On The Way: Recollection and Resurrection

This change of seasons brings a bounty of memories, feelings, hopes and expectations. Winter into spring into summer. Ash Wednesday into Lent into Holy Week. Maundy Thursday into Good Friday into Easter. Life into death into life eternal. God goes with us through it all. The Father’s love. The Son’s grace. The Spirit’s communion.

A couple weeks ago I gave a call to my dear friend and seminary professor, Rev. Dr. Craig Nessan of Wartburg Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa. I had an official reason for calling, but I also wanted to know how he was. This is a man of deep faith, who taught me and my wife Allison so much about the meaning of authentic Christian Lutheran faith and ethics: how the grace we have in Christ frees us to love God and neighbor, and all of God’s beloved creation.

As we talked, I remembered something.  I had heard that he knew of one of our Northeastern PA pastors – the Rev. Larry Laine, who serves Christ, Mt. Bethel and Jerusalem, Trachsville. “Yes! I know Larry!” And then Dr. Nessan shared with me the incredible story of their journey together, spanning the long distance between Iowa and Pennsylvania – and the far longer and rougher road of loss and grief.

Craig told me, how Larry had sent him an email about a year ago. Larry had read some of Craig’s writings and seen his posts on Facebook. Dr. Nessan has a large following who appreciate his work and insights. Larry and his wife, Diane, had been writing some poetry in response to their grief. Their daughter, Ingrid, had died at age 47, on April 30, 2023 – Larry’s birthday, no less – and Larry was wondering if Dr. Nessan could read a few of their poems and see if they were worth sharing with others in grief.

“Chris, they were extraordinary. Beautiful. Raw. Brutally honest. I told Larry, ‘Please send me more.’” Eventually, Larry sent Craig Nessan all the poems he had that told this story of their loss and their journey of grief. Craig agreed to edit them, and to help Lary get them published into a book. They also made plans to have a number of the poems appear in the periodical “Currents in Theology and Mission”, the theological journal shared by two ELCA seminaries: Wartburg Theological Seminary and the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago.

They worked together on the verses throughout last summer, heading into the fall – when suddenly, on September 1^st, 2024, Dr. Nessan’s own daughter, Mary Catherine, died at age 32, just as suddenly and unexpectedly as Ingrid.

Larry and Diane’s pathway, laid down in words that laid bare their heartbreak and struggle, were now a mirror and a window into the way of loss and grief for Craig, his wife Cathy and their family. Craig told me that he could not fully express how much it meant for them to have these words in their season of deep darkness.

I saw Larry just last week, and took the photo that I include here, in his office in Trachsville. The journal Currents in Theology and Mission did indeed publish his poetry series in their January 2025 issue – you can find it here. He also tells me his book of poems will also be coming out sometime after Easter. The artwork behind us in the picture was done by another of his three daughters. A family blessed with gifts.

As we move through Lent, soon into Good Friday and Easter – as we travel this road of life, death, and eternal life in Christ – I share with you a gift from Larry, with his permission – his poem entitled “Benediction” (Currents, January 2025, p 78):