The Ascension of Christ - Luke 24:44-53 - May 28, 2017

Last Thursday was the "Feast of the Ascension", but in keeping with most Protestant Churches, we at Woodlawn do not have a Thursday service in celebration of the Ascension (which of course always falls on a Thursday), rather like many we recognize the Ascension during our Sunday worship on the Sunday immediately following. The Lectionary Text for Ascension Day was Luke 24:44-53 and that is what I chose to preach over on Sunday.  The account in Luke 24 is the only recording of the Ascension in the Gospel stories with the exception of the 'long' ending of the Gospel of Mark.  However, since many scholars (and I agree with them) do not believe the 'long' ending of Mark was part of the original text, we are left with only the story told by Luke.

I walked through the text verse by verse in my sermon, but here I will only touch upon the last few verses of the text.

 50 Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven. 52 And they worshiped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy; 53 and they were continually in the temple blessing God.

As I stated in the sermon, I am certain that the Disciples would have greatly preferred that Christ had stayed with them to aid and guide them in their ministries.  But, that isn't what God had planned for them or for Jesus.  The Disciples were right then and there faced with a sea-change in their ministries to the people of Israel and beyond.  They at that moment were faced with an astronomical and overwhelming change in their lives.  No more would the way that they had become accustomed to working and living be the same; not only could they not go back to the way their lives had been while walking with Jesus, they couldn't go back to the way their lives had been prior to meeting the Christ.  The way they practiced Judaism was forever changed, they now were to preach the Gospel of Christ to Israel and the World.

Change had come crashing down upon them like a massive wave, and we can look to their example as we in Christianity today are faced with change.  The Disciples prostrated themselves and worshiped their Christ... the Messiah.  Then, they all arose and went back to the Temple with joy filled hearts and souls.  The Messiah had just left them... their friend Jesus had just left them... their world had just been shattered... and they went immediately back to work spreading the word of the Gospel... with joy.

I told a story (actually I told two stories, but I'll only tell one here) about a vacation I had taken many, many years ago to Hawaii.  There on the beach, we were walking in the surf.  The waves would come crashing in and folks would jump into the waves and the waves would lift them back towards the shore and leave them behind as they receded back to the ocean.  Thinking I was 'strong' enough to endure the wave (think of it as a change in our lives) and that it would just break around me... after all, I'm pretty tough... instead of jumping into the wave I braced myself and took the wave on head on.  Well, as Diana Arkland knew, and laughed as I was telling the story... the wave knocked me down and crashed over the top of me.  Now, instead of being on top of the wave as I would have been if I jumped into it, I was under the wave and in the 'Undertow'.  The next thing I know, I am popping up out of the Pacific Ocean, all too far from the shoreline.  Fortunately, I was able to swim back to shore but, you can be certain that I did not try to take on another wave head on.  Change can be just like that wave, if we think we can take it on without adjusting or adapting to it, we will find ourselves overwhelmed and washed out to sea.  But, if we accept that there is change coming and we 'ride along' with the change we will find ourselves safely back on shore.

When change hits us will we let it wash us away, or perhaps we should sit like Job and cover ourselves with ashes and lament our plight... or just maybe we, like the Disciples in the 24th Chapter of Luke, should understand that change is necessary (though we may not understand why nor particularly like the fact that we had to change) and set ourselves to God's work, preaching and worshiping with joy.  Let us also remember that all too soon not only would the Disciples be working in a new way, but they'd be preaching to a new 'flock', the Gentiles, as well.

Be a blessing to someone today...

