Funeral Manuscript for Judy Stern, March 29, 2019

The old Christian Church in Lohrville, IA

Yesterday was a sad day for all of us at Woodlawn, it was the day we officially said goodbye to Judy Stern.  Judy has been a vital and important part of Woodlawn for many years coming to us when the Christian Church over in Lohrville closed its doors.  The photo above is the old church in Lohrville and the photo at the bottom of this post is the old sign that stood in front of the church.  We now have the sign here at Woodlawn stored away in the garage.  Perhaps this summer we'll get it put up on our grounds in memory of Judy.

God bless Judy... and God comfort her family and those of us who mourn her passing.  Praise God that Judy is now counted among the Saints in Heaven... Glory be to God!

Be a blessing to someone today!

In Christ,
Roy

Order of Service – Funeral for Judy Stern 3/29/19

Prelude: 

Call to Worship:

16:1 Preserve me, O God, for in thee I take refuge.
2     I say to the Lord, “Thou art my Lord;
    I have no good apart from thee.”
3 As for the saints in the land, they are the noble,
    in whom is all my delight.
4 Those who choose another god multiply their sorrows;
    their libations of blood I will not pour out
    or take their names upon my lips.
5 The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup;
    thou holdest my lot.
6 The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
    yea, I have a goodly heritage.
7 I bless the Lord who gives me counsel;
    in the night also my heart instructs me.
8 I keep the Lord always before me;
    because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices;
    my body also dwells secure.
10 For thou dost not give me up to Sheol,
    or let thy godly one see the Pit.
11 Thou dost show me the path of life;
    in thy presence there is fulness of joy,
    in thy right hand are pleasures for evermore.
Psalm 16   Revised Standard Version (RSV)

Greeting:
We have come together within the strengthening fellowship of friends and family:
to praise God for the life of Judy Stern;
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 Judy to God's everlasting care.

Music: In The Garden # 227

Opening Prayer:
Dear Lord, You are the Father of all mercies Who cares for all Your people with an everlasting love. You are the God of all comfort Who consoles all those that are suffering the death of a loved one. You are the God of all peace who has promised to pour Your perfect peace into the hearts of Your children Who are going through the pain and suffering that the loss of a precious loved one brings.

Oh Lord I pray that You would become their strength in this time of loss; their hope in this time of bereavement; their joy in this time of sorrow and their perfect peace in the turmoil that their hearts must be facing.

Thank You that the fear and sting of death has been broken forever and the curse of the grave has been destroyed through the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ who has broken forever the power of death, for all who trust in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Speak into the hearts of all Your children that are mourning at this time and let them not mourn as those that have no hope – but Lord for those that do not yet know You as the Savior Who died for them, so that by believing they might have everlasting life – we pray that they will come to know and accept You as their Savior and find their perfect rest in You – in Jesus name we pray.   Amen 


Let us hear now a Reading from the Old Testament:
Psalm 139: 1-18
1 O Lord, you have searched me and known me.
2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
    you discern my thoughts from far away.
3 You search out my path and my lying down,
    and are acquainted with all my ways.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue,
    O Lord, you know it completely.
5 You hem me in, behind and before,
    and lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
    it is so high that I cannot attain it.
7 Where can I go from your spirit?
    Or where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there;
    if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.
9 If I take the wings of the morning
    and settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
10 even there your hand shall lead me,
    and your right hand shall hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,
    and the light around me become night,”
12 even the darkness is not dark to you;
    the night is as bright as the day,
    for darkness is as light to you.
13 For it was you who formed my inward parts;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
    Wonderful are your works;
that I know very well.
15     My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
    intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes beheld my unformed substance.
In your book were written
    all the days that were formed for me,
    when none of them as yet existed.
17 How weighty to me are your thoughts, O God!
    How vast is the sum of them!
18 I try to count them—they are more than the sand;
    I come to the end—I am still with you.

Let us hear now a Reading from the New Testament:
1 Peter 1:3-9
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 

Hymn:    Amazing Grace  #546

Message:  Pastor Roy Karlen – Woodlawn Christian Church 
Judy Kay Stern, was born on February 21, 1946, to Archie and Gladys Anderson, here in Lake City, Iowa.  She grew up on her families farm near Lohrville and moved into Lohrville with her parents in 1961.  She graduated from Lohrville High School in 1964 and attended cosmetology school in Fort Dodge.  She married Curtis Stern on May 7, 1966, at the Lohrville Christian Church.  Judy and Curtis were blessed with three children Jolene, Kenneth, and Karen. 

Initially, Judy and Curtis made their home south of Lohrville but later they moved back into the town of Lohrville.  Judy was a homemaker but also managed to work for many years at Air Electric in Lohrville.

Judy and Curtis suffered the loss of their youngest daughter Karen in 1979, she was tragically injured in an accident on their acreage south of town and later passed away at the University of Iowa Hospital in Iowa City.  The family made the difficult but loving decision to donate Karen's organs in order that others may live.  This incredible act of grace during a time of immense suffering was the definition of Judy's life and legacy, to give to others without reservation.  After Curtis' death in 2013, Judy continued to live in Lohrville until just recently when she experienced a stroke and had to be hospitalized, first in Lake City and then in Des Moines, after spending time in the hospital and rehabilitation she went to live with her daughter Jolene.  The family had hoped that she would soon return to her home at least for a portion of each day, but sadly, that wasn't to be.

