Lorna Nemitz Funeral Sermon: "Forever Joy! Forever Life!" (John 6:27-40)

Sermon Audio

Terry, John, Nancy, and Janey, family and friends of Lorna: 

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

 

A host of angels their voices did raise
In loud hallelujahs of glory and praise
For the little Lord Jesus who on Christmas
Was born
To save all us sinners and all the forlorn.

The magi brought gifts of gold, frankincense
and myrrh
But the gift of Jesus is a joy forever.

 

The gift of Jesus is both forever joy and forever life! As many of you may know, Lorna was a poet. She may not be nationally or worldly known, but her poetry was indeed published from time to time. In fact, that rhyme I just spoke were her very words. Lorna, indeed, lived her life not just knowing of Jesus, but holding onto Him, since in Him was the gift of joy and life. She firmly trusted that Jesus rescued her from her sins. Just as she knew Jesus in her earthly life, she now is in His presence as on Tuesday, June 25^th, her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ led her from death to life as He welcomed her into the Church Triumphant.

 

When I served First Lutheran Church as the associate pastor, I welcomed the opportunity to meet our many homebound members. Each homebound member became my family. Many had not set foot inside First Lutheran Church in years, but I – as their pastor – served as their lifeline to Christ’s Means of Grace, His Word and Sacraments, so they would be sure of their forgiveness, life, and salvation in Christ.

 

Oddly enough, my first visit with Lorna back on July 27^th, 2017, was a little rocky. I was fresh out of seminary as I was still trying to figure out what it meant to be a pastor. I was nervous. Rightfully so. As everything was new. On that first visit with Lorna, I introduced myself and she to me. But then I began the Communion Liturgy from my Pastoral Care Companion. I began praying, “Gracious Father, You have assured us that we shall receive strength every day of our lives. Grant your servant Lorna, who is homebound…”

 

Suddenly Lorna interrupted the prayer and said, “I am not homebound.” I was startled. I immediately thought, “Uh oh.” I didn’t know what to say. Eventually I said something, but that “I am not homebound” stuck with me. In fact, those words are still underlined in my Pastoral Care Companion.

Now, for any of our shut-in members, they know that I never said that phrase in that prayer again. I thought that prayer would be perfectly fine without that phrase. So, I have left it out ever since.

 

As much as I thought I may have offended Lorna that day, she still answered my phone call to schedule our next visit that next month and every month since until I accepted the Divine Call to Prince of Peace Lutheran in West Salem, Wisconsin. And yes, I even visited Lorna during the dreaded Covid pandemic.

 

Each time we met, I learned more about her, and she learned more about me and my family. She shared stories about herself, Orville and her kids as they trekked all about Minnesota, first beginning in Glencoe, then to Cokato, then to Hutchinson, to Darwin, and then back again to Glencoe. Her family albums would come out on various occasions.

 

Then usually sitting on a recliner was her cat, Katie. According to Lorna, most of the time, Katie would hide from her guests, but not from me. Maybe Katie just knew that my family would one day adopt her. That day would come when Lorna moved to Grand Meadows in 2020. For Terry and John, they will never forget adoption day and how such a mellow cat turned into a wild beast. But ironically enough, Katie would return to her house when Melissa and I purchased Lorna’s house. Katie also taught our other cat Gigi a thing or two, especially how to beg for water from the bathtub spout.

 

But what I will remember most about Lorna was her talent for poetry. I did say that she was published. But there were times when the Senior Perspective newspaper would forget to publish her latest poem. I did hear about those moments. They always assured Lorna that it would be published in an upcoming issue.

 

Poetry was one of her God-given talents. She rhymed about God’s creative acts, His redemptive acts, and His sanctifying acts. She rhymed telling of her sure and certain faith in Jesus Christ as her Redeemer and Lord, who was crucified and died for the forgiveness of her sins and yours and my sins, which begets eternal life and salvation, and how He rose from the dead three days later for our justification. This gift we receive by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone.

 

Today, Lorna is resting from her labors as she has received the promise of eternal life. In her later years, Lorna certainly struggled with the effects of sin that we all daily face, including especially back spasms, macular degeneration, and strokes, but now she no longer suffers the effects of sin as she has joined the Church Triumphant with all the saints in heaven!

 

At the same time, today, all of us are experiencing the loss of Lorna. With any loss, we mourn. Some mourn publicly, while others mourn privately. We mourn because every human being has inherited that dreadful disease known as the original sin of Adam and Eve and has died because of it. Were it not for sin, there would not be death. So, we long for the day when Christ comes again to finally defeat death.