In His Love, Grace & Mercy,
Roy

John 10:16 King James Version

And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

Luke 24:44-53 New Revised Standard Version

44 Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, 46 and he said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Messiah[a] is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses[b] of these things. 49 And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

50 Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven.[c] 52 And they worshiped him, and[d] returned to Jerusalem with great joy; 53 and they were continually in the temple blessing God.[e]

Footnotes:

a) Luke 24:46 Or the Christ
b) Luke 24:48 Or nations. Beginning from Jerusalem 48 you are witnesses
c) Luke 24:51 Other ancient authorities lack and was carried up into heaven
d) Luke 24:52 Other ancient authorities lack worshiped him, and
e) Luke 24:53 Other ancient authorities add Amen

Acts 1:6-11 New Revised Standard Version

6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He replied, “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” 9 When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. 11 They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

1st Baptist Church, Lake City, Iowa

Woodlawn Christian Church - June Newsletter Article

Below is my article for the June Newsletter, thank you for taking a look through my little corner of the internet.

Be a blessing to someone today!
Pastor Roy

Pastor's Ponderings / Pastor Roy Karlen 
Woodlawn Christian Church, June 2017

John 10:16 King James Version (KJV)
And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

To use an overused expression, 'Time Flies', it's hard to believe we're almost out of the month of May.  We've been very busy this month and of course being busy will make time go along at a dizzying pace.  June looks to hold it's share of busyness as well, with the upcoming “Baked Steak Dinner” and then the very next weekend we'll have an outdoor worship service followed by another Cookout.  Our last outdoor service was just wonderful, I just pray that we'll have comparable weather this time as well!  Make sure you invite your friends and family to both the Baked Steak Dinner and the Cookout.  The cost for these events is; Baked Steak Dinner – full portion $10 or a half portion $6.  The Cookout is $7 per person.

Mel tells me he has a PA system that we can use during our outdoor worships and hopefully that will help everyone hear the keyboard and the sermon a little better than they were able to during the service on May 7th.  While the weather is nice we'd like to have several services on the lawn, perhaps one a month through the summer/fall.  Pray for great weather on Sundays this summer/fall!

On June 25th we will not have our regular worship and we'll gather along with the other local churches in worship in the Square.  That service will be at 11:30 am, the Ministerial Association moved the time this year in order to allow Lorinda Hoover from the Lohrville/Lanesboro/Glidden Methodist to take part.  We're still working on what all will be in the service but I will be giving the message that morning.  Hopefully, it will be another beautiful morning as it has been the last two years that I've been here and taken part.

We are making great strides in preparing for the concert in September and the Concert Committee decided to give the event a proper name.  From now on the concert is “Son Celebration”.  The date will be September 16th and hopefully, everything will fall in place to allow us to host the event on the Church grounds.  Jeff Frank is working hard on trying to get a grant from the Region to cover the cost of moving electricity to the outside of the Chapel which will allow us to power up the bands.  Bill Spangler-Dunning assures me that the grant will be no problem and thus we are very confident that the event will be held here at the Church.  This is a much-desired turn of events as it will make the concert more visible to the community and help with attendance as well as show more clearly that we're active and vital here in Lake City.

We have t-shirts for the “Son Celebration” in the Church office and we'll also have them available during Sunday worship.  These shirts are free, all we ask is that you wear them everywhere you go in order to promote the “Son Celebration”!  Promotional balloons have also been ordered for the event and we're planning on handing them out during the parade for Western Days.  Anyone who would like to hand out balloons during and along the parade route, please let either Jeff Frank or myself know, THANK YOU!  Also, if anyone knows where I can refill a helium tank please let me know, I have a helium tank in the garage from my Jaycee years but it is empty at the moment.

16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

By now everyone is most certainly aware that the First Baptist Church has asked to meet with our Church Council to discuss their becoming a part of Woodlawn Christian Church.  The details of this action have not been worked out but Mel Alcox and Bill Hungate are working to schedule a joint meeting of our Church Council and the First Baptist Church's Board.  I can't tell you just what will be done between the two churches but I can tell you that if you have heard rumors about us leaving the Disciples of Christ denomination, that is patently untrue, there is absolutely NO discussion of that occurring;  likewise, we are NOT discussing changing the name of our Church.  Please do not let any of these rumors upset or concern you, please do understand that the Church Council will be working hard with the Board from First Baptist to find a way to be mutually beneficial to both congregations and much more importantly to the Body of Christ.  This is all a very positive thing and should be looked upon with great anticipation and joy that God is working among us and through us.  We ask our Lord to let us be His hands and feet... let us not be afraid when he answers our prayers and gives us a mission to attend to his flock.  Truly, we are one fold, with ONE shepherd... Jesus who is the Christ, who lived and died to save us all... may we work to be a blessing to Him and to all that is His.