Judy is survived by her two remaining children, son Kenneth, and daughter Jolene, along with Jolene's husband Rick, and by her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  She was proceeded in death by her parents, her husband Curtis, and her daughter Karen.

When I asked the family for words to describe Judy they said; generous, determined, family oriented, community service, moral, strong, determined, selfless, very creative, always happy, and she would do anything to help.  All of these traits and many more admirable ones are without a doubt what constructed and motivated the Judy that we all knew and loved.  She often said to her family “you can spend your life laughing or crying”, Judy choose to laugh.

Judy was always checking in on friends and family members, Logan told about how his grandmother would stop by and if there was no one home... she'd simply let herself in and leave behind a plate of cookies or some other typing of baked item.  The family told about her calendar that was jammed full of birthdays and anniversaries, Judy would keep track and send out a card to everyone.  Ironically, she never wanted anyone to know when her birthday was and it sounded like there were occasions when Curtis would go around reminding folks that her birthday was coming up just to tease Judy.  Judy never wanted to be the center of attention, she was always very humble.  She never wanted to put someone out, as much as she helped others she often didn't ask for help herself.  For the longest time, Judy's stove wasn't working and she figured out a way to get by without it.  Fortunately, eventually the family found out and they got a new stove to her which she greatly appreciated... but, I'm sure she still didn't want to inconvenience them. 

She liked to take photographs and she always got duplicates so she could give copies of the photos to those in the photos.  This I know for a fact as I have received quite a number of photos from Judy in the time that I've been here in Lake City.  She also liked to take home videos during family events, and she loved to give knickknacks to her family members.  Judy loved to read to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and she liked to help them with their schoolwork as well.  Logan and his wife talked about how great a help Judy was with their new baby and how she'd come by and just hold the baby for hours.  With children and about most things she could be very, very patient... for some other things the family said not so much... I'll leave it to the family to tell you about those stories.

Judy was a simple soul, she was never materialistic and found her joy in helping others and doing projects for her community and her church.  She loved to help out at Shady Oaks Retirement Center and was there often to help the residents play bingo, she also brought fresh produce to share with the folks at Shady Oaks.  Judy volunteered to help deliver food for the 'meals on wheels' program and when that program was discontinued in Lohrville she took it upon herself to prepare meals and take them to the shut-ins. She was devoted to her God and her Church and almost never missed a Sunday worship service.

Judy liked to take part in the Bingo Games over in Lohrville, playing for turkeys.  Her family said she had a nose for church dinners, she knew when all the local churches had their various meals and she attended almost every single one of them. 

Judy loved to bake, mostly desserts, she liked her potted flowers, tiger lilies, marigolds, moss roses, and coleus.  Jolene said Judy could grow the biggest and tallest coleus she'd ever seen.  She kept her decorations at her home up to date with the season, the family said you could know what season it was just by walking in her door.  The family also talked about how she liked to watch children's movies and cartoons and how she would narrate as she was watching.  She also liked to narrate while driving or riding along in the car telling stories about all the places you passed by.  Judy was always up and going, a real social butterfly, though I know for a fact that she didn't like to drive after dark and the few events she would miss here at Woodlawn were those that would require driving after sunset.

The family also told me some interesting things about Judy's diet, that her favorite drink was milk with 7-up, that she always wanted her Cheerio's to be soggy and would let them sit in the milk for about an hour before touching them, and that her favorite candy tasted like Pepto-Bismol and that she had some in every pocket and every purse.  They also told the story about how she burned herself out on chicken-salad sandwiches after Curtis passed away... she would go down to Casey's and get a chicken-salad sandwich from their deli area.  She ate so many that she ended up not being able to even look at them anymore.

Judy was big on family and back while her grandmother was still alive the family would go to visit her grandmother Mary Cafferty, every Sunday after church.  They continued to go and see her every Sunday even after she'd moved into Shady Oaks.

I asked the family about how Judy met Curtis, with him being from Mott, North Dakota, which is nearly ten hours away from Lohrville, Iowa, and here was found one of the more interesting stories about Judy.  Logan told me that his grandfather was in Lohrville working on a construction crew and that his grandmother's car had broken down while she and some friends from Lohrville were heading to Fort Dodge for Cosmetology School.  It seems that Curtis and his friends helped her out and got the car running again.  Jolene, however, interjected that there might have been a little bit of stalking going on by Judy, it's unknown whether this started before or after the car broke down.  At any rate, Curtis had caught her eye as she thought he looked a bit like Elvis and she was a big fan of Elvis.

Judy could be just a wee-bit stubborn, and when she wanted something she fixed herself upon it and generally got it.  I remember at one of our God Portion Sales, there was a quilt made by JoAnn Alspach, I liked it and decided to bid on it... each of my bids were met by an immediate counterbid and after a couple of back and forth bids I started looking around the room to see who was bidding against me... it was Judy.  Her eyes were fixed intently on the auctioneer... not looking left or right... and as soon as I would bid she'd bid right back... I kind of wanted that quilt... but Judy really wanted it... and she got it.

We all know that Judy would be terribly embarrassed to know that we're all gathered here today... she was one of the most genuinely humble souls I've ever met and she would never want to be the center of attention as she is today.  But it's perhaps this incredible humble, serving, giving, and loving nature that makes her so very, very deserving to be the center of attention.

