Obituary

Gregory G Wilkinson of Spokane, Washington, died August 24, 2009 after a long journey with cancer.

Born in Sedro Woolley, Washington on June 3, 1952 to Les and Ruth Wilkinson. Greg was raised in Skagit County and treasured the rich heritage of his childhood there.

Greg was a man of steadfast faith with a calling to proclaim God's love in many settings. He found satisfaction and fulfillment by being compassionately involved in ministries like City Reachers and House of Prayer. His passion for global missions resulted in travel to participate in ministries in the Philippines, South Korea, Thailand, Japan, India, Mexico, and Mozambique. He shared this ministry work with his beloved wife of thirty years, Vernie.

A life-long thirst for learning was most recently quenched by seminary classes in Hebrew and Greek when Greg was preparing to reenter the classroom as a professor of Biblical studies. He shared his love for words and the Word in many ways and in numerous venues. After twenty-five years as a syndicated quiz creator, with his column VocabPower published in various newspapers, including The Spokesman Review, Greg compiled the columns and self-published the book VocabPower 101 [2008]. This book was preceded by the publication of God, Cancer and Me: A Journey from Final Stage Cancerto Being Cancer-Free! [2007]. After working in a range of settings from the classroom to the cabstand, Greg retired from United Parcel Service in 2008. He was blessed by their generosity and support in his cancer journey.

An avid runner, Greg competed in numerous events including many Bloomsday races, culminating his running career as 'Spidey', the Spiderman running companion of a blind runner. He ended his first book with the statement, 'I want to finish the race of lifewith hands high in praise and eyes fixed upon Jesus."

Greg is survived by his wife Vernie of Spokane, WA, daughter Jenny Schillinger and her husband Dave of Spokane, WA, son John Wilkinson of New York, NY, granddaughters Jordan and Taylor Schillinger of Spokane, WA, his brother Les [Deng] Wilkinson of Fairbanks, AK, sisters Georganne [Harold] Robertson of Seattle, WA, Susan [Dale] Ragan of Mount Vernon, WA and Julie [Terry] Rousseau of Bow, WA. He is also survived by his wife's parents Vernon and Earlene Whitney of Lacey, WA, brothers-in-law Rick [Vicki] Whitney of Kirkland, WA, and Treven [Kim] Whitney of Grants Pass, Oregon, sister-in-law Marci [Paul] Mittelstaedt of Moses Lake, WA and numerous nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles and cousins.

Memorial Service was held Sunday, August 30th, 2:30 p.m., New Covenant Fellowship at Healing Rooms New Annex Bldg, 112 E First Ave., Spokane.

A Sunday Word

A deep and diverse community has touched and been touched by the life of Greg. When we gather at Sunday's memorial service our time together will be enriched by song, scripture, and story. Several of Greg's friends have been asked to briefly share a story. If a few others also want to speak a word about Greg [maximum 1-2 minutes], you are asked to please contact Greg's daughter Jenny [DaveandJenny14@msn.com or 509-927-1168/509-723-9576] by Friday noon. Written reflections are also most welcome here on the blog. Blessed be the memory of Gregory G Wilkinson.

Grace. Generous. Gospel. Gratitude

Grace. Generous. Gospel. Gratitude.
Capital ‘G’ words as we seek to express our appreciation for the innumerable ways you have each walked with us through these seasons. Vernie is humbled by the outpouring of love and support with cards, prayers, gifts, messages – each and every expression of God’s love and grace.

We will gather for a memorial service this Sunday, August 30th, 2:30 p.m., New Covenant Church at Healing Rooms New Annex Bldg, 112 E First Avenue [off Cowley], Spokane. Your presence is a blessing.

Condolences may be sent to the family home, 8120 E 1st #54, Spokane, WA 99212.

However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me~ the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace. Acts 20:24

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day. 2 Tim 4:7

Be good to me, God~and now!
I've run to you for dear life.

..I am ready, God, so ready,
ready head to toe,
ready to sing, ready to raise a tune:
"Wake up, soul!"

..I'm thanking you, God, out loud in
the streets,..
the deeper your love, the higher it
goes;
every cloud is a flag to your faithfulness.