Be a blessing to someone today!
Pastor Roy

Acts 17:16-34 "The Idols We Worship" - Sermon given May 21, 2017

Idols, we all have them, and they all get in our way of worshiping and having a proper relationship with our Creator God.  There lies the problem with idols, they replace at least in part our devotion to our Creator, in this regard, they really are no different than 'sin' for a sin is something that disrupts our relationship with God.  One of the common themes with both our 'idols' and our 'sins' is that we tend to want to hold on to them.  We're all very gifted at pointing out others idols but we really don't want to let go of our own.

Often when this bit of Scripture is preached idols such as money, cars, homes, jobs, even status in the community are pointed out and we are admonished for the role we allow these things to play out in our lives.  In the sermon, I didn't touch on these types of 'idols' but I did point out how a Church Building, the Bible, and Angels can be elevated to the point of becoming an idol and disrupting our relationship with the Father.  The primary thrust of the sermon though was on how hatred, ego, the desire to be right, and most of all the desire to 'win' can all become idols and clearly upheave not only our relationship with God but also our relationships with each other.  We need to bear in mind that not only does the Father want us to be reconciled to Him, but He also wants us to be in community and reconciled to each other and to His entire Creation.

There are so very many things in our lives that are actually good and positive things that can become (if their role and purpose are misused or mistaken) 'Idols' in our lives.  I mentioned in the sermon the Bible, this seems like such a strange thing to list, but we need to remember that we are not called to 'worship' the Bible, rather the Bible is a tool and a guide in our worship of God.  Our church buildings can and often do become 'Idols' for us.  Here at Woodlawn Chrisitan, we are very blessed with an extremely beautiful building and especially a magnificent Sanctuary.  But, we need to remember as the old song says, "The church is not a building, The church is not a steeple, The church is not a resting place, the church is a people!"  No matter how much we love this old building, and no matter how important it may feel to us, we need to remember that it isn't what we worship but rather a place to worship.

May this week be a wonder and a blessing to you all!

And please, please... be a blessing to someone today!

In the Father's Care,
Roy

Acts 17:16-34New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply distressed to see that the city was full of idols. 17 So he argued in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and also in the marketplace[a] every day with those who happened to be there. 18 Also some Epicurean and Stoic philosophers debated with him. Some said, “What does this babbler want to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign divinities.” (This was because he was telling the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.) 19 So they took him and brought him to the Areopagus and asked him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? 20 It sounds rather strange to us, so we would like to know what it means.” 21 Now all the Athenians and the foreigners living there would spend their time in nothing but telling or hearing something new.

22 Then Paul stood in front of the Areopagus and said, “Athenians, I see how extremely religious you are in every way. 23 For as I went through the city and looked carefully at the objects of your worship, I found among them an altar with the inscription, ‘To an unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. 24 The God who made the world and everything in it, he who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by human hands, 25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mortals life and breath and all things. 26 From one ancestor[b] he made all nations to inhabit the whole earth, and he allotted the times of their existence and the boundaries of the places where they would live, 27 so that they would search for God[c] and perhaps grope for him and find him—though indeed he is not far from each one of us. 28 For ‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said,

‘For we too are his offspring.’
29 Since we are God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the deity is like gold, or silver, or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of mortals. 30 While God has overlooked the times of human ignorance, now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has fixed a day on which he will have the world judged in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”

32 When they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some scoffed; but others said, “We will hear you again about this.” 33 At that point Paul left them. 34 But some of them joined him and became believers, including Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.
Footnotes:

a) Acts 17:17 Or civic center; Gk agora
b) Acts 17:26 Gk From one; other ancient authorities read From one blood

c) Acts 17:27 Other ancient authorities read the Lord

One of my favorite videos revisited, a wonderful message.