 

Until that day, we mourn, but mourning is a good and godly work. Remember, Jesus wept at the death of His friend Lazarus. Jesus wept, because He loved His friend, so weeping and mourning the death of our loved ones is a good and godly work.

 

We mourn because of the reality of death. We mourn because we were all intended to live forever. But we do not mourn as those who have no hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13). So, we mourn, but our mourning is mixed with certain hope. Our tears are mixed with faith. Our sadness is mixed with joy, because one day in the future “we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 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 shall be changed … [as] this mortal body must put on immortality” (1 Corinthians 15:51b-52, 53b).

 

As I began our sermon, I said that the gift of Jesus is both forever joy and forever life. That is what Lorna believed and confessed. 

 

Jesus says in our Gospel reading, “I am the Bread of Life; whoever comes to Me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in Me shall never thirst” (John 6:35). Each time Lorna received Christ’s Body and Blood under the bread and wine for the forgiveness of her sins and to strengthen her faith, she received the Medicine of Immortality, which is the antidote to eternal death, that bestows eternal life in Jesus Christ. 

 

Jesus’ own mission and work is the Giver of Life. For just as simple bread satisfies hunger for a time, Jesus gives eternal life. As the Bread of Life, Jesus is the source of life and the very content and substance of life. So, eternal life is possessed when Jesus is possessed.

 

Jesus as the Bread of Life leads us to the Messianic Banquet that we heard about in our reading from Isaiah 25: “On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined. And He will swallow up on this mountain the covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of His people He will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken” (Isaiah 25:6-8).

 

Until that day, everyone who clings to Jesus has the Bread of Life. So, what does it mean to have the Bread of Life now? Well, it means that we cling to Jesus as our Teacher. It means that we are committed to Him and trust Him. You see, only when we adhere to Jesus, we have eternal life. This adherence which is of faith is true and salvific. And this adherence is only made possible by Christ and His Means of Grace: Word and Sacrament. So, if you would like the same eternal life as Lorna, follow her example by receiving Christ’s Means of Grace through His Word, which we gladly hear, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest, and through His Sacrament at the Lord’s Table as He serves forgiveness, life, and salvation!

 

Today, Lorna has come out of this great tribulation of our life now and is now clothed in Christ’s Robe of Righteousness as she is before the throne of God where she hungers no more, neither thirsts anymore as she is in the presence of her Lord Jesus Christ. But as much as we may believe that heaven is the end, it isn’t. For all the faithful in heaven, there is still something more on the horizon. St. Paul writes, “Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall be changed, 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 shall be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:51-52).

 

Death does not have the final say. Life has the final say! Since Christ has been raised from the dead, we too, will also be raised! So, Lorna’s grave will be as empty as the grave of Jesus! The body buried will be the body raised on that glorious resurrection day!

 

I would like to leave you with some thoughts on one of Lorna’s favorite hymns, “Just as I Am.” Each stanza of that hymn begins with the same phrase “Just as I am.” That simple word “just” warrants our attention. That word “just” is not a coincidence. It is on purpose. It is speaking of the doctrine of justification, which is the doctrine by which the Church stands or falls. Justification is the grace that all have received when Christ took upon Himself our dirty rags of sin and gave us forgiveness, life, and salvation in return, so that just as we are poor, wretched, and blind, Christ’s cross has pardoned and cleansed us. His immeasurable love has set aside every barrier, and the believer is His alone by grace through faith, just as I am. This is why this hymn was beloved by Lorna and so many of us.

 

May you also receive the same forever joy and life that Lorna knew on earth and is now fully revealed in the Church Triumphant with the angels and archangels and her fellow saints in the Church Triumphant! Amen.

The peace of God which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

Lorna Nemitz's Obituary: https://hantge.com/obituaries/lorna-nemitz/

Sermon for Pentecost 24: "A Warning: Are You Foolish or Wise?" (Matthew 25:1-13)

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

Jesus said: “The kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise” (Matthew 25:1-2).

 

Who really enjoys waiting? I don’t. Waiting for anything really doesn’t come naturally, especially when we live in an instant gratification culture. At the click of a button, your desire is found in the online cart. In just another click, it’s on its way to your home. In the words of Veruca Salt from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, “If I don’t get the things that I’m after, I’m going to scream. I don’t care how, I want it now!” If we’re honest, that’s who we are. We want it now! Why read a book when you can just stream the movie? Why make supper when you can just order fast food?

