Funeral Sermon for Mark Heckman

I had been asked about this funeral sermon, so I thought I would provide a permanent place for it.  This sermon was preached May 23, 2011 here at Emmanuel Lutheran Church, Goodland, KS.

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be pleasing in Your sight O Lord, our rock and our redeemer!!  AMEN!!

Let us pray!  Heavenly Father as we gather here to celebrate the life of our brother in Christ Mark.  May our hearts be enabled to hear Your Word spoken to our hearts today and comfort us as we mourn.  Though the veil of death separates us today from Mark, we are sure of the certain promise You made to us in our baptism that in being baptized into Your death we are certainly raised with You in Your resurrection.  Comfort us with this thought and let the salve of Your Gospel message surround us so we may hear clearly the Gospel message You proclaimed to Mark on the day of his baptism and which You proclaim here today in truth, purity and peace to Your saints, especially the saints of his family and those gathered here at Emmanuel.  AMEN.

Nearly 67 years ago as the world waited for the largest military force to date to make the most important invasion in World War II on mainland occupied France, Supreme Allied Commanding General Dwight David Eisenhower was shown in a famous picture talking with the troops.  I can only imagine the conversation, but the expression of passion, firm conviction and trust by the soldiers and even Ike in the men who would make that beach assault is tangible.  Everyone knew that many of the soldiers would ultimately lose their lives that day, but the trust each of them had in their leader and the plan spoke volumes and clearly connects with us and our text this morning.

In our lesson, Jesus, had just clearly stated He was destined for Jerusalem to be glorified.  Gathered together, the disciples overcome by grief because of hearing, but not fully understanding the plan of salvation, that Jesus would be betrayed, suffer and die in Jerusalem, the disciples are caught up in their own emotions and turmoil.  Blinded by their grief, unsure of what was to come the disciples hear the further words of Jesus.  Like with the soldiers who were comforted by Ike’s presence and words of encouragement, Jesus most powerful statement is a promise that Mark heard and we hear clearly today.  The promise offered to the disciples, Mark and to us today by Jesus is clear, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me”.

This promise of Jesus we lay claim to today as we say good bye to Mark.  For this promise Jesus made to His disciples and He also made it to Mark and to all of us.  We lay claim to this promise when we remember that Mark not only was a career soldier in the United States Army, he was also a soldier in God’s Army.  For in his baptism in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, God called and claimed Mark as His own and opened the door to eternal life and fulfilled this great truth for him when Jesus called him home to heaven.

Mark clearly understood that Jesus Christ was the way in which all of us would come to the Father.  In his baptism Mark heard and heeded God’s call and remained faithful to spouse, country and church his entire life, modeling a faith active by sight and deed in his kindness and living a Christian life.  Mark modeled for his students at the Vo-Tech in the Diesel program, his fellow coffee drinkers at McDonald’s and others God’s continued activity in his life and his quiet faith.  For the promise Jesus made to the disciples, to Mark and to us today is that He, Jesus Christ has gone to prepare a place for us.  He has gone to prepare an eternal place, where we will in the loving arms of God bask in His eternal presence and dwell with Him for all of eternity.  This has been fulfilled for Mark today.

Yet, we like the disciples in the passage, while today we are walking in the valley in the shadow of death, mourning the loss of Mark, our brother in Christ, we sometimes question, have doubts and wonder how we can ‘get to the Father’?  As we can see from our lesson, we are no different than Philip and Thomas, but we have something they did not.  We have heard the complete story of the plan of salvation, celebrated the Lord’s Supper being established on Maundy Thursday, mourned like we do today Jesus death on Good Friday and boldly proclaimed Easter Sunday, “He is Risen!  He is Risen Indeed!  Alleluia!”  And in proclaiming this, Mark’s death that we mourn today no longer has dominion over us because Mark was signed, sealed and delivered from sin, death and the devil by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ through his baptism. 

With sure and certain hope we trust in God’s promise and see with the eyes of faith given to Mark and to us in our baptism, not only that Jesus is “the Way, the truth and the life”, but that today Mark now stands with the triumphant army of God.  He now rests from his service to country, church and to God.  And we trust our Lord and Savior and the promises He made to Mark in his baptism that God has prepared a place for him and now Mark “dwells in the house of the Lord forever.”  AMEN.