Photo by Christian Begeman

This video from China isn't new, and I've linked to it before, but it is one of my favorite videos out there online.  I only wish that more couples would follow the wisdom of the young woman portrayed in the story. 

Be a blessing to someone today!

In His glory,
Roy

Photo by WmRoy Karlen

Funeral Manuscript for Phyllis Higgins, May 18, 2017

Order of Service – 
Funeral for Phyllis Higgins 

Welcome:
A loved one is a treasure of the heart and losing a loved one is like losing a piece of yourself, but the love that Phyllis brought each of you did not leave, for the essence of her soul still lingers.  It cannot escape your hearts, for it has been there forever. Cling to the memories and let them find their way to heal you. The love and laughter, the joy in the togetherness you shared, will make you strong. You will come to realize that your time together, no matter how long, was meant to be and you were blessed to have the precious gift of her love in your lives. Keep your hearts beating with the loving memories and trust in your faith to guide you through. Know that though life moves on... the beauty of love stays behind to embrace you. Your loved one... Phyllis has left you that love... her love, to hold in your hearts forever. 

Today, we have come together within the strengthening fellowship of friends and family:
to praise God for the life of Phyllis Higgins;
to share our grief with God and with one another;
to reaffirm our faith in God's unfailing goodness;
to hear again God's promise of resurrection;
and to commend Phyllis to God's everlasting care.

Music: Amazing Grace, Judds

Opening Prayer:
Gracious God, your love endures forever.  Your faithfulness is unfailing and all your promises are true.  The movement of your Spirit is evident even in our darkest moments.  Attend to us now in our grief as we trust you will.  Speak words of comfort to our hearts.  Open us up to receive your hope. O God of grace and glory, we remember before you this day our sister Phyllis. We thank you for giving her to us, her family and friends, to know and to love as a companion on our earthly pilgrimage. In your boundless compassion, console us who mourn. Give us faith to see death as the gate of eternal life, so that in quiet confidence we may continue our course on earth until by your call, we are reunited with those who have gone before; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Let us hear now a reading from the Old Testament:  
Psalm 23  King James Version (KJV)
23 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Let us hear now a reading from the New Testament:
1 Corinthians 13:1-13  New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
13 If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. 7 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. 9 For we know only in part, and we prophesy only in part; 10 but when the complete comes, the partial will come to an end. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. 13 And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.

Pastoral Prayer:
Let us please pray: God our Father, Your power brings us to birth, Your providence guides our lives, and by Your command, we return to dust.  Lord, those who die still live in Your presence, their lives change but do not end. I pray in hope for this family, relatives, and friends, and for all the dead known to You alone.  In company with Christ, Who died and Who now lives, may they rejoice in Your kingdom, where all our tears are wiped away. Unite us together again in one family, to sing Your praise forever and ever.  Amen.

Music:  Jealous of the Angels – Donna Taggart     

Message:  Pastor Roy Karlen – Woodlawn Christian Church

Phyllis Marie Higgins, daughter of Lawrence and Leona Magner, was born January 14, 1944, in Lake City, Iowa. She attended a one-room country school near Lake City before attending and graduating from Lake City High School in 1962.

On January 4, 1963, Phyllis was united in marriage to Raymond Higgins at Woodlawn Christian Church here in Lake City.  Phyllis passed away Saturday, May 13, 2017, at her home in Ruthven, Iowa at the age of 73. She was preceded in death by her parents.

She is survived by her husband, Raymond Higgins; her son, Nathan Higgins and his wife, Maggie; two grandchildren, Dakota Johnson and her husband Jason, and Nickolas Higgins; by three great-grandchildren, Macy Higgins, Zoey Higgins, and Haley Johnson; two brothers, Raymond Magner and Robert Magner along with Robert's wife, Tammy; a sister, Elaine Allen and Steve Northrup. 