 

But there is another risk. If the waiting goes on too long, it’s possible that you can forget what you were hoping for. You see, ever since Jesus bodily ascended into heaven, the Church has been waiting for His return. In the first years, there was eager expectation. But then it seemed that the waiting was too long as we heard in our epistle from 1 Thessalonians 4 today. Did they misunderstand? Do we misunderstand? Is Jesus going to keep His promise? Is Jesus really ever coming back?

 

Since waiting isn’t easy, and because there is a risk that we can forget or lose hope, Jesus tells us a parable on this 24^th Sunday after Pentecost. And if you are honest with yourself, this parable is frightening. In fact, it’s terrifying. But remember, Jesus desires all to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. So, as terrifying as this parable is, Jesus is warning us, so that we would be counted among the wise.

 

Again, “The kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise” (Matthew 25:1-2). First thing to note here is who are the wise and who are the foolish. What do they represent? If we take the wise to be believers and the foolish to be unbelievers, we are missing the point of this parable. Jesus isn’t speaking about Christians versus non-Christians. Jesus is speaking this parable to His Church. So, the foolish and the wise are you and me in this very place. He is warning the foolish to “wise up.”

You see, this parable is actually a variation of the Parable of the Sower, in which Jesus warns us about the dangers of the devil, the dangers of persecution, and the dangers of covetousness.

 

As Christians, we are not secluded from the fallen sinful world; we live in this fallen sinful world. We live in a world that is full of doubt and full of sinful desires. We live in a world that is filled with false gods. Even false gods that claim to be the one true God. 

 

Perhaps, the most deceptive false god is the god who is always loving – not loving in the way that we know God to be in Jesus – but loving in a different way, a false way. A god who is always tolerant. A god who is always accepting. A god who will always accept you as you are – unrepentant and drenched in sin. A god who will always receive you. A god who will always love you. A god of the open door. A god of the second chance. A god who shuts one door and opens another. A god who shuts two doors and opens a window. That’s the false god that this fallen sinful world and its fallen prince offers to you. 

 

Today, Jesus comes to shock you with a vision of a different God, who is the one true God. Jesus doesn’t want you holding onto that false god as you think that you are prepared, because you aren’t. So, Jesus says, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 7:21). For these ten virgins, they each thought they were prepared. They each thought they had the right way of thinking. But only half were truly ready.

 

As it was custom then, on the wedding day, the bridegroom would dress in wedding garments, and his friends would escort him to the house of the bride. The bride would then come out to meet them with her friends, in this case, the virgins, who would be known as bridesmaids today. The only question would be when? So, the bride and the virgins would always have to be ready as the bridegroom could arrive at any hour of the day or night.

 

When the bridegroom would arrive, the whole group would joyously parade to the home the bridegroom had prepared. Elsewhere, Jesus used this imagery to describe His relationship to His Church saying, “In My Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to Myself, and where I am you may be also” (John 14:2-3). You see, the Christian life now is like a betrothal, and heaven will be like marriage.

So, here we have ten virgins waiting in the night for the bridegroom to come. But as they waited, the hour grew late, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. At midnight, when the virgins all least expected the bridegroom, He arrived with the cry of command, with the voice of the herald, “Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet Him!” (Matthew 25:6)

 

Then the virgins all rose and trimmed their lamps. At that instant, five of the virgins realized that their lamps were going out. They never considered the possibility that the bridegroom might be delayed, so they brought no extra oil for their lamps. So, they wandered into the darkness to find a merchant selling oil. Now, what does the “oil” here represent? The oil represents faith. And faith is not anything that we can earn or purchase. Faith is only continually sustained by the Means of Grace: hearing God’s Word and receiving His gifts of forgiveness, life, and salvation through Holy Baptism, Absolution, and through the eating and drinking of Christ’s body and blood under the bread and wine.

 

Now that the bridegroom has come, what does He do? Does He leave the five wise there at the door and tell them to go out into the world to find the foolish? No! He gathers the wise in and He shuts the door.

 

Earlier in Matthew, Jesus said, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7). But that’s not what happens here. Those foolish virgins certainly ask. They asked the wise to share their oil and they do not receive. The wise say, “Go to the dealers and buy for yourselves” (Matthew 25:9b). And they seek. They go out looking for that merchant. But then come back only to find that it’s too late. And they knock. They knock on that door saying, “Lord, lord, open to us!” (Matthew 25:11). But the door is not opened. Then the bridegroom says, “Truly, I say to you, I do not know you” (Matthew 25:12).

