Margaret Saulsbury Dixon

I write this blog to celebrate the life and to mark the home going of one of the Mother's of the Macedonia Church, Sister Margaret Saulsbury Dixon. On Monday, we celebrated her life with a Spirit-filled home going service.

I am grateful to Reverend Anthony Pettus, Pastor of the Greater Progressive Baptist Church and former Pastor of Macedonia for coming back and doing the eulogy. The wishes of the family were for him to do this part of the service, but I appreciate him for respecting me as the current Pastor and not doing anything until we had talked. The Body of Christ is best served when we ALL work together.

He preached a wonderful message from Romans 8:28 reminding us "God is in Control" weaving a wonderful tapestry between Scripture and memories of Sister Dixon. To God be the Glory that three people gave their lives to the Lord as this is my prayer and over riding conviction that funerals are evangelistic opportunities to the Living.

My relationship with Sister Dixon is different than others because I never had the opportunity to experience her cooking, her singing or her service but I praise God she shared with me her testimony. She never spoke, she never gave me Scripture and verse, she never told me about her struggles, BUT SHE DID BLESS MY LIFE.

Many blogs ago I shared my conviction that our church needed to do a better job visiting our sick and shut-in. We have men who want to run money of the church but don't participate in any real meaningful ministry in the church. No hospital visits, no nursing home calls, no Communion deliveries, No Tape and Program/Bulletin sharing. I wanted us to do better. I thank God for Deacon Henry Turner opening the door for me to go and visit our sick. It was in this way, I had a relationship with Mother Dixon.

One time as we went to share Communion with her, Mother changed my life. We gave the Bread and shared the Cup and I was preparing to conclude and leave. I believe in not being a burden to the family or the sick by staying too long. Mother must have heard in her voice either Pastor F.D. Johnson or Pastor Pettus say, "After they had done this, they sang a hymn and went out unto the Mount of Olives" because Mother started Moaning.

At first I thought this was pain, but I kept listening. It wasn't Pain but rather it was Praise. She was praising God and her Praise was so infectious the mothers who were with us starting moaning with her, and Deacon Turner and Prince became happy as well. Mother taught me an important message:

Death/Sickness may rob us of many things but it can not take away from us that which is most essential. Our steps may grow short, our eyesight may grow dim, our strength may fade and our breath may become shallow. We may forget names, events, places and times in history but WE NEVER LOSE THAT WHICH IS MOST ESSENTIAL.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Rest on Mother,

Owens