On Monday, Keith Lampe and I journeyed to Ruthven, Iowa to meet with Phyllis' family and discuss the arrangements for her funeral here in Lake City.  One of the more peculiar roles that a Minister finds oneself in, is discussing the life of an individual that they have never met to those who knew that individual the most intimately.  Each of you knew Phyllis and each of you has stories and memories to share and to cherish.  I encourage you all to share them today either publicly here at this service, or together privately when we adjourn to Woodlawn for the luncheon.

While Keith and I were in Ruthven, the family told us how much Phyllis loved her garden and flowers.  She had birdhouses and feeders for the birds which she enjoyed watching.  Phyllis loved doing yard work and keeping her yard looking beautiful, she took great pride in her yard.

She was an avid collector of Franciscan Pottery, and from what I saw at the home it looked like she focused mainly on the Coronado pattern, collecting several different colors of this lovely pattern.  Often the family would give her gifts of this favored type of pottery.

Phyllis liked to keep a clean and orderly home.  Cody told us how she was a workaholic and always found something to keep herself busy.  She also told us that her grandmother was always careful to wear a coordinated outfit and how she always kept herself nice looking at all times. She enjoyed sewing and was a talented seamstress completing numerous quilts and other sewing projects.

Phyllis enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  It would seem that she agreed with the author of Proverbs: 
Proverbs 17:6 Grandchildren are the crown of the aged.
Truly, as Phyllis and the author of Proverbs 17 knew, grandchildren, as well as great-grandchildren, are one of the greatest joys in any lifetime.

Ray and the family talked about how Phyllis loved to go to garage sales and flea markets, and I'm sure she was always on the look out for her beloved Coronado pattern.  Phyllis enjoyed being with her family, for her family was whom she wanted to visit and to be with and she did enjoy their company greatly.

Both Cody and Nathan confessed to being a handful for Phyllis.  Cody spent a great deal of time with her grandparents and you could tell in the conversation that theirs was a special bond.  She told stories about hiding from her grandmother on top of the refrigerator and even hiding on top of the roof of the house.  From both locations, she would watch her grandmother going around looking for her.  There was also a story about lighting a candle and putting it on a shelf where it subsequently lit the wall on fire, the slightly mismatched paint on the wall leaves a trace to spark the retelling of the story to this day.  Not to be outdone on marks to spark stories, Nathan left a mark on the ceiling with a bullwhip that Ray pointed out to us as well.  Apparently, he got an earful from his mother over that incident.  Though Phyllis would threaten, the family told us that she wasn't the one in the family to mete out discipline.

Nathan told about how his mother would drop him off in the morning by the lake to go fishing or hunting, and how he'd spend the day hunting and fishing until she came back in the afternoon to pick him up.  Sadly, this kind of freedom while growing up is becoming a thing of the past even in our small towns and communities.  He told about being dropped off to hunt and then walking home, walking through town carrying his shotgun and how this wasn't looked upon as anything peculiar at that time.  You certainly couldn't do that today without being questioned.

Phyllis enjoyed doing genealogy, she tracked down the families ancestry and left behind a great deal of information for her family to cherish.  Ray told us how she knew where every family member was buried and how Phyllis would go around placing flowers on the graves each Memorial Day.  Later today we'll commit her earthly remains to the ground in the “North Raccoon River Cemetery” near Lanesboro where she will be surrounded by many generations of Ray's family.  

