At one point when Job is defending his righteousness (Job 29.13), he says, “I caused the widow‘s heart to sing for joy.” It‘s just one of several times when God calls our attention to his concern for widows. 

Since Cornerstone began (nearly five years ago), we‘ve had a weekly Bible study with a group of (mostly) widows at a nearby retirement center, The Villas.  It‘s been a real blessing for all who have been involved in this ministry.

Read this wonderful article that one of our pastoral interns, Christopher Bechtel, recently wrote about the Villas Bible Study for our church newsletter: 

The English poet John Donne opens one of his many sonnets with the line, “What if this present night were the world’s last?” The answer? Picture in your mind’s eye the loving face of Christ crucified; you have nothing to fear. Each of the ten or so ladies and one man who attend the weekly Bible study at the Garden Villas South Retirement Community faces the daily reality that today could be their last.  And each one knows that because Jesus the Christ died for their sins and rose with power to defeat death, death holds no power over them.  They do not fear life’s end because, truly, it is only the end of the earthly chapter that sets the stage for heavenly bliss.  With 80+ years of Christian living behind them, each of these elderly saints, Meredith, Juanita, Elizabeth, and Violet, to name a few, knows the challenge and the joy of trusting the Lord for their daily needs, and as the winter of life grows longer, so does the list of innumerable ways in which they have experienced the sweetness of life with Jesus.

To be sure, none is immune to the pains of life. Ruth P. daily cares for Walter, her husband with advanced Alzheimer’s.  Ruth S’s nearly total deafness often leaves her feeling isolated.  Ruth K., too, struggles to hear well, and arthritis has practically confined her to a wheelchair.  Paul, the lone fellow of the group, lost his wife of 60+ years only a year ago, and each week, without fail, he comments that this or that reminds him of her.  His pain is still fresh, yet with faith in Jesus he perseveres in his frequently lonely life, waiting for the day when again he will see his beloved wife.  But his is a waiting that actively blesses others; as a baker by trade, he brings sweetness to many lives with his tasty treats.  Similarly, Janelle brightens the hearts of many with her ready smile, and with her new husband Charlie (whom she met and married at the Villas!) she is a walking testimony to God’s goodness.

For two years James Q. and I have had the privilege of studying the Scriptures with these fine ladies and man.  We’ve covered large and varied swaths of the Word—Luke, Ezra–Nehemiah, Proverbs, and Philippians, as well as forays into the Prophets for seasonal studies at Advent and Easter.  Today (1/16) we’re diving into Judges, eager to explore and learn of God’s grace from the often ugly history of Israel.  No doubt, as the weeks tick by, we’ll glean much of value and interest for Christian living, but, above all, we’ll find, even from Judges, that the one who trusts Jesus has nothing to fear.  The aches and anxieties of aged life, even death itself, have no power over the man or woman who knows that Christ Jesus died and rose again for him or her.  No matter the season of life, there is joy and hope to be found in Jesus.  My mothers and father in the faith who come to Villas Bible study have repeatedly confirmed this to me, by their lives and their words, by their prayers and their songs.  No doubt James would agree, as would Pastor Lee, Kent & Marj H., Bill & Letha S., Rick & Rebekah M., and others who have enjoyed the company of the Villas saints. If you’re ever free from 3:00–4:00 on Wednesdays come by the Villas and see what’s going on.