On the evening of Monday,
Oct. 29, the FUMC-DS family experienced a great
loss when a large portion of our building complex
was lost to a raging fire that local firefighters
say was the largest conflagration they had ever
been called to battle in the history of our community. And battle, they did. Brave public servants from
every station in Denham Springs were dispatched to the scene and worked feverishly through the night
and through the next day to control and contain
the blaze. And once the blaze abated and the smoke
cleared, we learned that our santuary and Famiy
Life Center had been saved while all of the office
and classroom space had been destroyed. The damage
is estimated to exceed $1 million. Many among the dozens of
our church members who came out on the evening of
Oct. 29 to stare in disbelief and amazement at the
destruction occurring before their very eyes were
present when the church was destroyed by fire in 1972.
And many who recalled it as
a watershed event in the life of this United Methodist
congregation that was first formed more than 100 years
ago. All agreed that, while tragic, the disaster back
then served the purpose of solidifying and uniting
the congregation which in its response committed itself
to pulling together to re-build an even stronger,
more modernized and effective outpost to carry out
our common mission of advancing God's Kingdom. I have the utmost confidence
that history will repeat itself in 2007 and our congregation
will once again pull together in a cohesive fashion
to meet the new challenges placed before us. The pungent
smell of singed sheetrock was still in the air when
our members and other volunteers rolled up their sleeves
and began the work of clearing debris and setting
the course for a full and complete recovery.Calamities such as this
test our faith, but as God's children we have been
taught through our tradition and our understanding
of Scripture that our charge is to submit to God's
will - even during those times when we fail to fully
grasp its meaning and especially when that will conflicts
with our own.We are eternally thankful
to everyone who has come to our aid in this time of
need. We appreciate the prayers and support of all
our brothers and sisters in Christ. From this point
we will go forward with the joy of God's redeeming
grace held close in our hearts. I truly believe that
this time will test our character, develop our character,
but above all, will reveal the nature and character
of a God whose nature is holy and whose love is steadfast,
tender and strong.
Yours
in Christ - Rev. Bob Deich |
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