Monday, December 8, 2008

Doug Sanford, RIP

Yesterday afternoon a good man died. Doug Sanford was a member of the Madison Seventh Day Baptist Church where I am also a member. He was more than just a member. He was the first there every Sabbath to open the building, set up the chairs, heat water for the coffee, and make us all welcome as we arrived. He was also one of our worship leaders and very well prepared and thoughtful in both the preparation and conduct of the service. He loved to be provocative and thoroughly enjoyed a good joke or a bad pun. Our small congregation will miss him very much. I will miss him very much.

Doug was a convinced and committed Christian. His faith and courage over the months of his illness have been an extraordinary witness to me and to all of us. He loved hymns and those by Fanny Crosby were particular favorites. I am reminded today of these words:
I know I shall see in His beauty
The King in whose law I delight;
Who lovingly guardeth my footsteps,
And giveth me songs in the night.
Redeemed, redeemed, Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb;
Redeemed, redeemed, His child, and forever, I am.
I've known Doug since he moved to Milton, Wisconsin, as a teenager. When he became active in the Madison church, I got to know him a lot better. He was a generous and genuinely caring person more likely to do something than to engage in sentimentality. He was not the sort of person who wanted to burden others with his troubles and so we only gradually became fully aware of the seriousness of his illness, although it has been apparent for some time now. He moved from his home into a hospice on Sabbath and died on Sunday.

Doug leaves behind his wife, Renee, his daughters, Tina and Kathleen, and a son, Caleb. He is also survived by his father, a brother and three sisters, and many friends.
Jesus said “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live...."
(Jn 11:25, ESV)

2 comments:

  1. Jim, thank you for your good words about a good man. We will miss Doug.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yes, thank you for your words. Doug will be missed.

    ReplyDelete

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