Soar high in the skies, O God.

Psalm 57 [in part] The Message

Time to Fold Your Tent

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; Ecclesiastes 3:1-2

The time to die…Gregory G Wilkinson, child of God, died at 7:30 p.m. last night. Family was gathered with him in prayer, offering comfort and strength as his body slipped away, and he joined the glorious company of the saints, the glory realm. Summer 2006 when Greg shared with family the news of his cancer prognosis, he said ‘‘I ‘m not positive I’m going to make it, but this I know, for me, to live is Christ, to die is gain.’’

A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance…In our time of mourning and weeping, when one can be at a loss for words, words of scripture and poetry brought comfort to Vernie. She asked that they be shared with all of you.

It is Time to Fold Your Tent
I am sure it is my duty, as long as I am in this tent, to keep stirring you up with reminders since I know the time for me to lay aside this tent is coming soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me. And I shall take great care that after my own departure you will still have a means to recall these things to mind. 2 Peter 1:13-15
All of us earth-people will someday be asked to fold up our tents and come home. Death and life stand near each other. It is difficult at times to see where one begins and the other ends. This poem is dedicated, with love, to all the tent-folders who have ever walked this earth and to the tent-folder who is waiting in you.

Once again death’s mystery
holds us in its arms
and we are memorized
with a thousand things
You were and are, and now
always will be.

We celebrate this journey with a quiet shyness
always a little uncomfortable
with a mystery so deep.
But with hearts full of life
we hold out our hands
to receive the mystery of death
the gift of death
and sometimes we weep.

Eyes that see all the way in now
proclaim to us the new truth,
When you stand close enough to death
it isn’t death anymore.
Its new name is life,
yet those of us with earth-eyes
still call it death.

There is really no death
for those caught up in God,
only a moment of passing over
a moment of folding up your tent
a hard, painful, giving-up moment
It is always painful to let go.

We praise a man
who had the vision to let go.
We praise a God
who had a love to ask him
to let go.

O God of life
it is in our moments
of not letting go
that we truly experience death
and all the while
It is life that you have planned for us!

O God of life
dip us into the mystery of letting go
of folding up our tents
so we, your earthen vessels,
can bear the beauty of the braking
and hold the fullness
of the life.

Do earth-people always call things
by the wrong name?
Is it death we celebrate?
Or is it life?
Or is it letting go?

I warn you
when God gives you the grace to let go
be prepared
for a radical transformation!
Macrina Wiederkehr.

In sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ, we commend to almighty God, our dear and beloved Greg.

written by Georganne Wilkinson Robertson

The Servant Song

Will you let me be your servant,
let me be as Christ to you?
Pray that I may have the grace
to let you be my servant, too.

We are pilgrims on a journey,
we are trav'lers on a road;
we are here to help each other
walk the mile and bear the load.

I will hold the Christ-light for you
in the night-time of your fear:
I will hold my hand out to you,
speak the peace you long to hear.

I will weep when you are weeping;
when you laugh I'll laugh with you.
I will share your joy and sorrow
till we've seen this journey through.

Will you let me be your servant,
let me be as Christ to you?
Pray that I may have the grace
to let you be my servant, too.

Richard Gillard.


Greg and Vernie know well the role of servant having served Christ in setting after setting. Now the community of Christ gathers around them, Jenny and John, to be as Christ to them. Recently Vernie has had long nights with little sleep as she attended to Greg's needs. For the last several nights, family has been there to hold the Christ-light in the night-time so all may know rest. Thank you for laughing and weeping with us, sharing the joys and sorrows of this journey. We keep on traveling, walking in the light of Christ, thankful for each companion on the journey.