Here, we have a Jesus who is not seeking the lost, who is not opening the door, who is not inviting everybody in, who is not bringing in the blind and the lame and the poor, so that the banquet hall may be filled. He shut the door. It’s barred and bolted shut. Here, Jesus is dividing between the foolish and the wise. He has taken the wise and to the foolish, He says, “I do not know you,” because they had neglected their faith by not receiving His Means of Grace, by ignoring the will of God the Father in having other gods, since they did not hold God’s Word sacred by gladly hearing it and learning it. They would rather say they know Jesus, but in doing so, they do not show fruits of that faith. They would rather live a life no different than any heathen. This is extremely frightening. This is what could be called spiritual shock therapy.

 

Jesus is coming. He will come to judge the living and the dead. Sin is sin and all sin is worthy of damnation. Foolishness is foolishness and by saying you know Jesus and then in return live a life does not put Christ in the center will cause you to be ejected from the kingdom of heaven. So, when God shuts the door on that final day, God shuts the door. He shocks you into reality. He shocks you into the reality of what it means to come before God who judges the living and the dead.

 

But as terrifying as this may be, Jesus is still Jesus. As I said earlier, Jesus is saying this parable so that you and me would be counted among the wise. He is saying this parable as gospel, so that we would be warned. He is saying this parable, so that we would not lose hope.

 

The same Jesus who has the power to say, “I do not know you,” is the same Jesus who uses that power to come and know you even in your sin. God the Father sent this Jesus into this fallen sinful world that would reject Him. Jesus came to a people who would not know Him. Even though His disciples would deny Him and fall away, Jesus still came to know them. And, even though, we, in our sinful nature, would kill Him, Jesus still came to know us. He came to know us in our sin, so that we would know Him as our Savior from sin, death, and the devil. He came to bring you into His grace.

 

Today, that shedding of Christ’s innocent blood is the oil for your lamp. Jesus is the Lamb of God who came to take away the sins of the world. That blood and water that flowed from His side as He was crucified even flows today. That water with the Word washed you clean and gave you faith. That blood now flows with His body in the Sacrament of the Altar so that your sins are forgiven, and your faith strengthened for the day of the Lord’s coming. 

 

In the Parable of the Ten Virgins, Jesus does not mince His words: you are either waiting for Him or you aren’t. Here, in the Divine Service through His Means of Grace, Jesus prepares you so that you would be counted among the wise. Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

 

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.   

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

Sermon for Lent 5: "Life Doesn't End in Death" (John 11:1-53)

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

The world has an obsession with death. That is, until death becomes a personal reality.

 

So, what is this obsession? If you watch TV, or read the local newspaper, death is a major part of the news. But so often, political correctness is used to soften words by sugar-coating and destigmatizing the reality of death. “Reproductive healthcare” is said in the place of elective abortion. “Physician-assisted suicide” or “Medical Assistance in Dying” are said in the place of euthanasia. 

 

From politicians to ballot referendums, death is even on the ballot. When death doesn’t affect you, it may seem easy to make a choice. But you may recall, that not too long ago, seemingly everyone was thinking about their own mortality. 

 

As soon as those lockdowns began three years ago, I bet you were thinking about your own mortality. Television and print news gave us daily tallies on the infection rates and death count. We were told to social distance. We were told that just by being near others, we could cause their death. Schools were closed. Businesses shuttered. Playgrounds were covered in caution tape. As everyone was in need of hope, churches, too, closed under the abundance of caution. For so many, death seemed imminent. Through fear, the experts led many to believe that just catching Covid-19 was a death sentence. 

 

As Covid-19 came on the scene, so many people had to actually think about their own mortality. At that same time, there was the push to find a cure from death. The thing is, death was still a prospect before Covid-19. Funerals happened before Covid; obituaries, too.  

 

No one wants to die, even if some say that people have that right. Everyone fears death. If we could, we would rather avoid death altogether. But at some point, in our life, we will all have to experience death. But Jesus tells us something today that seems unreal, but it is very real. He says life does not end in death.

 

Now, there is certainly physical death. Lazarus experienced this death. Lazarus was dead. And when Jesus finally came, He found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. 

 

Today, we may think that four days doesn’t seem all that long. Afterall, you have likely been to a funeral for someone who died days to a week ago. But in the first century, embalming chemicals didn’t exist yet. So, within minutes of death, decomposition begins. Without life, death takes over. Internal organs begin to decompose within days. So, needless to say, a stench was filling the tomb of Lazarus.