Now may the peace of God which surpasses all human understanding guard our hearts and minds and comfort us today, because of what Jesus Christ did in Mark’s life and ours!  AMEN!

Funeral Sermon for Shirley Boll

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be pleasing in Your sight O Lord, our rock and our redeemer!!  AMEN!!

Let us pray!  Heavenly Father as we gather here to celebrate the life of our sister in Christ Shirley.  May our hearts be enabled to hear clearly Your Word spoken to our hearts and comfort us as we mourn.  Though the veil of death separates us today from Shirley, we are sure of the certain promise You made to us in our baptism that in being baptized into Your death we are certainly raised with You in Your resurrection.  Comfort us with this thought and let the salve of Your Gospel message surround us so we may hear clearly the Gospel message You proclaimed to Shirley on the day of her baptism and which You proclaim here today in truth, purity and peace to Your saints, especially the saints of her family and those gathered here.  AMEN.

When my wife Michele and I moved here to Western Kansas we had done all of our homework about the climate, the weather and the similarities in temperature for us having lived in Virginia.  There were two things that we didn’t take into account, one was the difference in how little moisture falls here on the high desert.  The other was the wind.  Now my daughter Sarah took to the wind like a duck to water, the first real windy Kansas days we were here she like a dog putting its head out the car window, just stuck her head up and opened her mouth and reveled in the wind blowing through her hair.  Michele and I on the other hand had to learn to adapt.  One of our first purchases for both of us was heavier jackets that would not be as easily penetrated by the cold icy wind of Northwest Kansas.

This morning as we remember Shirley and the life she had as wife, mother, employee and friend we can take solace and comfort in the words that Paul wrote to the people of Corinth about how they would be changed and clothed, not with a better winter jacket, but with the clothes of immortality.  Here again Paul’s words:

⁵¹ Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, ⁵² in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. ⁵³ For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. ⁵⁴ But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory. ⁵⁵ O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?” ⁵⁶ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; ⁵⁷ but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

It is clear that Paul had a clear, distinct and complete understanding of death and how “we will be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.” 

Though we frail human creatures have been conceived in sin, connected to our first parents Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden, we find in death the completion of the story told to Adam and Eve that they and we would surely die if and when they ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  Sin and the result of it in death is so clearly manifest this morning and there is nothing that doctors, medical teams, modern medicine or even our society can do to prevent the turning of this page of our lives.  So we gather this morning to remember Shirley and the life she lived here on this earth as wife, mother, Wal-Mart employee and friend and say goodbye.

Please understand if death were the end of the story, we would have no hope.  But another Paul, we know as Paul Harvey coined a phrase that applies for Shirley and for us today.  Here is the rest of the story.

The Apostle Paul clearly connects with our situation today as he continues writing to the people at Corinth.  He tells them and us, “for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. ⁵³ For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.”  Today, the trumpet has sounded for Shirley and she now no longer is clothed in mortal things, but with immortality.  Her mortal attire has been forever changed and now “will come about the saying that is written, “DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory. ⁵⁵ O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?”

This morning we mourn the sting of death, for “The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law”.  But this morning we celebrate in the life of Shirley the power of God through what His Son and our Savior Jesus Christ has done.  It is clear and the Apostle Paul tells us this eternal truth, “but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  All of this takes place for Shirley because of her baptism into Jesus Christ life, death and resurrection.  Shirley has been set free from the bonds of sin and the law, sickness and death and now has put on the immortal, the imperishable and has the victory over sin and death through the victory found in what Jesus Christ has done on the cross of Calvary for her and for all of us.  Jesus Christ was perfect and fulfilled the law for Shirley and for us and she now wears not an old coat of life, but her new coat of immortality that for all eternity protects, comforts and is imperishable.  This same coat God offers to each of us in the promise made to Shirley in her baptism and makes to us today when we believe God’s words of forgiveness.  That is the promise God made to Shirley and makes to us today and which we celebrate with the words, “God gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” for all of us saints gathered here at Emmanuel to say goodbye.  AMEN.

Now may the peace of God which surpasses all human understanding guard our hearts and minds and comfort us today, because of what Jesus Christ did in Shirley’s life and ours!  AMEN!

Sermon 11132011

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be pleasing in Your sight O Lord, our rock and our redeemer!!  AMEN!!