Written by Georganne Wilkinson Robertson

We love

We love because God first loved us. We love, We love, We love, because God first loved us. My children sang this scripture verse with the enthusiasm unique to young children after learning it one summer in Vacation Bible School. Greg's granddaughters have participated in several Spokane Vacation Bible School sessions this summer as Jenny has balanced work, her young family, her desire to be an extra set of hands for her mom, and her loving desire to be at her dad's side. She graciously set up this website to assist the family in sharing news on Greg. She has shared recent and rather rapid changes in Greg's strength. For the many months of this season Greg has faithfully participated in worship, lying in a back pew, soaking up songs of praise and words of promise. This past Sunday, Greg did not feel strong enough to leave the house. Email messages have often brought both of them just the right word of strength for the day.
These words written by Eugene Peterson have been shared with them twice, a double blessing. Vernie asked that they be shared here also.
"Love. Love is the primary word given to guide us into the best that we can ever hope to receive or give. It is, at the same time, the word most frequently associated with betrayal and disappointment......complicating things even further........vulnerable to cliché.............how do I recover its glory, its splendor, its energy?

Going to the dictionary is a poor way to look up the meaning of a word, any word, but especially a word that comes into our lives in the life and language, death and resurrection of Jesus. So instead of reaching for the dictionary, we look to the Story, the God Story as told in Jesus.......so I will no longer look in the dictionary or my own experience for the meaning but to the Story. As I assimilate the Story, slowly, meditatively, believingly, I begin to get it: every act of love requires personal, sacrificial giving appropriate to the person being loved; the less of me, the more of God~ and God is love."

During a recent conversation with Greg I discovered that as the writer of a vocabulary column, he has often reached for not ‘the dictionary’ but one of a collection of dictionaries as he worked. Many of his days give witness to his assimilation of the Story and his personal sacrificial giving. With all his being he lives to shout God is love and we love because God first loved us.

Posted by Georganne Wilkinson Robertson

Words for the Season

Psalm 103:1-3, 19-22. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name. 2. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits? 3. who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, 4. who redeems your life from the Pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, 5. who satisfies you with good as long as you live so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
19. The Lord has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all. 20. Bless the Lord, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, obedient to his spoken word. 21. Bless the Lord, all his hosts, his ministers that do his will. 22. Bless the Lord, all his works, in all places of his dominion. Bless the Lord, O my soul.
Vernie shares this scripture with each of you, words to accompany the report that Greg has little strength now. He primarily spends his day resting and sleeping, rarely able to strongly and coherently communicate with others.

The second scripture she lifts up for this season is Isaiah 28:21. The LORD will rise up as he did at Mount Perazim, he will rouse himself as in the Valley of Gibeon-- to do his work, his strange work, and perform his task, his alien task. She adds “God is able to perform … He can do an extraordinary thing in His sovereignty, even suddenly… I want to thank everyone again more than words can say for all the love and support continued to be given to us.’

Posted by Georganne on behalf of Vernie

update

Thank you so much to all of you who have come to visit Greg. It always puts him in great spirits to see you all. He has been very tired and is sleeping most of the day and has wakeful nights.If you plan on visiting he does best in the evenings. Him and Vernie are so thankful to all of you who have given in so many ways. Please continue to keep him in your prayers.

(NAS Bible) -- Psa. 30 "I will extol You, O Lord, for You have lifted me up, and have not let my enemies (cancer) rejoice over me.I cried to You for help, and You did heal me. O Lord, You have brought up my soul from Sheol; You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit. Sing praise to the Lord, you His godly ones, and give thanks to His Holy Name. For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime; Weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning. Now as for me, I said in my prosperity, I will never be moved.O Lord, by Your favor You have made my mountain to stand strong;You have hid Your face, and I was dismayed. To You, O Lord, I called, and to the Lord I made supplication;What profit is there in my blood, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise You? Will it declare Your faithfulness? Hear, O Lord, and be gracious to me; O Lord, be my helper.You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness;That my soul may sing praise to You, and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever."
(The Message Bible) -- Psa 30 "I will give you all the credit, God--You got me out of that mess, You didn't let my foes gloat. God, my God, I yelled for help and You put me together. God, You pulled me out of the grave, gave me another chance at life when I was down-and-out.All you saints! Sing your hearts out to God! Thank Him to His face!He gets angry once in a while, but across a lifetime there is only love.The nights of crying your eyes out give way to days of laughter.When things were going great I crowed, "I've got it made. I'm God's favorite.He made me king of the mountain."Then you looked the other way and I fell to pieces.I called out to You, God; I laid my case before you; "Can You sell me for a profit when I'm dead? auction me off at a cemetary yard sale? When I'm 'dust to dust' my songs and stories of you won't sell. So listen! and be King! Help me out of this!"You did it; you changed wild lament into whirling dance,You ripped off my black mourning band and decked me with wildflowers. I'm about to burst with song; I can't keep quiet about You. God, my God, I can't thank you enough."
This Psalm has lived in our hearts lately. May it live in yours too. God is able, more than we know, to move in ways we do not understand. He IS GOD AND WHAT A GLORIOUS, LOVING GOD WE SERVE AND KNOW AS OUR CLOSEST FRIEND AND LOVER. The mystery and substance of His resurrection power and love is more than sufficient, especially in our weakness. Of this, we lay hold, and yet let go in ourselves (what a paradox)..... Loving you all with all of our hearts--Vernie (for Greg too) xo
*In the natural, I am needing to help Greg get around, his weight has dropped more, we work at getting food in him. But in the spiritual and God's time table, we trust Him. He is always on time and for His greater glory....God does save the best wine till last... *If I can't get back with you on e-mails or phone calls right away, it's because of alot of company, correspondence, and Greg's needs right now. Thank you for understanding. Again, your prayers and love cannot be measured in value.
Posted by Vernie and shared also by email because a few people have reported difficulty accessing the blog. Our apologies. Hope you find a way to check for updates here.

