Sermon Audio
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! Gracious heavenly Father, with Your Holy
Hands you made the earth and all its creatures and at the proper time Edna and
all of us gathered here this morning.
Comfort us as we mourn Edna’s entrance into the church triumphant and
give us the peace that surpasses all human understanding. For though the veil of death separates us
from her today, Your Holy Hand sends us the Holy Spirit to comfort, care for
and remind us of Your eternal presence from the day of creation, through the
day of Edna’s baptism and even today as we gather to say goodbye. May the salve of Your Holy Gospel shower us
and remind us of the promises made to Edna and to us as we remember her this
morning. For the gift of life and
salvation is for all mankind, but especially all of the saints of Edna’s family
gathered here at Emmanuel to say goodbye.
AMEN.
Industriousness is
not only a need, but a necessity and a characteristic of women here in Western
Kansas. No matter if it is working side
by side with one’s husband or on the family farm to insure the crops are
gathered in before the rain or hail storm, to slopping the hogs, feeding the
chickens, making a flourishing garden from the prairie and even milking the cows. Farm wives are a special breed and have hands
that not only are hardened for the tasks on the prairie, but some farm wives
have the ability to use the native plants and even the crops that help sustain
their families existence to create beautiful pieces of art. Edna was one of this rare breed of woman who
could keep up with her husband and keep her boys in line, but also relax and
let her mind wander as she created priceless works of art with her hands with
what grew here on the plains of Northwestern Kansas.
Last year, while
visiting Edna, I saw first-hand the clear beauty that she could create. And over the next few minutes learned that
this was a dying knowledge that very few people knew, understood and had passed
on to future generations. What was so
clear that day was that Edna clearly had not only the hands to create, but also
the patience and expertise that had been passed on to her from countless previous
generations. But what was clearer was this was not the only knowledge that she
possessed.
For Edna there was a
clearer knowledge that she possessed that sustained her for her 95 years. It included the truth found in our hearing
from the Book of Ecclesiastes that states, ‘there is a time for everything’. Whether to plant wheat, milk cows or even to
make sure the boys are obeying the way they needed to. There is also a time for change. And today we stand at a crossroads, where
change is tangible for each and every one of us as we mourn Edna’s entering the
church triumphant.
Additionally there is
a bit of knowledge that Edna knew in her heart of hearts and it is found in
relationship. Not just any relationship,
but a special relationship Edna had with her Lord and Savior that began in the
font with her baptism into Jesus Christ life, death and resurrection. The relationship with her Lord and Savior not
only was tangible, but it was strong even to the very end. Since my arrival in 2010 and especially during
her decline, I would visit Edna at home with communion and in the
hospital. I would always share a Word
from the Lord with her and then sing a song, whether “Just as I am”, “Beautiful
Savior” or one of her favorites, “Rock of Ages” and conclude with the Lord’s
Prayer. This put the clearest bookend and
perfect exclamation point on our conversations no matter if we talked about farming,
family or about her personal faith and relationship with Jesus Christ. Every time I would visit and would get to the
Lord’s Prayer, at that point Edna was ready and would immediately join in
praying the prayer that her Lord had taught her. Her tangible conviction didn’t just affirm
her faith, but assured me that Edna was ready.
But ready for
what? Clearly we had talked about death
and she was ready for her entrance into the kingdom of God and the promises
found from Jesus Christ and His innocent death on Calvary. But Edna was ready to return to Her Father in
heaven. Edna was ready to return to be
in the Holy Hands of God Who had formed and shaped her in the womb. Edna was ready to return to the Great Creator
Who had formed and created her like every single piece of artwork that she had
created out of the wheat that we have before us. Edna was ready for her entrance into the
Kingdom of God, because she knew the promises of grace and every blessing that
awaited her were clearly and purposefully prepared by God for her.
When we had
communion, whether at her home or even here at church, Edna eagerly anticipated
the celebration of the Lord’s Supper.
Matter of fact, when I brought communion to Edna, I had to apologize to
her, because Edna was a firm believer not only in Communion, but sharing of the
Common Cup. Whenever I would come down
the aisle and give her the Body of Jesus Christ, she always asked to receive
the Chalice or the Cup of Forgiveness from Jesus Christ. Edna knew that the Hand of God had at the
proper time and place had made this Holy Supper for her and she eagerly
anticipated not only receipt of Jesus Christ Body, but especially the fullness
of the Chalice that was the Blood of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of
sins. For Edna knew in Whom she was
baptized into and her faith helped and upheld her on her journey in life.
Granted there were
times where Edna experienced in a clear and concrete way the pains of this
life, from the death of a grandson, a daughter-in-law, a grandson’s spouse and
even the loss of the love of her life, Bob, but through it all, Edna’s faith
did not waiver. For Edna knew in Whose
hand she rested and trusted. It was all
about relationship with God for Edna and how Edna’s relationship was rooted in
her baptism into Jesus Christ life, death and resurrection and by Whose hand
she had been created. And Edna wanted
her grandkids to have this same relationship that she had with God. And I have personally baptized one of her
grandkids, Katarina and one of her great-grandkids, Kerri and this for Edna was
how important relationship was for her and she wanted to insure their receipt
of the promises of God found in baptism.
For Edna, like the
creations she had made from the harvest of the earth that were of impeccable beauty,
Edna was a fruit of God’s in her baptism.
And Edna knew the promises that would be fulfilled for her with the
change that would occur one day with her entrance into the Kingdom of God. Edna would not want us to mourn but to
understand we can meet with her any time we would like. How you might ask? Well Edna knew that every time she partook of
Jesus Christ innocent Body and Blood around the altar, she would feast not only
with her Lord and Savior, but would meet her betrothed Bob. We to when we come in a few minutes we will
receive God’s gift of forgiveness, but clearly share with one another and now
with Edna the greatest gift of forgiveness that transcends time and space. We like our reading of Ecclesiastes states
can now at the proper time, dance and
embrace the greatest gift given to us from our Lord and Savior, Jesus
Christ in His precious Body and Blood, given and shed for us for the
forgiveness of sins.
For these are the
promises that Jesus Christ offered to Edna in her baptism and we celebrate in
the fulfillment with her entrance into the Kingdom of God. Now Edna has been changed in a moment in the
twinkling of an eye and today the promises of God are fulfilled in our hearing
and in our celebration of her baptism and life.
For we who gather this morning can be clearly assured of God’s promises
found and fulfilled for Edna through what Jesus Christ did for Edna in her
baptism. For just as she created with
her hands works of art that celebrate the harvest, today we gather to celebrate
God’s greatest work by His Holy Hands, Edna’s entrance into life eternal. May we be comforted by God’s Gospel message
of salvation for each and every one of us!
And today and every time we commune come and share in this Holy Supper
that was created by God’s Hands for all of mankind, but especially for the
saints of Edna’s family gathered here to share Jesus Christ Body and Blood,
which is given and shed for all of us for the forgiveness of sins and eternal
life, now for Edna in heaven and one day for each of us. 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 for Edna and each one of us! AMEN!