Phyllis was a loving great-grandmother, grandmother, mother, and wife.  A wonderful woman and a treasure to her family.  Let us hear again the words of the Author of Proverbs:
Proverbs 31:10-30
Ode to a Capable Wife
10 A capable wife who can find?
    She is far more precious than jewels.
11 The heart of her husband trusts in her,
    and he will have no lack of gain.
12 She does him good, and not harm,
    all the days of her life.
13 She seeks wool and flax,
    and works with willing hands.
14 She is like the ships of the merchant,
    she brings her food from far away.
15 She rises while it is still night
    and provides food for her household
    and tasks for her servant-girls.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
    with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.
17 She girds herself with strength,
    and makes her arms strong.
18 She perceives that her merchandise is profitable.
    Her lamp does not go out at night.
19 She puts her hands to the distaff,
    and her hands hold the spindle.
20 She opens her hand to the poor,
    and reaches out her hands to the needy.
21 She is not afraid for her household when it snows,
    for all her household are clothed in crimson.
22 She makes herself coverings;
    her clothing is fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband is known in the city gates,
    taking his seat among the elders of the land.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them;
    she supplies the merchant with sashes.
25 Strength and dignity are her clothing,
    and she laughs at the time to come.
26 She opens her mouth with wisdom,
    and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
27 She looks well to the ways of her household,
    and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children rise up and call her happy;
    her husband too, and he praises her:
29 “Many women have done excellently,
    but you surpass them all.”
30 Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
    but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

When you lose someone you love, your life becomes strange, the ground beneath you becomes fragile.  Your heart has grown heavy with loss; and though this loss has wounded others too... no one knows what has been taken from you when the silence of absence deepens.
Flickers of guilt kindle regret for all that was left unsaid or undone.  There will be days when you wake up happy once again and inside feel the fullness of life... until that moment breaks and you will be thrown back into the black waves of loss.  Days when you will have your heart back, and you are able to function well... when suddenly with no warning, you become ambushed by grief.  It becomes hard to trust yourself, and all you can depend on is that sorrow will remain faithful to itself.  More than you, it knows its way and will find the right time to pull back the curtain of grief.  And when the work of grief is done, the wound of loss will heal and you will have learned to wean your mind from that gap in your heart and be able to enter that deep place in your soul where your loved one has awaited your return all along.

Though all of you gathered today, miss Phyllis, you should all rest assured that this is only a temporary parting and that you'll each get to see Phyllis' smile once again when you are reunited in Heaven.  Praise be to God.  Today Phyllis is reunited with all of her friends and family that have gone on before her, and today she is in the very presence of our almighty and all-loving God... Praise be to God indeed...

Eulogies and Memories:
If any of the family or friends would like to share a memory or story, please either come forward at this time or stand and speak from where you are seated.

Music: Heaven Was Needing a Hero - 

Closing Prayer:
The family invites you all to join them in further celebration of  Phyllis' life and a time of shared remembrances and closure, by joining with them for a luncheon in the Church's fellowship hall immediately following this service.  After the lunch, you are all welcome to go with the family to the cemetery near Lanesboro for the committal service.

Let us pray:
O God, our Strength and our Redeemer, Giver of life, and Conqueror of death, we open our hearts to you just as we are.  We celebrate your gift of life freely given but are grieved by a sense of loss in the face of death.  The love which binds us to one another leaves us aching as ties are broken.  Accept our tears as emblems of devotion, and transform them into waters of life to nourish us in the days ahead.

We trust you.  We love you.  We know in Christ that your love is everlasting.  Nothing can separate any of us from your abiding care.  With you is eternal life. With confidence, we now entrust Phyllis to your unfailing love and overflowing goodness.  Through the power that raised Christ from the dead to live eternally with you, lift up this, your servant, to life fulfilled beyond our imagining.  We give you but your own, enfold her in your everlasting arms, hold her for she is your child.

Now strengthen us, through the gift of your Spirit, to face into the future with confidence that you stand with us.  Grant that the changes of life may leave us stronger as we journey through life.
Reassured of your abiding presence, help us to knit more firmly the ties that bind us one to another.  Renewed by your love, help us to love in ever larger circles so as to embrace your people everywhere till at last we are all united eternally through Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.  Amen.

Benediction:

Music:

Committal Service
Selfishly, we as mortals wish to hold on to Phyllis. It brings great pain to let her go. Living in the resurrection hope of our Lord Jesus Christ, in the trust of a loving God and in the promise of eternal life, we now commit her body to its place of rest. We will continue to mourn Phyllis, but now her laughter will warm the kingdom of God. We will continue to love Phyllis, but God will now take care of her. We will continue to carry Phyllis in our thoughts, but she will now be kept safe in God's hands. Receive her in the arms of your mercy, O God, into the blessed rest of everlasting peace, and into the glorious company of all your saints.

