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Legacy. In the musical Hamilton, as the title character is contemplating the end of his life, he says these words: “Legacy. What is a legacy? It’s planting seeds in a garden you never get to see.”
And yet sometimes you do begin to see the new flower pushing up from the ground. As we prepare to honor the life of Shep Woolford on April 14, I am so grateful that in his 95 years on earth, Shep did get to see the beginning of his legacy. He saw it in the faces of those who now call The Downtown Church their home. He saw it In the renovation of rooms and the old parsonage, that big pink house out front, as we continue to prepare more and more spaces for Christ and the community to intersect. He heard it In the way our reputation has grown as a church that is determined to let love lead. We are Shep’s legacy.
Yet, Shep himself was a part of an even greater legacy. He was a child of God, a follower of Jesus Christ, an embodiment of the Holy Spirit. We honor Shep best when we honor the Triune God he served and choose to plant seeds in the lives of others.
Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday. We will have Vespers on Wednesday as we celebrate the Last Supper. On Good Friday, we will gather and remember that death does not win. On Easter morning, we will celebrate that life now, and life everlasting, is ours. That is our legacy in Jesus Christ, just as surely it was Shep’s.
Who do you know that needs to learn of the love that is theirs in Jesus Christ? Who could you invite to worship this week, simply so they can receive the gift of music, scripture, community, and acceptance that I know they will find here. Is there a seed or two or three you could risk planting in the life of another child of God, a legacy that perhaps you can continue? You may not see the flower bloom in the garden, but you might—you just might—see it begin to grow. Shep did.
See you Sunday,
Lori
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