 

This death that Lazarus experienced is the death that we will all one day experience. Death is inescapable unless Christ returns first. So, until that glorious day of Christ’s descent from heaven – with a cry of command, the voice of an archangel, and the sound of the trumpet of God (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18) – death is your fate. You may experience a sickness, like Lazarus. Or your death may happen in an instant, like in a car accident. So, unless Christ returns first, we will all experience death, since the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23a).

 

Death is a basic human problem. It belongs to us because of Adam’s fall into sin. As far as we know, human beings are the only creatures on earth who know that death is in their future. Because of this, we are concerned about death. We are conscious that death stands at the end of our lives, and this fact affects us all. Death affects us here and now.

 

Physical death certainly affects those who are still living. The death of Lazarus affected Martha and Mary, and those in the community who came to console with them. And this sorrow even affected Jesus. When Jesus saw Mary and the community weeping, Jesus was deeply moved and He began to weep. The death of loved ones affects us all, but we all grieve in different ways.

 

For us who are still living, losing a spouse, a parent, a grandparent, other family members and friends affects us. We can’t visit them anymore. We can’t give them a call. We soon realize that there is a void. We can’t change the reality of physical death.

 

But death would soon become the reality for Jesus. His return to Bethany would result in His arrest and crucifixion. By returning to Judea, Jesus was putting His life at risk, since the Jewish authorities were seeking to arrest Him for equating Himself with God. Even His disciples were aware of this: “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and you are going there again?” (John 11:8) 

 

Jesus was in danger, but He knew He controlled His time on earth for He said: “No one takes [My life] from Me, but I lay it down of my own accord” (John 10:18a). 

 

And upon the news of Lazarus’ resurrection, the Jewish authorities began plotting on ways to get rid of Jesus. Caiaphas, the High Priest, feared that the Romans would take away their authority, due to the popularity of Jesus. The Sanhedrin were at their wits end, since they have tried everything else, but without any success. “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation” (John 11:47-48).

 

The Sanhedrin feared the Romans more than they feared God. They feared losing their status. So, ironically, just as Jesus spoke of His death to His disciples before arriving in Bethany (John 11:13), Caiaphas prophesies: “It is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish” (John 11:50).

 

Now, Christ’s death was a real necessity. You see, God the Father’s anger over the sins of all mankind had to be appeased by the sacrificial death of Jesus. All our wrongs of thoughts, words, and deeds could only be forgiven through the death and resurrection of Jesus. 

 

The effects surrounding the death of Lazarus were but a small picture of the effects of sin that Jesus would carry to His own death. Our sin saddens God. Jesus wept. Our sin demands atonement. Jesus’ death. 

 

Upon inspiration, Isaiah prophesies this: “He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). This healing includes more than just forgiveness. This healing includes the resurrected life.

 

Jesus is the resurrection and the life. His proof for His claim is in raising Lazarus from the dead. Four days in the tomb were not match for the resurrection and the life Jesus claimed as His own and which He gave to Lazarus. Three days in the tomb were no match for the resurrection and the life Jesus claimed as His own following His own suffering and death on the cross.

 

Really, any time in the tomb can be no match for the resurrection and the life Jesus claims as His own and which He has given to us. You see, everyone who lives and believes in Jesus will never die! At once we believe that, we never die.

 

Now, we may not fully comprehend Christ’s complete power for us in the resurrected life we have now, but by faith in Him, we have eternal life now.

 

Jesus is the resurrected life. He has given us faith in Him through the waters of Holy Baptism. He strengthens this faith as we hear and read His Word. He strengthens this faith as we receive pardon and peace through absolution and in His Body and Blood under the bread and wine broken and shed for the forgiveness of sins.

 

Jesus has given us the blessing of resurrected life that we have now. For since we “were buried with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised form the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:5) and “whoever believes in the Son has eternal life” (John 3:36).

 

By faith in Jesus, though we die, we shall live! This is His promise to us!

 

So, in the midst of our weak and frail life on earth, we have the powerful Lord Jesus whose resurrected life affects us today. We still grieve when a loved one dies. But we don’t grieve in despair. We grieve in a sure and certain hope, since Christ fulfills each and every promise, including the promise of the resurrection from the dead.

 

So, life does not end in death. We will all rise again on the Last Day and forever celebrate the joy of life that we have now in Jesus Christ, who is the resurrection and the life. Amen.

 

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen. 

 

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

Funeral Sermon: "Following the Shepherd" (Psalm 23; Revelation 7:9-17)

Lyle, Mark and Marilyn, family and friends of Glenda:

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen!

 

[Resting From Her Labors]

 

All throughout Glenda’s life, the Triune God – the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit – provided for all of her needs of body and soul. The Lord gave her faith at the waters of Holy Baptism, and the Lord sustained that faith. Today, Glenda is now resting from her labors.

