(Each Saturday, a faith leader in Franklin County offers a personal perspective in this space. To become part of this series, email religion@recorder.com)
We said goodbye to a great soul in our congregation. Marilyn Berthelette, our beloved organist of 10 years, and our dear friend, went home to God this past week, surrounded by her loving family.
You’ve probably seen the obituary of this Greenfield resident. Perhaps you knew Marilyn because she was a gifted musician and singer. She was loved by the people of two Episcopal congregations — St John’s and Saints James and Andrew, the Eventide Singers, the Society of the Companions of the Holy Cross, and countless others in the communities of the arts and crafts. What is so powerful for me is that Marilyn was deeply loved by God and she knew it. Is this what makes a great soul? Is this what adds meaning to the mystery of death?
I am a new priest ordained less than a year. I have been unpacking the graces of being part of Marilyn’s journey. This is my first door-to-door death — the first time I was given the privilege of walking with someone from diagnosis to last breath. This experience was a gift. When someone we love dies, we are so filled with feelings that we may find it hard to embrace death as a spiritual experience — as an elemental part of being human, and a doorway through which we all must walk to be transformed and be set free.
When Jesus lived among us, he had some key talking points. Communicating to us our eternal life had to be in the top three. What does this mean that we are eternal? And, what difference does it make in our lives?
We spend a good deal of time talking about resurrection in the Easter season, but it’s good for Christians to remember every day that, even when our body dies, we will live on in the glory of God’s presence. Our culture emphasizes long life — staying young, upgrading our bodies as needed, and, in some cases, preserving life at any cost. We who believe in Jesus may fear dying, but not death itself. We live into the truth that death is a necessary transition — part of God’s plan for our good. That’s so hard to hold in tension with our grief, but it’s true that the body must betray us in some way. We have to leave it behind to become part of the Communion of Saints in heaven.
This is how Marilyn embraced the inevitability of her own death. Her understanding of God’s love for her, of her nature as beloved child, gave her a peace unlike any I have ever witnessed. She was full of grace. And that grace overflowed into the lives of multiple communities — like the gentle circles that emanate from a pebble tossed in a pond. Marilyn knew that God had her and that Jesus would meet her and that the Spirit would call her home. The witness of her dying equaled the witness of her living.
May we all have such a death — a journey into the Mystery that becomes blessing for everyone we love. I want to be a great soul, too. Thank you, Marilyn, for showing me the way.
The Rev. Ix is vicar of St. John’s Episcopal Church, Main and South streets, Ashfield. St. John’s is a vibrant community grounded in worship, sustained by fellowship and engaged in community-based ministry. We welcome you to worship with us on Sunday morning at 10 a.m. or come by any time to sit with God in the beauty of our sacred space. Our doors are always open. www.stjohnsashfield.net. 413-628-4402. FB @stjohnsashfield