Obituary

In the beginning there really wasn't anything special about the location. Like so many of the pieces of land in the area, it was just another pile of dirt and grass on the edge of what was barely considered a town. All these year's later Linden is far from a metropolis; more like a village. A couple of gas stations on both ends of town give a glimpse of its history more than any landmark or history book could ever tell. Now I don't know how it happened, but I assume the story of the Linden Church of Christ is no different than that of many others across this nation. At some point as the factories came closer and the town began to swell, there arose a group of Christians that decided it was time to stop driving an hour away to attend services; it was time to build a meeting place of their own. The permits were all signed, the bank loans approved, and that little patch of nondescript grass was transformed into a modest country church. The Church of Christ had come to Linden, Alabama.

As the decades went by, that little country church stood proud. To this day you will find a good sized office made for a preacher with a vast library to draw wisdom from, a one room classroom with supplies to cover any age group that may enter its doors, and a fellowship hall where even now the echoes of yesterday's laughter can still can be heard. Two rows of pews about 15 deep were put in place, the podium set in its rightful spot, and in front of it all just above the baptismal pool a mural of a country stream making its way through fields of green was painted. Hope....that's what that little church gave its members. Hope of a better tomorrow. Hope that in just a short time all their sorrows would be forgotten.  Life was never meant to be easy and no more is that true than when you spend it struggling to survive in the backwoods of Alabama. I was nothing more than an occasional visitor to that church of 15 or so believers in Christ, yet in spite of the hardships practically etched in the faces of those in attendance I was never greeted with anything less than a smile and a hug. Not because I was the preachers grandson, but because I came to join in the worship of Christ. The Son of God that sacrificed his life so that we may live ours. The One who spoke the words "Forgive them Father for they know not what they do."

This past week the little Church of Linden that was built with so much love and promise suffered a great loss. Over the years as the jobs left and took the people with them, the membership steadily declined. Now comes word that one of it's valued elders went on in to Heaven. Small country churches can only take so many hits to their congregation and this latest one combined with the reluctant retirement of their preacher (my grandfather), seems to be more than this one can stand. Change has come to Linden, Alabama and with it the lesson that The Church is more than mortar and brick; drywall and paint. Long after the pews have been put in storage and the mural of that country stream fades away, the Church will stand tall in the hearts of those that have faith in Jesus Christ. The Linden Church of Christ is learning what we must all come to understand and that's the fact that a building is just a building and the love of God will stand long after we are gone.