 

As you may know, Glenda was a twin – and despite being the smaller of the two – she survived, but her twin sister died shortly after birth. She and Lyle also experienced the loss of their son Michael when he was 12 years old. In life, she certainly experienced her share of heartache. God gives and He takes away. We – on this side of heaven – don’t know why He does the things He does and we are free to question Him, but His will is always good. But also as is life, Glenda experienced so many celebrations. She enjoyed traveling. She especially enjoyed her travels to Europe and Alaska, but also those weekend trips through the mountains of Colorado.

Glenda was devout to her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Here at Prince of Peace, she was one to get involved in various activities, such as altar guild and Bible studies. However, to many at Prince of Peace, Glenda and the church kitchen were synonymous. For some reason, when discussing anything about the church kitchen, Glenda’s name always seems to come up.

 

Throughout her life, Glenda was blessed by God. She was blessed to be a wife and mother. She was blessed to be a grandmother and great-grandmother. Among these blessings, she cherished every moment of family time. On occasion, she would ask, “Have you heard anything from the boys?” The boys being her grandsons. She thoroughly enjoyed hearing the latest from her grandsons. But her greatest blessing is receiving the gift of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone!

 

Today, Glenda is resting from her labors as she has received the promise of eternal life as she has joined the Church Triumphant in heaven! As Glenda experienced loss during her earthly life, today, we are also experiencing loss. With any separation, we come to a time of mourning. We mourn because death is not natural. Now, some mourn publicly, while others mourn privately. But we all mourn. You see, humanity was not created to die. But due to our first parents – Adam and Eve – we all die, because “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23a). And, so we mourn. But mourning is a good and godly work. Why’s that? Well, Jesus wept at the death of His friend Lazarus. Jesus wept because He loved His friend, so weeping and mourning the death of any loved one is a good work.

 

We Christians mourn the reality of death. We mourn because we were never intended to die and should live forever. But we do not mourn as those who have no hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13). We mourn, but our mourning is mixed with hope. Our tears are mixed with faith. Our sadness is mixed with joy in the Lord’s promises. So, what are the Lord’s promises? Well, our Scripture readings are just that! Psalm 23 portrays our life here on earth “now”. Revelation 7 points to the “not yet” that Glenda is now experiencing in heaven.

 

[The Valley]

 

Our whole life here on earth is lived under the shadow of our enemy: death. Certainly, our life has its joys and celebrations. Yet our life is also lived under a shadow, an overcast sky that won’t go away even as we celebrate and laugh. This shadow of death is the sad reality we have since the Fall into sin.

 

This journey through the valley of the shadow of death can seem like a lonely walk that ends in defeat. But we who are in Christ have the Good Shepherd’s promise that we do not walk alone. With us walks the Shepherd who has trod this same path before us. This Shepherd is Jesus who stands beside us today in our grief to give us guidance and direction.

 

This Shepherd is who walked into the valley of the shadow of death. He left the brilliance of heaven, descended to earth, was conceived by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, and took upon Himself our human flesh and became one of us, though without sin. His perfect life was a display of God’s merciful love and care for all people. He used His power to forgive sin and overcome death, disease, and the devil. He healed the sick, raised the dead, and cast out demons. But all the while, His ministry had one direction as He was led to the cross. There, the sinless Lamb of God was made to be sin for us – as He took upon Himself all our sins. He died in our place as the atoning sacrifice and rose from the dead for our justification. Through His death and resurrection, the Good Shepherd brought us grace.

 

Jesus, the Good Shepherd, is the One who walks through the valley with us. With Him by our side, He gives us rest in “green pastures.” With Him by our side, He raises us from death to life through the “still waters” of Baptism. With Him by our side, He “restoreth my soul.” With Him by our side, He leads us on the right path, because Jesus is the righteous path.

 

We are never alone as we travel in the valley of the shadow of death in our life now. The Lord Jesus has walked it before and He is walking it with us today and every day.

 

Throughout our life, Jesus is walking with us. He is right at our side leading. For everyone in Christ, He calls us His friends (John 15:15). Now, what does Jesus mean here by “friend”? Is He just a buddy? No, much more than that! The hymn “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” was one of Glenda’s favorites. Through our singing, Jesus invites us to stand in awe and gratitude that He who reigns over all creation now treats His people – who were once His enemies, due to sin – as His friends.