For me as the Pastor here at Woodlawn, Judy was extremely supportive.  Giving me cards for not only my birthday and Christmas, but for Pastor's appreciation month, and for the anniversary of my coming to Woodlawn.  She always enclosed a word of support and appreciation in all these cards.  Judy also knew that my favorite pie is pecan and even when she didn't have a working stove, she was using a roaster to cook pie and other baked goods, she always, always made sure there was a pecan pie at the soup suppers and other congregational meals.  I will always appreciate that extra little bit of consideration that she gave to me... though it has been detrimental to my waist-line.  Judy had such a great dry sense of humor and every-time I would tell the ladies working in the church that I had to run somewhere but that I would be back... her response was always... always “thanks for the warning”.  We'll all miss seeing her here at Woodlawn, working away and often talking quietly to herself as she did so, her genuine smile and sharp wit will long be missed.

All of us here today no doubt have a story or two that we could share about Judy and hopefully, some of you will share them with us in just a few minutes when I open the floor up for individual eulogies.  Each and every one of us had a slightly different relationship with Judy but all of us saw in her goodness, love, and caring.  One of our members here at Woodlawn shared with me how good a friend Judy was, a true friend, one that you could talk to and know that she truly cared.  She was always willing to offer up an ear to listen to what you were going through.  Judy was one of the very best and we shall all miss her each and every day.

On the day that Judy suffered her first stroke, it was her friends Joan Schaffer and Linda Potts who first called the alarm that something wasn't right with Judy.  Ultimately, Judy's brother John and then her daughter Jolene checked in on her to see what was going on.  Praise God for the good friends that Judy had who all cared so much about her, through their caring for others Judy's legacy can and will live on.

 On March 15, 2019, at the age of 73 years and 24 days, Judy left behind this world in which we live to be reborn as a new creation in the Kingdom of Heaven.  Reunited on that day with all those loved ones who had gone on before her, and I have to feel a special sense of joy in my heart knowing that she was once again united with not only her husband but her young daughter.  Praise God. 

Though Judy's passing has left this world a bit poorer, Heaven is so much richer through her presence.  Thank God alone for the life and legacy of Judy Stern. 

Eulogies:
At this time, I would like to open the floor for others to witness and share with us what Judy meant to them and how she impacted their lives.  If you wish to come forward to the microphone you may, or else we can have a microphone brought to you where you are seated.

Hymn: Living for Jesus #610

Closing Prayer:
The family asks that you all join them in a time of further remembering Judy and all that she meant to each of us by gathering at the Community Center in Lohrville beginning at 4:30 and ending at 6:00 pm today.

Let us please 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 Judy 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:

Postlude:

Sign that once stood in front of the old Christian Church in Lohrville, IA

April 2019 Newsletter Article - Pastor Roy

Pastor's Ponderings – April 2019

Well, come Monday morning it will be April, and with April comes the date of my having officially been with you all here in Lake City for four years.  It's gone extremely fast and I can hardly believe that it has been four years, it seems like just yesterday that Gail and I came to meet with the Search Committee.  But, we've managed to come a long way in those four years (though we remain to have a long way to go)... among other things, we've added the members of First Baptist Church to our family and we've become a dually affiliated congregation with both the Disciples of Christ and the American Baptist Churches.  This is without a doubt the greatest change/event for the Church in these past four years and thus far I think it has been the most significant and profitable.  Bringing the Baptist into our fold has been nothing but a blessing and I for one believe fully it was God's desire for this congregation.  Perhaps if I accomplish nothing else in the time we have left, this alone was why God called me here to Lake City.  I guess we'll all just have to wait and see what else the Lord has in store for us all in our time together.

On this anniversary month, Gail and I would like once again to thank you all for all you've done for us and for all the love and support you've provided to us.  We truly love this Church and Lake City, God Bless you all for being such a blessing to us!  Thank you and we look forward to many more 'adventures' with all of you in the years ahead.

This past month was a brutal one for Lake City in general and for all of us as a Church community, we had far, far too many deaths.  For us, at Woodlawn, we lost Lura Knipp who has many family members among our number, and of course, we lost Judy Stern.  Judy's funeral/memorial service is this coming Friday and I confess this has been one of the hardest funeral messages I've ever had to write.  How do you encapsulate Judy and her amazing spirit and devotion to her community, Family, and Church Family in mere words?  You honestly can't... Judy was almost literally always here, if we had a function going on Judy was always one of the souls that would be here.  She missed very, very few events or activities, when you needed a worker of almost any kind she'd be there with a smile and her dry wit ready and able.  It's been a very strange last few months without her here and now knowing that we won't see her again in this world, it is very difficult to accept.  We should all strive to live as true a Christian life as Judy did, as role-models go she was among the best I've ever seen in my Christian Walk.  God bless her and God comfort her family and all of us as well.

April of course also brings all the various events associated with Holy Week, look further along in this Newsletter for the calendar of events for Holy Week and mark your home calendars in order to take them all in... Easter time is such a wonderful time and one where we need to remember that this time of Lent which we are going through right now is a time to prepare our hearts, minds, and spirits in order to fully embrace the grace and gift of Easter Morning.

This Thursday night, I will be preaching over these verses in 2nd Corinthians 5:16-21:
2 Corinthians 5:16-21 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. 17 So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. 20 So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

In these verses, Paul reminds us all that a major part of our walk with Christ and our duty as professing Christians is to be 'ambassadors for Christ' and to carry His message and goal of 'reconciliation' to the world.  We through this desired reconciliation are to no longer view each other from a 'human point of view' but we are instructed to see each other as children of the Most High God.  We are to be 'a new creation' and to see each other as 'a new creation'.  We all (myself included) need to constantly remember this in our dealings with each other... let us see the immortal spirit of the one with which we are dealing and not the frail and flawed human body that they are temporarily adorned within.