A Laugh A Day

In his book God, Cancer and Me, Greg wrote ’…I’d read years ago about a magazine editor who supposedly cured himself of cancer by watching funny movies all day long for weeks on end – laughing himself from sickness to health. Three millennia previous to that, wise King Solomon noted, “A merry heart does good like a medicine.” [Proverbs 17:22] – so if I was entering into a battle for my life, it was going to be with a smile on my face, even if I had to die laughing. ‘

Last week my sisters and I sat in Greg’s living room, sharing stories and family updates. With a joke, Greg changed the subject and followed with another joke. We laughed. Vernie and Jenny joined the conversation that evening. Greg shared another joke. We laughed again. His five-year old granddaughters giggle over their own ‘knock-knock’ jokes and laugh with delight when you share that laughter.

Have you laughed today? Sarah laughed in disbelief as her husband Abraham conveyed to her the promises of God, a son, an heir in their old age. Laughing with delight or in disbelief, may we, sons and daughters of a gracious God, continue to claim his promises for our lives and for Greg.

Say a prayer for Greg. Send him a laugh.

written by Georganne Robertson (Greg's sister)

"HOPE"
Psa 130 in the Message states: Help, God--the bottom has fallen out of my life! Master, hear my cry for help! Listen hard! Open your ears! Listen to my cries for mercy. If you, God, kept records on wrongdoings, who would stand a chance? As it turns out, forgiveness is your habit, and that's why you're worshiped. I pray to God--my life a prayer--and wait for what he'll say and do. My life's on the line before God, my Lord, waiting and watching till morning. Oh Israel (Gregory and Vernie), wait and watch for God--with God's arrival comes love, with God's arrival comes generous redemption. No doubt about it--he'll redeem Israel (Gregory), buy back Israel (Gregory) from captivity to sin (sickness). (Eugene Peterson--A Long Obedience In The Same Direction)

Hope is a projection of the imagination; so is despair. Despair all too readily embraces the ills it foresees; hope is an energy and arouses the mind to explore every possibility to combat them...In response to hope the imagination is aroused to picture every possible issue, to try every door, to fit together even the most heterogeneous pieces in the puzzle. After the solution has been found it is difficult to recall the steps taken--so many of them are just below the level of consciousness.--By Thornton Wilder

A Christian is a person who decides to face and live through suffering. If we do not make that decision, we are endangered on every side. A man or woman of faith who fails to acknowledge and deal with suffering becomes, at last, either a cynic or a melancholic or a suicide. Psalm 130 grapples mightily with suffering, sings its way through it (hope), and provides usable experience for those who are committed to traveling the way of faith to God through Jesus Christ.

