THE VILLAGE ILWIDIOT

By Walt Wiltschek

“Just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” —Romans 6:4b, NIV

Last fall, while I was on a trip “back east,” I stopped by Wye Oak State Park, a spot that I sometimes visited while living on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.

The park covers only 29 acres, and much of that isn’t very accessible. The star attraction, as the name indicates, is the Wye Oak tree. Or, rather, it was the star attraction. The tree, once the largest known white oak in the nation, was declared the state tree of Maryland in 1941. It stood proudly for many years (dating back to the 1500’s) until a 2002 thunderstorm struck it down.

Today, instead, a section of the former giant’s trunk sits underneath a pavilion, with helpful educational signs that share about its history and the rings that recount the many years it saw. “A tree is a child of the earth,” one article from the state’s Department of Natural Resources observes, “and to the earth we knew it would inevitably fall.”

The story doesn’t quite end there, however. Pieces of the tree now form a desk for the Maryland governor’s office as well as a variety of wooden sculptures and other pieces of art around the state. And over the years, the Wye Oak produced many acorns, and some of those were gathered and taken to the state nursery, where its offspring were nurtured and planted elsewhere around Maryland and beyond. When the great tree fell and after the site had been cleaned up, one of those offspring saplings was planted at the state park, and today it’s growing strong amid the remains of its ancestor. Life is different, but it goes on in its own beautiful way.

Thoughts of the Wye Oak came back to me recently while at the farewell service for Franklin Grove, which had stood for its own impressive legacy of more than 175 years of ministry. While it will no longer be a congregation of the Church of the Brethren, this month the property will begin the process of becoming a Christian school, serving a new generation as a home for finding and nurturing faith.

It's not the first church in this district to close, of course. A quick look at the history books will show many others—Arnold’s Grove, Pine Creek, Kaskaskia, Liberty, Lena, Rice Lake, Decatur, and more. In some cases, descendants of those congregations survive. In others, remnants such as cemeteries or the Salem Shelter at Camp Emmaus remain as witnesses. But each of those places, those communities of faith, left an imprint of doing the work of Christ where they were called for the time they existed. And new seeds were planted because of them.

In this season when we journey through life, death, and resurrection on the church calendar, be attentive to those signs of life around you. What life and growth do you see in your congregation today? And what life and sparks of hope do you find from those that have gone before? For as long as the work is ours to do, I pray that we spread acorns of faith all around us, not knowing where or how they might someday grow.

District executive schedule:

In addition to regular meetings, Walt will be attending an event at Pinecrest March 18 and worshiping with Mount Morris March 19; worshiping with Neighborhood on April 2; doing a brief trip to Pennsylvania for his mother and stepfather’s 25th wedding anniversary April 7-9; and worshiping at Cherry Grove on April 16.

As noted below, Walt has begun a small part-time role with Brethren Volunteer Service to complement his half-time district position. Usual ‘office days’ for the district are Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, plus Sundays, though the schedule can sometimes shift due to the needs of the week. Walt is available to visit your church, do pulpit supply, lead sessions, have conversation times, or otherwise connect with your congregation. Please contact IWDDE@outlook.com to schedule a time.