Be a blessing to someone today!
In Christ Alone, Pastor Roy

March 24, 2019 - Sermon over Luke 13:1-9 "The Elderly Catholic Priest" - a sermon about Repentance

As much as I dislike preaching about politics, there are times when it just cannot be avoided and in fact, there are times when the Good Lord seems to be beaconing me to preach over what are viewed at least as being political topics.  The topic which I addressed in the sermon this last Sunday was abortion.  To be entirely honest, I don't think abortion is either a political nor a religious topic, it's a moral topic.  There is just no justification (no matter how hard some try to rationalize and legitimize abortion) to kill an entirely innocent child.  Abortion is entirely evil and I apologize if that offends you but it is the truth... to be honest, I didn't address the issues around abortion in the sermon nor will I here, it is absolutely a foregone conclusion that abortion is wrong, evil, and indefensible.

In the sermon, I talk about an elderly Catholic Priest who came into the Gallery in Omaha several years ago, he was a very interesting soul and in many ways, to me he served (and serves) as a harbinger of our fate as a Nation... we are fast approaching the point of no return and we must repent and beg our Lord's forgiveness for deserting the most vulnerable and innocent among us.  There is simply no way to take seriously anyone professing to be a 'social justice warrior' who at the same time supports and advocates abortion.  If these are your positions I apologize if you are offended but honestly you need to be offended... and you need to repent!

I come to the issue of abortion as one who once was pro-choice.  That position of willful ignorance was smashed before my very eyes when my wife Gail and I lost our second child Wyatt.  He was born alive, kicking and trying to scream at 22 weeks term.  The hospital refused to attempt to save him and rather rushed him out of the room and would not allow me to even hold him as he died.  Those moments and the grief that Gail and I have borne ever since that day are sheer agony to our souls.

Once they brought our son back to us, DEAD, I could see a perfect little human being... an absolutely beautiful little boy... who hauntingly looked exactly like our first son Creath.  They would have been like two little twins separated by just two years.  His birthday is coming up in just three weeks... the worst day of the year for me...

Be a blessing to someone today...

In Christ,
Roy

Luke 13:1-9 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
Repent or Perish
13 At that very time there were some present who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2 He asked them, “Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans? 3 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did. 4 Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them—do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem? 5 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did.”

The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree
6 Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. 7 So he said to the gardener, ‘See here! For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and still I find none. Cut it down! Why should it be wasting the soil?’ 8 He replied, ‘Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig around it and put manure on it. 9 If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’”

Ezekiel 33:7-20 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
7 So you, mortal, I have made a sentinel for the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. 8 If I say to the wicked, “O wicked ones, you shall surely die,” and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from their ways, the wicked shall die in their iniquity, but their blood I will require at your hand. 9 But if you warn the wicked to turn from their ways, and they do not turn from their ways, the wicked shall die in their iniquity, but you will have saved your life.
God’s Justice and Mercy
10 Now you, mortal, say to the house of Israel, Thus you have said: “Our transgressions and our sins weigh upon us, and we waste away because of them; how then can we live?” 11 Say to them, As I live, says the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from their ways and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways; for why will you die, O house of Israel? 12 And you, mortal, say to your people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not save them when they transgress; and as for the wickedness of the wicked, it shall not make them stumble when they turn from their wickedness; and the righteous shall not be able to live by their righteousness when they sin. 13 Though I say to the righteous that they shall surely live, yet if they trust in their righteousness and commit iniquity, none of their righteous deeds shall be remembered; but in the iniquity that they have committed they shall die. 14 Again, though I say to the wicked, “You shall surely die,” yet if they turn from their sin and do what is lawful and right— 15 if the wicked restore the pledge, give back what they have taken by robbery, and walk in the statutes of life, committing no iniquity—they shall surely live, they shall not die. 16 None of the sins that they have committed shall be remembered against them; they have done what is lawful and right, they shall surely live.

17 Yet your people say, “The way of the Lord is not just,” when it is their own way that is not just. 18 When the righteous turn from their righteousness, and commit iniquity, they shall die for it. 19 And when the wicked turn from their wickedness, and do what is lawful and right, they shall live by it. 20 Yet you say, “The way of the Lord is not just.” O house of Israel, I will judge all of you according to your ways!

1 Corinthians 10:1-17 "Temptation" sermon given on March 21, 2019

Last Thursday night's sermon covered the verses found in Paul's first letter (or at least the letter we now present as his first letter) to the Church in Corinth.  Here in 1st Corinthians 10:1-17, Paul is dealing among other things with temptations.  In the NRSV the words are translated as 'testing or test', but they perhaps are better understood as 'temptation or tempting'.  I won't speculate upon why the translators decided to use testing but others choose to use temptation. (In fact, in a quick look at a Parallel New Testament on my desk I see that all 8 of the translations in it use 'temptations'.)

The problem with using 'testing', is that it can imply that any difficulty, any hardship, anything that tests us is something for which God has provided a way out.  In other blog posts, I have commented on how much I dislike the saying "God won't give you a cross you can't bear.", this saying is frankly not true... death, disease, financial ruin, the list goes on and on with things that we alone cannot bear... but, we can bear and endure through all things with God's help.

