Pass on the Faith through the Generations
Just a couple of days ago, we celebrated Father’s Day. And by celebrate, I mean all sorts of things: some of us partied with the good dads in our lives; some of us were sad because of the bad dads in our lives; and some of us were lonely as we missed our good dads and granddads who are no longer with us. On Father’s Day, Hallmark makes a mint. But all of us make time to think about the huge role that fathers have in our lives to tell us our stories and prepare us for the future.
Let me introduce you to one wonderful father in our community, Gordon Bugenhagen. Maybe you’ve met him. He’s lived in Clarence Center for 97 more years than I have. He still lives at home and is looking forward to number 98 in a few weeks. Although life has never been easy, Gordy’s faith in God is rock solid. Together with his late bride of 72 years, Gordy served our church and community tirelessly. Gordy was the church handyman, gardener, storyteller, joy-maker, and source of wisdom. But if you asked Gordy why he volunteers, gardens, tells stories, rejoices and shares wisdom, he will say it comes from the “Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me.” His rock-solid faith is a gift from God, who has loved him all his life.
Gordy’s life reminds me of the apostle Paul’s words to his younger comrade Timothy: “Be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also. Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.” Paul mentions four generations of passing on the faith – from him, to Tim, to other men of faith, to yet others who will be able to teach others. The faith, and our meaning in life – it’s passed down from the older to the younger.
And that unbroken chain of hearing and sharing the faith comes down through the centuries to Gordy and to all of us. This story that we pass on, the story of everything with Jesus at the center – it’s ancient, but it’s not antiquated. It’s as pressing and current as the first words of Jesus when he said, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand – the reign of God is here!” This story is pressing and current because it’s the source of help for all the troubles we have in society today. And it also reminds us that there is more to this life than this life. More than anything, Gordy misses his wife. More than anything, Gordy misses being in church. But he – to use Paul’s words again – has “been strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” Gordy confesses and shares that Jesus has died and risen for him, and will raise his weakening body to eternal life, along with his dear wife. And because of that he “shares in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.”
Gordy trusts in Jesus, the “Rock of Ages.” And as a good long-time resident of Clarence Center, he would entrust his faith in Jesus to you, and encourage you to pass on the faith to others, who will pass it on yet again to even more. That’s the way our faith works – God alone gives faith, but he uses us to pass it on from one generation to another. Hallmark or not, that’s worth a mint!
This article was originally published in the Clarence Bee on June 23, 2020.
The photo is the altar at Saint Paul Lutheran Church in Clarence Center, NY; it was built by Gordon Bugenhagen.