Let us pray!  Jesus Christ, we the body of Christ today have not been entrusted with money like in our lesson.  But You have entrusted us with the responsibility to use our individual gifts, talents and treasure to build Your Kingdom here in Emmanuel Lutheran Church.  Enable us to use what you have given us, whether our voices, hands, heads, treasure or talents and not bury them.  Continue to bless our ministry through the work of the Holy Spirit through each of us, so when You come to gather us into Your Eternal Kingdom, we will be welcomed and not thrown into the outer darkness separated from You where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.  For Your promise is clear to us, as good and faithful servants You have enabled us and given each of us the gift of Eternal life for all of us saints here at Emmanuel.  AMEN.

There was once a famous football player who was a great quarterback.  He could throw the football with precision, accuracy and speed that would amaze commentators and linesmen and thread the needle so even the most closely covered receiver would be left shaking their head when the ball arrived in the exact right spot 60 yards down the field. Yet this great quarterback also had a young son who not only loved the game of football, but adored his father, would travel with the team to games, use the locker room and sidelines as playrooms and thoroughly enjoyed playing catch with his father after a game or on the front lawn of their house.

One day a reporter after seeing this father play catch with his son asked this quarterback, with all of the raw power you have with that throwing arm, how can you insure you will not throw the ball and potentially kill your son?  The quarterback thought long and hard for a moment and said, yes, I have the power, potential and am paid to throw that football with speed and accuracy to guys ten times his size, but with my son it is different.  I consciously choose not to use my ability when playing catch with my son.  With every throw I make to him, I choose not to throw as hard as I can, because I know what the results and ramifications could be to my son.

In this mornings Gospel, we hear about a rich landowner who has given a great sum of money to three slaves for while he is gone for them to take care of his property.  As we know each slave, whether given, five, three or one talent is expected to use it to the best of his ability.  Each of the slaves in turn chooses what to do with the money given them.  Something to note here, when I heard this story as a child, my understanding was that the talents were just coins, similar to what I would receive as allowance or from the tooth fairy.  Some of you may have this same perception, but an individual talent is actually a large sum of money.  An individual gold talent weighed about 75 lbs.  So in today’s money we are talking a little less than 2 million dollars.  Let me say that again, a little less than 2 million dollars.

So these slaves of their master are given a small fortune.  Just as the quarterback in playing catch with his son, chose to not use his talent and bring harm to his son, the last slave, chooses how he would use the money.  He chose to take the talent, the small fortune and bury it, so it could be returned to the master upon his return.  The judgment Jesus proclaims in the story seems harsh and uncaring.  Jesus says, “Take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents.  For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.”

Simply, with the talent given to this slave and which the Master saw in him, he chose not to even invest his master’s money.  Are we any different?  Is this slave a metaphor for us how we rationalize away the gifts, abilities and even the money God has entrusted to us, whether in our salary, bonuses or even the benefit of the wheat or corn harvest just finished this past week?  Do we hide it in the ground, spend it on simple ‘pleasures of the flesh’ or ‘worldly possessions’ and wait for the coming of our Master?

Clearly, the slave Jesus speaks of reaped what he buried in the ground.  For Jesus says, “As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”  The outer darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth is a metaphor for separation from the Master.  In one sense, this metaphor speaks of the eschatological aspect or end times that we are preparing for now.  You see next week is the end of the liturgical church year and the lessons we have heard for the last few weeks are in preparation for the end of the church year.  So today’s lesson about the talent given to the slave and the Master returning is for our benefit for us to ask ourselves, what have we done with what God has given us?  And are we prepared for how we will be judged with what we have done with God’s gifts to us?

This morning God has baptized Barrett Joseph Williams and all of us have been entrusted and promised as the body of Christ to lead, model and use our God given talents, treasure and  skills to help Kayla raise him.  We are called as the body of Christ to share in the priesthood of all believers with Barrett and use our collective talents for the Glory of God. 

Therefore, I ask you now to rededicate yourselves today to the building of God’s kingdom, the proclamation of His Gospel of forgiveness through Jesus Christ death on the Cross and daily walking with God.  In making this commitment the Holy Spirit will use  our individual God given gifts to not only build the Body of Christ we call the church, but enable all of us to model for Barrett and everyone we meet how God’s gifts given to us have not been buried waiting for our Master’s return.  Our commitment does not earn our ticket to heaven, but will yield gifts beyond measure and God will use each of us each and every day as and for all the Saints of Emmanuel Lutheran Church.  AMEN.