BUT, back to the temptation.  None of us will ever be tempted in a fashion that hasn't tempted someone else... somewhere else... at some other time.  The fact that some (many) resist the temptation is proof that these temptations can be withstood.  We all too often want to mitigate our own responsibility and make excuses for our shortfalls.  All of us can resist, God will always provide a way out of the temptation... often (almost always) that way out is as simple as saying 'NO'.  Trust me, I speak as someone who has been seduced by temptation far too many times, falling into the clutches of my own ego and human frailty... but, there was not one time when I could not have walked away and escaped that temptation.

By no means am I saying that resisting and escaping all temptations is 'easy'... by no means... in fact, it is often extremely difficult.  The power of the flesh is very real and very controlling... but, others have escaped and thus we must confess that it is, in fact, possible and the fact that we fall short lies upon our own desire to succumb to the temptation that lies before us.

I am certain that this sermon doesn't sit well with some... but, perhaps that alone is the mark of a good sermon or at least a good sermon point.  I will never claim to give the most eloquent presentations in my sermons, but hopefully as rough and as unpolished as they are they make you think...

Be a blessing to someone today!

In His Grace,
Roy

1 Corinthians 10:1-17 (NRSV)
Warnings from Israel’s History
10 I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters,[a] that our ancestors were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, 2 and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 and all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ. 5 Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them, and they were struck down in the wilderness.

6 Now these things occurred as examples for us, so that we might not desire evil as they did. 7 Do not become idolaters as some of them did; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and they rose up to play.” 8 We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. 9 We must not put Christ[b] to the test, as some of them did, and were destroyed by serpents. 10 And do not complain as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer. 11 These things happened to them to serve as an example, and they were written down to instruct us, on whom the ends of the ages have come. 12 So if you think you are standing, watch out that you do not fall. 13 No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it.

14 Therefore, my dear friends,[c] flee from the worship of idols. 15 I speak as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. 16 The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a sharing in the body of Christ? 17 Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.

Footnotes:
a) 1 Corinthians 10:1 Gk brothers
b) 1 Corinthians 10:9 Other ancient authorities read the Lord
c) 1 Corinthians 10:14 Gk my beloved


1 Corinthians 10:1-17 New Century Version (NCV)
Warnings from Israel’s Past
10 Brothers and sisters, I want you to know what happened to our ancestors who followed Moses. They were all under the cloud and all went through the sea. 2 They were all baptized as followers of Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3 They all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. They drank from that spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ. 5 But God was not pleased with most of them, so they died in the desert.

6 And these things happened as examples for us, to stop us from wanting evil things as those people did. 7 Do not worship idols, as some of them did. Just as it is written in the Scriptures: “They sat down to eat and drink, and then they got up and sinned sexually.”[a] 8 We must not take part in sexual sins, as some of them did. In one day twenty-three thousand of them died because of their sins. 9 We must not test Christ as some of them did; they were killed by snakes. 10 Do not complain as some of them did; they were killed by the angel that destroys.

11 The things that happened to those people are examples. They were written down to teach us, because we live in a time when all these things of the past have reached their goal. 12 If you think you are strong, you should be careful not to fall. 13 The only temptation that has come to you is that which everyone has. But you can trust God, who will not permit you to be tempted more than you can stand. But when you are tempted, he will also give you a way to escape so that you will be able to stand it.

14 So, my dear friends, run away from the worship of idols. 15 I am speaking to you as to reasonable people; judge for yourselves what I say. 16 We give thanks for the cup of blessing,[b] which is a sharing in the blood of Christ. And the bread that we break is a sharing in the body of Christ. 17 Because there is one loaf of bread, we who are many are one body, because we all share that one loaf.

Footnotes:
a) 10:7 “They . . . sexually.” Quotation from Exodus 32:6.

b) 10:16 cup of blessing The cup of the fruit of the vine that Christians thank God for and drink at the Lord’s Supper.

March 17, 2019 - Philippians 3:17 to 4:1

Last Sunday we looked at the verses found in Paul's letter to the Church in Philippi.  To be exact Philippians 3:17 to 4:1.  Paul is warning the church to not be fixated upon things of this world and the old ways of Judaism.  He chastises those who have come into Philippi and tried to steer the church back to the law; 19 Their end is destruction; their god is the belly; and their glory is in their shame. Here he is commenting on the dietary rules of Judaism, their fixation on the right and wrong foods have made their 'bellies' the thing they worship and the circumcision that they are so proud of is the thing which should be in Paul's eyes their greatest shame.

Paul urges them to stand 'firm' in their belief in Christ.  This world that we live in is not where our 'citizenship' lies, we are children of the most high God and our allegiance lies with Him and His Kingdom.  No matter what we endure here, it is only temporary and fleeting, let us remain (as Paul urges the Philippians) focused on God and our service to Him here.

Be a blessing to someone today!

In His Grace,
Roy

Philippians 3:17-4:1 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
17 Brothers and sisters,[a] join in imitating me, and observe those who live according to the example you have in us. 18 For many live as enemies of the cross of Christ; I have often told you of them, and now I tell you even with tears. 19 Their end is destruction; their god is the belly; and their glory is in their shame; their minds are set on earthly things. 20 But our citizenship[b] is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. 21 He will transform the body of our humiliation[c] that it may be conformed to the body of his glory,[d] by the power that also enables him to make all things subject to himself. 4 1 Therefore, my brothers and sisters,[e] whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved.

