Rest in peace, Brian Fearon

The men of Israel rushed out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, slaughtering them along the way to a point below Beth Car. Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far has the LORD helped us.” (1 Samuel 7:11-12)

This past Thursday, Brian Fearon passed away. Brian and his family had been a part of NewLife since 1999, and he will truly be missed. At his memorial service, one of the songs we played was Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing. Like many older hymns, it is filled with words and phrases that are no longer part of our modern parlance. In particular, the second verse begins with this peculiar line: “Here I raise mine Ebenezer, hither by thine help I’ve come.” Naturally, most people think “Scrooge” when they hear Ebenezer. But the word is actually drawn from 1 Samuel 7:11-12, where Samuel sets up a stone of remembrance, naming it Ebenezer, in order to commemorate how the Lord has helped His people.

Brian was never shy about sharing his testimony with those who would listen. He would recount how he started early with drugs and alcohol, ended up in prison, and saw no way out of his addictions. He would share about how his wife Laurie found Jesus and stopped participating with him in his drug use and partying, and how much he resented her and her God for it, how he felt like she had chosen God over him. Eventually, out of his anger, he divorced Laurie, leaving her and their daughter Arlene. But God eventually brought him back. He remarried Laurie, found sobriety, fathered three more children with Laurie, and then in 1998, at the age of 40, came to saving faith in Jesus. His life would never be the same.

Brian found a lot of comfort and meaning in slogans and sayings, many drawn from the recovery groups he was in. But one that was particularly meaningful was the concept of an Ebenezer. Whenever he went through difficult times, he would remember that God had brought him through so much already, and would not abandon him now. Whenever his marriage went through painful trials, he would remind Laurie that God had brought them through so much, and He would be faithful to continue to keep them together.

As we remember Brian, let us also raise an Ebenezer to the Lord, reminding ourselves that God has brought us through so much by His power and grace. Let us trust that He is always faithful, and will see us through whatever trial we are currently facing, until the day we finally stand with Him in heaven. Amen.