1 Corinthians 15:50-57  New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
50 What I am saying, brothers and sisters,[a] is this: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Listen, I will tell you a mystery! We will not all die,[b] 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 body must put on imperishability, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 When this perishable body puts on imperishability, and this mortal body puts on immortality, then the saying that is written will be fulfilled:
“Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
55 “Where, O death, is your victory?
    Where, O death, 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.

Believing in the Resurrection to eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ, we now entrust Phyllis to the care of our Almighty God and we ask our Father to open the doors to his mansion and lead Phyllis to the room made ready just for her. As we now commit her body to the ground; earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust, we commend her spirit to its new home. Rest eternal grant her; and let light perpetual shine upon her.

God has blessed and enriched our lives in giving us Phyllis to know and love here on this earth. Though our time together was not nearly enough, in committing her body to the earth, we give over to God the care of her spirit, and we acknowledge that we will one day reunite with her in God's Kingdom. The Lord bless her and keep her; the Lord make his face shine upon her and be gracious to her; the Lord look upon her with favor and give her peace.

This concludes our graveside service.

May the Lord bless you and keep you, may His strong arms encircle you and uphold you in your hour of grief.  God's peace and strength to you all.
Amen

Jim Bruce Addresses the Woodlawn Congregation, May 14, 2017

This past Sunday, I did something that I have seldom done while here at Woodlawn Christian Church, I turned the pulpit over to another speaker to address the congregation during our time for the weekly sermon.  Jim Bruce a lifelong member of Woodlawn Christian and Lake City's resident historian took the pulpit to discuss our role in the future of Christianity in Lake City and by extension beyond.

Jim addressed the responsibilities that we bear as Christ's Disciples to this world and the empathy and compassion that we must exercise toward others.  Specifically, Jim addressed how we must respond to the needs of the First Baptist Church here in Lake City.  Though it is unknown what they will decide to do and what the future holds in store for their congregation, no matter what it may be we as fellow Christians must stand shoulder to shoulder and support them and their journey.

Thank you, Jim, for your candor and wisdom.  We all were moved by your sincerity as well as your message of grace and love.

We all need to remember...

To be a blessing to someone today (and every day)...

In Christ,

Roy

Leading God's Children, John 10:1-21; The Good Shepherd

This last Sunday we had our worship service on the back lawn of the church.  It turned out to be an absolutely beautiful morning and we'll be very fortunate if any of our other outdoor services this summer/fall will be even half as lovely.  It was almost perfect the temperature was great, there was only a slight breeze, and there were no bugs harassing and tormenting us.  After worship, the men's group had a Cookout as a fundraiser for upcoming projects.  The cookout also went very well and the men raised more than I'd had anticipated for this event.  There were at least 85 folks at the worship service (we may have missed a couple of the little people in counting) and most stayed for the food also.

The scripture for the sermon is found in the Gospel of John in the 10th Chapter.

John 10:1-21  New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
Jesus the Good Shepherd
1 “Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. 2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.

7 So again Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. 18 No one takes[a] it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.”

19 Again the Jews were divided because of these words. 20 Many of them were saying, “He has a demon and is out of his mind. Why listen to him?” 21 Others were saying, “These are not the words of one who has a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?

In the sermon I hit upon the fact that we cannot chase or drive people to Christ, rather we have to lead them to Jesus.  In verse 4, we read the following: 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.  Jesus clearly says that the 'Good Shepherd' goes ahead of his sheep and they 'follow' Him.  We simply cannot 'drive' people to Christ; rather just as Christ did we must gain their love and build a relationship with them through the extension of love, grace, support, and more.  Once the 'sheep' know Christ's voice by our example, then we can go ahead (or beside) and call their name.