Footnotes:
a)Philippians 3:17 Gk Brothers
b) Philippians 3:20 Or commonwealth
c) Philippians 3:21 Or our humble bodies
d) Philippians 3:21 Or his glorious body

e) Philippians 4:1 Gk my brothers

March 14, 2019 - Thursday Night Sermon - Luke 13:31-35

Here we encounter a situation that leaves many perplexed, why does it seem that some of the Pharisees are trying to help Jesus?  We have it so ingrained in our minds that the Pharisees were enemies of Christ that we forget that at least some of them believed in Him and most likely there were Pharisees among those following after Him.  Let us not forget Nicodemus, the Pharisee, and member of the Sanhedrin who comes to Jesus in the Gospel of John (John 3:1-21).  I also mentioned (again) that it is my personal opinion that both Jesus and His brother James were Pharisees; one always clashes the most with those who are the closest to you.

There are however other possibilities as to why these men come to Jesus and warn Him.  One that I mention, and one that bears consideration, is that Herod himself sent these men.  Herod, by this theory, would be trying to flush Jesus out of his territory in order to avoid having to kill another Prophet who was popular among the people. Herod was after all reluctant to even kill John the Baptist and only did so because he was tricked into it by his wife.

Ultimately, we will never know on this side of the veil what was the motive.  What we can take away from this is that nothing we can do can stop the ultimate goals and desires of God.  We can try but God already has a plan and it is my belief that we as puny humans cannot thwart this plan... we can exclude ourselves from being the instruments of His Creation but if we reject our assignment He can and will call others to fill the void.

Put yourself at His disposal and 'be a blessing to someone today'!

In Christ,
Roy

Luke 13:31-35 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
The Lament over Jerusalem
31 At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.” 32 He said to them, “Go and tell that fox for me,[a] ‘Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work. 33 Yet today, tomorrow, and the next day I must be on my way, because it is impossible for a prophet to be killed outside of Jerusalem.’ 34 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! 35 See, your house is left to you. And I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when[b] you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.’”

Footnotes:
a) Luke 13:32 Gk lacks for me
b) Luke 13:35 Other ancient authorities lack the time comes when

Funeral Manuscript for Monica Gray, March 17, 2019

Order of Service – Funeral for Monica Gray 3/17/19
Prelude:  

Procession: 
All please rise.

Call to Worship:
O God, who brought us to birth,
and in whose arms we die,
in our grief and shock
contain and comfort us;
embrace us with your love,
give us hope in our confusion
and the grace to let go into new life;
through Jesus who is the Christ.  Amen 

Please be seated.

Greeting:
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 Monica 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... Monica 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 Monica Joan Gray ;
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 Monica to God's everlasting care.


Opening Prayer:
God who creates and re-creates us, God who laughs with us and weeps with us, God who walks with us each step of the way, carrying us when our strength fails, we gather today with hearts breaking with grief, with voices crying out words of lament. And so we ask that you would move in and around us today. As we gather to remember and say goodbye to Monica, be the shoulder we can cry on, the arm we can lean on, help us to see through the veil of tears that there is hope for life continuing. Gracious God, as mysterious and wondrous as you are, you are also a compassionate God, as attentive as a hen with her chicks, as tender as a mother with a newborn child, as watchful as a shepherd with the sheep, as protective as a father’s warm embrace. and so we come into your presence to grieve Monica's death,
asking that your Holy Spirit would be here to ease our pain. As we give thanks for all that she added to the lives of those around her, as we release our tears and sorrow, as we say our good-byes, remind us that we are not alone, for You are with us...  In Jesus’ all-gracious and all-loving name we pray, Amen. 

Music:  Memory – from Cats

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.

Reading from the New Testament:
2 Corinthians 4:16-5:9  New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
4:16 So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. 17 For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, 18 because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.
5:1 For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this tent we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling— 3 if indeed, when we have taken it off we will not be found naked. 4 For while we are still in this tent, we groan under our burden, because we wish not to be unclothed but to be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5 He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.
6 So we are always confident; even though we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord— 7 for we walk by faith, not by sight. 8 Yes, we do have confidence, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9 So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him.

Music:  We've Only Just Begun - Carpenters

Message:  Pastor Roy Karlen – Woodlawn Christian Church
Monica Joan Gray, age 74, passed from this world and into the Kingdom of our Lord on Tuesday, March 12, 2019.  Monica was born on November 18, 1944, in Monterey Park, California to Paul and Mona Clinton.  On October 16, 1970, she married Robert Gray in Baldwin Park, CA. After their marriage, Bob and Monica lived in Temple City, California before moving here to Lake City in 1983. Bob had grandparents here and thus he had a fondness for Lake City, they moved here the day before Mother's Day as a surprise for his mother.

Monica and Bob loved Lake City, though for the first few years Monica did grumble a fair bit about the winters.  In July of last year, Monica was moved into the Shady Oaks Care Center where she lived until her passing.  When Monica moved to Shady Oaks, Bob was surprised to see that Verda Miller was living there, Verda had help tutor Monica for several years.

Monica collected bells and stuffed animals.  Stuffed animals of all sizes, she had so many in fact that one of the bedrooms in their home was dedicated to and filled with stuffed animals.  She had well over 1,000 stuffed animals, beanie babies, and all sorts.  Bob told me that her favorite animals among them all were her 'Kissing Bears'.  In addition to her own collections, Monica enjoyed watching Bob fly his radio-controlled planes which he does regularly with a group up in Rockwell City.