 

Throughout the hymn, God invites us to pray. Oh, and this is a peace we often forfeit when we decline the invitation to pray. Throughout this hymn, we are reminded of the everyday difficulties, which are sometimes faith-challenging trials, but no matter what while we live in the shadow of death now, we have a Friend who is always faithful and He always fulfills His promises. And, He always knows the best answer to our prayers.

 

[The Mountaintop]

 

In this valley, Jesus leads us and answers our prayers. From the valley of this life, we will one day come to the mountaintop. We heard of this mountaintop in Revelation 7. Upon this mountaintop, we see “a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes” (Revelation 7:9).

 

So, who are these people “clothed in white robes?” Well, these people are the ones who have come out of the great tribulation – that is, out of the valley of the shadow of death. Among this Church Triumphant is Glenda. She and all the faithful are now standing before the throne, because their robes have been made white through the blood of the Lamb. Jesus died in the valley, so that all by grace through faith in Him might live on the mountain.

 

Glenda is now arrayed in white among the faithful in heaven. She is there because she believed in Jesus as the only Savior from sin. Upon her death, Glenda came out of the valley of the shadow of death and is now singing on the mountaintop with her fellow saints. They sing because they are free from all pain and sorrow, because in the presence of the Good Shepherd, sin has no power over them. Jesus has wiped away ever tear from their eyes as they hunger no more, neither thirst anymore. Glenda and her fellow saints are completely satisfied!

 

Glenda heard the Shepherd’s voice and followed Him while in the valley (John 10:27) and she is now with Him on the mountaintop. By God’s grace, we may one day join her. By grace through faith in Jesus, our destination is with the saints arrayed in white!

 

But heaven is not the end! There is more to come! Paul writes: “Behold! I tell you a mystery … In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye ... For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:51,52). You see, death does not have the final say. Life has the final say. Since Christ has been raised from the dead, we too, will also be raised on that glorious resurrection day! Amen.

 

The peace of God which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

Glenda Marie Anderson Obituary:

 https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/glenda-anderson-obituary?id=36543160

Funeral Sermon: "Into Eternal Joy and Bliss" (John 14:1-6)

 

Linda, Joel, family and friends of Dale:

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen!

[Intro]

“Let not your hearts be troubled” (John 14:1a). With these words, Jesus fortifies and preserves His disciples in knowing the sure and certain hope that we will see our loved ones again.

In the last days to hours of Dale’s earthly life, for Linda and son Joel, I’m sure there were times when their hearts were troubled. Thoughts like, “This isn’t the way I thought it would be” I’m sure cropped in their minds. It certainly crops into all our minds. But why? Even though death is expected of all of us – unless Christ returns first – death still does not seem right. It doesn’t seem right that we are separated from our loved ones. But with death, comes separation. And with any separation, we experience loss. With separation, we come to a time of mourning. Some mourn publicly, others mourn privately. But we all mourn.

We mourn because death is not natural. You see, humanity was not created to die. But due to our first parents – Adam and Eve – we all die, because “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23a). And so, we mourn. But mourning is a good and godly work. Remember how Jesus reacted to the death of His friend Lazarus? He wept. Jesus wept because He loved His friend, so weeping and mourning the death of any loved one is a good work.

We Christians mourn because of the reality of death. We mourn because we were never intended to die and should live forever. But we do not mourn as those who have no hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13). We mourn, but our mourning is mixed with hope. Our tears are mixed with faith. Our sadness is mixed with joy because “the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23b).

[Christian Vocations]

Throughout his earthly life, Dale lived out his Christian vocations. He was a son, a brother, a husband, a father, and grandfather to name a handful of his vocations. As a son, he farmed with his father. As a husband, he provided for his family at Glencoe Manufacturing and Hutchinson Technology Incorporated. As a father, he and Joel worked together in the garden. As a grandfather, he enjoyed every moment he had with his grandchildren.

Dale sure enjoyed gardening. He provided the seed, but it was the Master Gardener – Almighty God – who gave life to his daffodils, zinnias, rose bushes, and hardy hibiscus bushes.

Besides gardening, Dale had so many hobbies. By far, his interest in sports always served as a conversation on my communion visits.

But all the while, right at his side, as he watched sports on television and read the Minneapolis StarTribune, was his Lutheran prayer book. And that Lutheran prayer book had a lot of ware and tear. You see, his vocations, his joy of gardening, and sports were not the most important to him, what was most important to him was his Christian faith.

Dale held to this truth wholeheartedly: “Since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1). He also held on to this fact: “God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by His blood, much more shall we be saved by Him from the wrath of God” (Romans 5:8-9). And he trusted these words of Jesus: “I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).

