For All the Saints

On Saturday, Lenape Valley celebrated the life of one of our saints, William A. Burnett. Sixty-three years ago, Bill and his wife Jan stood in the basement of the VFW hall to sign the founding charter of a church to be known as Lenape Valley Presbyterian Church. Their first daughter, Deb, was baptized in the bar of the VFW with a pool table as the alter. The 100 people who signed the charter that day had a vision of creating a faith community to serve a growing neighborhood, to call people to faith, to teach the next generation the good news of Jesus, and to be a grace-full presence in the Chalfont- New Britain area. Their first pastor was a retired circus performer who taught the faith through stories from a trapeze. Bill said those early days were exciting as they worked together to grow a fledgling church to reach their neighbors in the name of Jesus.

Over the years, Bill became a quiet, steady standard-bearer. He sang in the church choir and helped with decorating the church for special seasons. He played on the church softball team and served as a Deacon. When Bill’s young wife died of cancer, the church rallied around a widower with three young children. Bill told of the abundance of food given by a loving faith community as they all grieved the loss of Jan together. When John and Mel Wolff played meddling match-makers, a new family was formed with Bill and Barb each bringing 3 children to their ‘Brady Bunch’ mix. Bill was a successful builder, creating new spaces around the Chalfont area. But his most important building project was the addition to his own house to make room for his new wife, her three children, and a cat. After 47 years together, those six children blend so well that I found it hard to tell whose was whose.

At Bill’s Celebration of Life service, Jesus’ parable of the Wise and Foolish Builder was told. Remember, one built his house on a rock, the other built his house on sand. When the storms came, the house on the rock stood firm while the house on the sand was lost in the waves. The stories of Bill’s life show the mark of a house build on “Christ, the solid Rock”. That house stood through one storm after the next. His witness to the One who is our Rock touched four generations in his family. That witness of faith is woven into the fabric of Lenape Valley, reminding us to stay Christ-centered, trusting the Rock to keep us steady in any storm.

Sunday, Lenape Valley will gather to celebrate All Saints Day. We will speak the names of those who have gone before us into the Church Triumphant this year. We will ring a bell to honor their witness in our midst. Some have been bold, visionary leaders. Others have touched our lives in quiet, loving ways. Each one, created in the image of God. Each one, precious and beloved even in their flawed humanity that marks each of us. I treasure our All-Saints’ tradition, that calls us to pause and remember the legacy passed on to us. May we carry that legacy well, so that one day our Lord will greet us with the word: “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

With you, trusting the solid Rock on which we stand,
Anita