Bob and Monica also had a number of dogs during their marriage.  They loved their dogs and had a total of nine.  But perhaps their first dog was the most memorable, a Labrador and Great Dane cross.  A very large dog for such a small lady to deal with.  Bob remembered Monica having to deal with the dog's wagging tail smacking her around.

Bob told me that Monica was always a loving wife, she seldom had a temper, and she was always there for him.  He said that she was a 'studious' housekeeper, always cleaning.  She was always working with family photos, putting them into albums.  Bob said he will always remember her standing beside her roll-top desk fussing with the photos of all their outings and life events.

In 2016 Monica lost most of her voice and was barely able to speak afterward.  Still, she would visit on the phone with her sister Sherry, at least once every day.  For many years Sherry and Monica would read the Bible together over the phone.  Monica always enjoyed doing this with Sherry until Monica suffered her stroke last summer, the stroke ended this activity, unfortunately.  Sherry and Monica were always very close and Bob said years ago when you had long distant calling charges... he used to have to remind her to watch the length of the calls, after the advent of unlimited calling with cell phones he told her to talk all she wanted.

Monica's family had always been very religious and the Bible and obedience to Christ has always been very important to Monica.  Bob was a member of the Masons and Monica was active for many years with both the Eastern Star and White Shrine. Monica, I am told never cussed, drank, or caroused, she was always a very straight-laced lady.

I asked Bob how they had met out in California and he told me that it was through Monica's brother who used to drag race.  Bob also drove a dragster, a 1964 Plymouth.  Bob met Monica when he went over to their house to visit her brother.  After dating a couple of months, Bob asked Monica to marry him and she agreed and thus it all began.  Interestingly, Bob felt that Monica was literally heaven sent as he had been praying to meet someone and then along came Monica.  They had a common interest in drag racing and later with motorcycles, When they still lived in California, Monica rode with him a lot and Bob rattled off a string of different bikes that they'd had through the years.  For the sake of time... and because he can tell those stories so much better than I can relate them... I'll just leave it up to you all to ask Bob to tell these stories.

One of the memories that Bob also shared was about Monica's father Paul.  Paul had a boat and the family went every year to the Colorado River to fish.  Monica and her sisters would help with the cooking and such.  Among all the photos that Monica treasured were photos of these outings.

Bob also mentioned how Monica loved to dress up and how she kept all her dresses for many many years, long after some of them no longer would fit.  She had all her dresses from the formals put on by the Eastern Star and White Shrine.

Monica's family had attended a Baptist Church and she was baptized as a teen.  Bob was himself baptized after they were married at a Baptist Church in Baldwin Park, California.  Though they were not regular churchgoers, both Monica and Bob have always felt a strong religious conviction and tried to live out that conviction.

On Tuesday, March 12, 2019, Monica Joan Gray, passed quietly from this fallen world and into the glorious Kingdom of God, she is survived by her husband Robert, brothers Allan, Ray and Gary Clinton and sisters Sherry Taylor and Susan Danne.  Her family loved her and will miss her so, so very much...

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 arrogant5 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,[b] 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.

Today we gather to celebrate the life of and mourn the passing of  Monica.  Though each of her family, friends and loved ones here today feel the heavy weight of sorrow in their hearts... each of us is at the same time filled with an overwhelming sense of joy and celebration for Monica's entry into Heaven, reborn anew in the Kingdom of the Lord she loved.  Praise be to God!

1 Corinthians 15:51-58  New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
51 Listen, I will tell you a mystery! We will not all die, 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.
58 Therefore, my beloved, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, because you know that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

Music:  Close To You - Carpenters

Closing Prayer:
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 Monica 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:

Postlude:

Lura Knipp, Funeral March 13, 2019

Below please find the order of service for Lura Knipp's funeral.  Lura was always an interesting soul to visit with and we shall all miss her.  God's comfort and strength to her family.

Due to the snow and rain, the cemetery wasn't in any shape for us to do the burial after the service.  The grave I am told is literally filled with water.  Lura's body will be laid to rest at a later time.

Be a blessing to someone today!

In Christ,
Roy

Order of Service – Funeral for Lura Knipp, 3/13/19

Prelude: 

Entrance: 

Call to Worship:
Heavenly Father, You have assured us that through Your Son all shall have eternal life. Trusting in Your faithfulness and mercy, we await that glory filled day when You raise us all to life in triumph and we shall stand before Your throne. Standing there with all Your creation made new in Christ Jesus, basking in the glory of Your eternal Heavenly Kingdom. 

Greeting:
Lord, we acknowledge Your presence here and come before Your throne this morning as friends and family of Lura Norene Knipp. We are here because we loved her, and now miss her, and we want to cherish our memories of her, we want to honor her life, to honor her, and to support one another as we grieve her passing – a passing from life here with us to everlasting life there with you O Lord.

God, thank you for Lura, You formed her, you knew her, you walked with her through 99 years, and even now we have confidence that she is in your presence.

Thank you that you are a God of mercy, who promises to comfort us, particularly when we lose our loved ones, and so in these moments now, and in the weeks and months ahead, please bring comfort and mercy to us as we remember, and share fondly all that Lura was to us.

In the mighty and holy name of Jesus, we pray.
Amen.