In his earthly life, Dale was a sinner – just like you and me – but due to his faith in Christ, he is no longer numbered among sinners. You see, at his death, his sin was destroyed. Death for Dale is simply a portal to heaven as His Savior Jesus Christ called him home. Today, Dale is resting from his labors as he has received the promise of eternal life.

[Troubled Hearts]

Jesus assures us again today as He says: “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me” (John 14:1). Before Jesus spoke those words to His disciples, the Twelve had always felt secure, assured, and unafraid because of Christ’s personal presence. They had been eyewitnesses when Jesus proved Himself mightily before the people with His preaching and His signs.

In brief, as long as the disciples had Christ with them, they had no reason to worry about anything. Jesus knew that at His departure, His disciples would fare much differently. He knew that they would be overrun by anxiety and fear. So, Christ says those words that are most comforting to us this day, “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me” (John 14:1).

This is as if Christ said, “My dear disciples, I know very well what your lot will be after I depart from you and leave you alone. Sheer terror and fear will overwhelm you. Your hearts will melt within you, and you will not know where to turn. I am telling you this before it happens, to keep you from growing fainthearted.”

With those words “Let not your hearts be troubled,” Christ is fortifying and preserving His disciples then and His disciples now – you and me.

Christ never said our lives here on earth would be without fear and trouble, but He did say to place those burdens upon Him and He will carry them.

In our sermon hymn, “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” (LSB 770) – which is one of Dale’s favorites, we sang how God invites us to pray. Christ says to us, “Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). You see, through prayer, God takes our thoughts and concerns upon Himself. No matter what the Christian faces, the Savior’s concern – “Can we find a friend so faithful” – and promises – “In His arms He’ll take and shield thee” are an invitation to pray, for which Dale did in his earthly life. Remember, Jesus knows our every weakness, since He became man by taking upon Himself our human flesh in order to suffer and die for our sins as our crucified and risen Savior.

[The Way]

Each of us has a Friend so faithful that He suffered and died and took His life back up again in order to give His flock eternal life (John 10:18). For Christ’s disciples then, they didn’t always understand what Jesus was saying. Thomas for sure was confused as he said, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” (John 14:5).

Then as is now, people seek a variety of ways to salvation. People devise one way after the other proving how ignorant they are of the right way.

If we want to be assured of reaching heaven, we must have a sure way and sure road to travel. For there is only one right way and one right road. And such a way is found only in God’s Word. For Christ alone is the only Way and the only right Road on which our heart can and must rely on and depend.

Jesus says to Thomas and to us, for which Dale trusted: “I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).

What Jesus is saying here is this: “‘I am the Way.’ Cling to Me with your faith. I am the Bridge to carry you. For it is I who paved the way and the road. I became man so that I might take you and all My followers to heaven.”

This journey began in Baptism when through the water and the Word, the Holy Spirit gave us faith to believe in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord. Through our earthly life, we walk in this faith until Christ completes it through death. For faith never errs or strays, but clings to Christ. When our journey on earth is over, faith confirms that we are already at our destination of eternal life.

Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and what a comforting doctrine this is.

But someone may ask, “What does coming to the Father mean?” Well, nothing else than what Christ has already spoken. By faith in Christ, we pass from death into life, from sin into innocence, from misery and distress into eternal joy and bliss.

All throughout his life, Dale received strength for his faith as he was forgiven by God through the Means of Grace – Word and Sacrament. It is through Christ’s work that Dale is now resting from his labors, as Jesus has accomplished salvation for him and for you and me! By grace through faith in Christ, death is but a portal, since “the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23b).

Today, Dale has joined the Church Triumphant in heaven as he has left the great tribulation of this life now. Dale is clothed in Christ’s Robe of Righteousness as he is before the throne of God where he hungers no more, neither thirst anymore as he is in the presence of the Good Shepherd Jesus Christ (Revelation 7:14-17; Isaiah 25:6-9). Today, Dale and his fellow saints are free from sin and its power.

But heaven is not the end. For all the faithful, there is still something more on the horizon. “Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 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 shall be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:51-52). You see, death does not have the final say. Life has the final say. Since Christ has been raised from the dead, we too, will also be raised. So, Dale’s grave will be as empty as the grave of Jesus! This body buried will be the body raised on that glorious resurrection day!

May we too – by faith in Christ – pass from death into life, where we fly like eagles as we are held in the palm of Christ’s hand where there is only eternal joy and bliss. Amen!

The peace of God which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

Dale Duenow's Obituary: https://hantge.com/obituaries/dale-otto-duenow/