the Church to the 24/7 role of “head teacher” in a close family of six.
And her role as co-parent with Dan flowed from their commitment to
marriage. In his memorial address for her, the Rev. Jeremy Simons quoted
from an article Joy had written in 1968 for the Theta Alpha Journal, “Raising a
Family in the New Church,” which included:
“It all begins with the marriage . . . from this all else radiates. All we have to
do to come into the joys of conjugial love is approach the Lord (pray humbly,
go to church, meditate and reflect); love the truths of the Church (long and
search for truth in the Writings and in doctrinal classes); and do its goods (live
the truth learned, practicing it from then on). It is the blueprint for a truly
happy marriage – the core, the foundation of a New Church family.”
Joy and Dan lived their beliefs – beginning each morning with family
worship, reading the Word, faithfully attending church functions and
championing morality. Dan was a proud Marine, and Joy a proud Marine wife,
and that also infused their life with patriotism, honor and courage.
But perhaps they are best known throughout the Church – especially
in far-flung reaches of the United States – as passionate ambassadors for the
Church and zealous recruiters for the Academy of the New Church.
As Jeremy put it: “She and Dan loved to take long tours all over the country
in their camper. Their goal was to visit New Church families and encourage
them to send their teens to Bryn Athyn, and they were very successful in their
efforts. Their warm, confident and outgoing personalities helped them form
friendships everywhere they went.”
And as he concluded his memorial address: “We give thanks for Joy’s life
with us, for her generous, forthright and loving character, her service to others
in her work and friendships, and her large and beautiful family. We offer our
prayers that she might find happiness to eternity in the Lord’s kingdom. She
surely arrives there ready to serve.”
(BMH)
who are we?
You may have done a double-take when you saw the headline on the article
by the Rev. Gerald Waters on page 249: “Surely we are not Swedenborgians!”
He wants us to say what our church is: a new revelation from the Lord
Himself, not a religion vested in the man chosen to transcribe its truths for us.
Indeed, it is all too easy to refer to ourselves somewhat glibly as
“Swedenborgians” – sometimes because we aren’t always sure what to say. I
remember falling into this trap many years ago when I was drafted into the
United States Army. I had to name my religion, which would go on my dog
tags.
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