I used one of my childhood experiences back in South Dakota as an illustration for the sermon.  One time we were rounding up cattle out of a large pasture along the Missouri River breaks.  This was a rugged and expansive pasture that held around 400-500 head of cows along with their calves.  After several hard hours of popping through brush and washouts, we brought the herd up onto the flats to prepare to head out.  My father pulled up in his pickup, took a look and proclaimed "you haven't got them all, go back out there and look again."

Honestly, I thought he was crazy and told him so, but he just pointed for me to go... and I did.  Riding back through the pasture (which is very much easier said than done) I did find three old cows and their calves hiding in a brush thicket.  I brought them out and Dad said "okay, let's go" and we started heading out to new pasture.  Just as my father knew (he was like that, he could just tell by looking) that all the cattle weren't there and he wasn't about to leave any of his cattle behind... God, our heavenly Father knows each of his children and isn't about to leave even one of His little ones behind.  When we're tired and the day is well spent, we will hear His voice "you don't have them all, go back out and look again."  As long as we are drawing breath in this world, our charge is to lead those little ones through the gate... the gate called Jesus.

Be a blessing to someone today!

In His Grace & Love,
Roy

The Road to Emmaus Revisited, Luke 24:15-35

This last Sunday we found ourselves in the Gospel of Luke contemplating the story most generally called "The Road to Emmaus".  This, of course, is the story of the two followers of Jesus who encounter Him (unbeknownst to them) on the road between Jerusalem and the unknown village of Emmaus.  We don't know exactly where Emmaus is or even what direction it lies from Jerusalem, all we know is that it's approximately seven miles from the city of Jerusalem.  So it's roughly a two-hour walk from Jerusalem, a little less if you walk briskly and a little more if you take a more leisurely pace.

This story is the same scripture that I preached over in my very first sermon given at Woodlawn Christian Church, and for this reason, I entitled the sermon this time "The Road to Emmaus Revisited".  In that sermon, I chose to focus primarily on the table relationship involved at the conclusion.  There Jesus is recognized by the two disciples in the 'breaking of the bread'.  This element of the story is, of course, a reenactment of the 'Last Supper'.  The breaking of the bread by Jesus at the table where He is the guest (just one more bit of radical and unconventional behavior exhibited by Christ), underlines and highlights the great significance of the relationship established by Christ with his followers in the sacrament of 'communion'.

In revisiting the scripture in Luke, I focused upon the 'walk' along the way to Emmaus.  I have focused over the previous two weeks upon our 'walk' and our 'participation' with the body of Christ.  In my next blog post, I will make my final (for the time being) comments on this portion of our Christian faith. The cartoon below makes the comment that "God doesn't want you just to GO to church, God wants you to BE His church!"  

The sermon itself was very short at only eleven minutes long.  I was at First Baptist preaching prior to coming back to Woodlawn and leading worship, so I wasn't able to lead the adult Sunday school class.  I left them a lesson over Luke 24:15-35 and asked them to give me some points that they wished for me to cover in the sermon.  Well, they had a lot of fun going over the lesson but they forgot apparently to give me any questions or points to clarify, so I covered what I had planned to cover before addressing their queries and cut the sermon off at eleven minutes.  I'm sure that everyone appreciated having a short sermon this week. 

The sermon was one of my shortest given here at Woodlawn Christian so please take a listen/watch, I thank you in advance.

Be a blessing to someone today!

In Christ,
Roy

Luke 24:15-35  New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

15 While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, 16 but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17 And he said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” They stood still, looking sad.[a] 18 Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?” 19 He asked them, “What things?” They replied, “The things about Jesus of Nazareth,[b] who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. 21 But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel.[c] Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. 22 Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, 23 and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. 24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him.” 25 Then he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! 26 Was it not necessary that the Messiah[d] should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?” 27 Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures.

28 As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. 29 But they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.” So he went in to stay with them. 30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. 32 They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us[e] while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?” 33 That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. 34 They were saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!” 35 Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.

Photo by Christian Begeman