P.T. Forsyth said it well when he wrote: The depth is simply the height inverted, as sin is the index of moral grandeur. The cry is not only truly human, but divine as well. God is deeper than the deepest depth in man. He is holier than our deepest sin is deep. There is no depth so deep to us as when God reveals his holiness in dealing with our sin...(And so) think more of the depth of God than the depth of your cry. The worst thing that can happen to a man is to have no God to cry to out of the depth.

I read the above quotes and scripture with great fervency this past week. This week has been one of recognizing what sufferings really are and knowing that the battle is not ours, but the Lord's. In the natural, Greg is becoming weaker and losing more weight. It is difficult, when you love someone so much and see them suffer so. I am learning in this valley I've been in. Greg continues to carry a countenance of graciousness and kindness even through this very difficult journey. In our weakness is His strength. I pray the Lord prepares the way for both of us. I pray, worship to our Lord would be our sustenance. We are to become worship. This, with our fellowship with the Lord, was the reason we were created.

Thank you for your unending prayers and support for us during this season. We pray the Lord gives back to you, but more than that....that you share in the reward of praying for those who are sick... that you would see with your own eyes His delivering healing power in your midst.

We hold you close within our hearts always...

In His healing Love--Vernie (for Greg too)

Last breath....

Greg is now at about 110 lbs. Our statement is God's love is stronger than death. Please stand in faith with us in that holy place with God, as we lay Greg on the Lord's altar. "Greg's last breath WILL BE God's breath."...raised up by Him. We love the Lord with all our hearts....we love Greg with all our hearts....we love you with all our hearts.....No words can thank you enough for standing with us--Vernie (for Greg too) xo

Greg has been enjoying his evenings lying on a relaxing cot in the fresh air.

It was fall. September 2006. Greg began a Care Page, a blog at the Cancer Treatment Center of America site, to share with family and friends his journey with cancer. Months later he collected entries from that internet site. His first season with cancer drew to a close with the publication of his book God, Cancer, and Me: A Journey from Final Stage Cancer…to being Cancer-Free!

“Cancer is not the big ‘C’”, he wrote in the first posting, ‘it’s the little ‘c’ because the big ‘C’ is Christ the King who is the Ultimate Healer.” In his book he continued differentiating between the big ‘C’ and the little ‘c’ and shared this poem [author unknown].

What Cancer Cannot Do
Cancer is so limited.
It cannot cripple love, it cannot shatter hope.
It cannot corrode faith, it cannot destroy peace.
It cannot kill friendship, it cannot suppress memories.
It cannot silence courage, it cannot invade the soul.
It cannot steal eternal life, it cannot conquer the spirit.

That same book entry included descriptions of his next season. January 11, 2007, Greg learned that his body was cancer-free. His December 22, 2006 entry had included these words: “This cancer-fighting season of our lives could be the most despairing, the darkest, the most hopeless, but the babe in the manger who now sits at God’s right hand has defeated darkness and despair. He offers hope no matter what the circumstances might be.” With praise and thanksgiving to our God of grace he shouted from the worldwide web the words of remission he received on January 11th. That winter his season of physical renewal began.

It was fall. September 2008. Greg wrote in a family email: “Oh yeah, the recent news: "Widespread metastatic disease to bone, liver, and periportal lymph nodes." Yuk! … In all this, though, I have overwhelming peace and joy. I feel so loved by my Daddy in heaven. There may yet be a miracle in all this--my faith and declarations are in that kingdom territory. “ The second season of cancer began. Medical professionals forecast it would be a short season. Sister Julie brought tulip bulbs from the Skagit Valley to plant with Greg’s twin granddaughters. Spring 2009 we celebrated the glorious red landscape with Greg beside us!

Summer. We celebrate the promises of our Heavenly Father as we surround Greg in prayer. Prayers for healing, for peace and joy. Greg continually writes of the efficacy of prayer and offers words of thanksgiving for the multitude of intercessory prayers on his behalf. In this season there are many unknowns. With courage Greg has entered into it and together we rely on this: “We know God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God.” [Romans 8:28]

This is a season of love, hope, peace, and faith. It is a season for prayer. Please join us in prayer for Greg each day. Blessings.

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven Ecclesiastes 3: 1.

written by Georganne Robertson (Greg's sister)