. (Romans 6:3-10)

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Reflection for Holy Saturday 2010

A week before Christmas in 2007, after a four-year struggle with cancer, my 27-year-old son Matthew died. He was at home with his wife and family around him. And if such a thing is possible, he died with great dignity. Matthew had left instructions that the music at his funeral was to be "church music" from the hymnal, the songs he loved to sing on Sunday mornings when he was a teenager. We opened the service with "How Great Thou Art." When we began to sing the third verse - "And when I think that God, his Son not sparing, sent him to die, I scarce can take it in," - I was overwhelmed by my own pain and for the first time began to comprehend God's pain on that dark Saturday in Jerusalem.

Matthew was baptized as an infant and was confirmed in the faith as a teenager. As an adult, however, he had little time for church. But his faith and hope endured. When, near the end of his life, his sister challenged him, "How can you believe in a God who is doing this to you?" he said, "I just do."

From time to time on Sunday mornings, the pastor asks us to, "Remember your baptism and be thankful." Reading Romans 6:3-10, I remember Matthew's baptism and I am thankful to the very core of my being, for in his baptism, Matthew was united with Christ in death and I know he will be united with Christ in his resurrection. We ended Matthew's funeral with "Hymn of Promise."

In our end is our beginning; in our time, infinity;
In our doubt there is believing; in our life, eternity.
In our death, a resurrection; at the last a victory,
Unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see.