Music: The Old Rugged Cross #548

Opening Prayer:
Father of all mercies and God of all consolation, you pursue us with untiring love
and dispel the shadow of death with the bright dawn of life. Give courage to this family in their loss and sorrow. Be their refuge and strength, O Lord, reassure them of your continuing love and lift them from the depths of grief into the peace and light of your presence. 

Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, by dying has destroyed our death, and by rising, restored our life. Your Holy Spirit, our comforter, speaks for us in groans too deep for words. Come alongside your people, remind them of your eternal presence and give them your comfort and strength. Amen


Let us hear now a Reading from the Old Testament:
Psalm 23  King James Version (KJV)
1 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 for ever.

Let us hear now a Reading from the New Testament:
1 Peter 1:3-9
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 

Hymn:    Amazing Grace  #546

Message:  Pastor Roy Karlen – Woodlawn Christian Church 
Lura Norene Knipp, age 99, passed from this world in which we reside and into the Kingdom of our Lord and Savior on Thursday, March 7, 2019, at Shady Oaks Retirement Center.  Lura was born on October 18, 1919, to Homer Ort and Ethel Sharkey-Ort.  Lura was one of seven children that blessed the Ort family.  On July 10, 1948, Lura married Frank Leslie Knipp at the Presbyterian Church in Long Beach, CA.  Frank had been in the Army stationed in California and then after leaving the military, he worked in the ship-yards out in Long Beach.  When I would stop in and visit with Lura she often had a story to tell me about the going on's at the ship-yard.  As there often was in the stories that Lura told me there was an element of mystery and intrigue to the tale.

While living in California, Lura worked at the See’s Candy Company when it very first opened back in the 1930s.  She was always very proud of having worked there.  When she and Frank moved to Kokomo, Indiana, she then worked as a nurses aide in the nursery at Kokomo Hospital in Indiana.  She and Frank then moved to Tazewell, Tennessee.  After Frank died she first moved to Waukee, Iowa and then later to Lohrville, Iowa where she lived with her sister Betty.  She transferred her Church Membership to Woodlawn Christian Church on April 3rd, of 1994 and was active in Church events and projects, she worked in the kitchen for dinners and luncheons. Lura lived in Lohrville until she moved into Shady Oaks in 2015.

Lura and Frank enjoyed traveling together and had a mobile home with which they made their outings.  She enjoyed gardening and loved to cook.  Lura loved to sew and was considered an excellent seamstress by her friends and family.  She enjoyed all types of craft projects and activities.

Lura was admitted to Shady Oaks in 2015 due to her worsening dementia and I have to believe that prior to her decline that she was a very sharp and intelligent woman.  When visiting with her you could see this wonderful twinkling light in her eyes and her impish smile was delightful.  Often when she was telling me one of her stories of intrigue I could see that she was struggling to find the right word and I often felt that she would eventually just settle on a word and then go on with the tale... whether the word fit the story or not.  I always enjoyed visiting with Lura, as I said I believe that prior to her decline she must have had a very broad knowledge.  I forget who told me the story but it was relayed to me as a conversation with Lura where she was laying out details of something or another and the individual asked Lura how she knew all of these things to which she replied, “well, I read”.  When I think of this story I can't help but see Lura, her head tipped upwards peering over the top of her glasses and that sly smile.

I remember a couple of times when I was visiting with Jolene Mapel, who was one of Lura's many cousins, that Lura would come in to visit Jolene.  She one time brought several photos to show to Jolene and Jolene asked if she could have copies made.  Lura said she could but she was most insistent that she get those photos back.  Jolene reassured her that they would be returned, and they must have been because I never heard any more about it from Lura.

It was Jolene who told me about Lura having lost a child, she remembered seeing Lura's daughter “Marlys Lavone Clark” lying in her coffin.  Marlys died in 1939 at the tender age of two.  Jolene would have only been six years old herself, and she talked of seeing that little girl in her coffin, she described her as being so pretty... and looking like a little doll.  We can only speculate on the effect that losing her only child at such a young age had on Lura... but it had to be devastating, Lura herself would have only been twenty at the time... and we can only wonder what effect it had on her first marriage which ended in divorce.  We can only imagine the great weight in Lura's heart as she helped with those little babies while she worked in the Nursery in Indiana. Her little girl is buried here in Lake City, near her grandparents.  After eighty long years... Lura today... is once again reunited with her precious young daughter.  Praise God.

Often when I would visit Lura she would show me the gift or care boxes that were sent to her by one of her nephews, I apologize that I don't know which of you was the kind sender of these gifts.  Lura was always so proud of those boxes and would show me the contents but almost always follow up telling me about each item, that she was 'saving' that item.  I often wondered why she would save them... at 99, why are you saving the chocolates... eat them!  Perhaps Lura figured she would endure as long as her Aunt Bessie.

On Sunday morning while getting ready, I was thinking about Lura and it struck me... today I preside over a remembrance service unlike any I shall likely ever preside over again in my life... over one that is likely to never happen in any minister's life... today we lay to rest a woman of nearly ninety-nine and a half years, and she's survived by her Aunt!  God bless Lura's aunt Bessie, it is a very rare soul indeed who is blessed to have one of their parents siblings still with them when they are very nearly 100 years of age.

Lura had the great privilege of making a new and dear friend in her last days, Roxy Crandall became her new roommate and Lura enjoyed both Roxy and Scott's friendship.  She was even a bit possessive of Scott telling the nurses to leave him alone because he was hers.  Praise God for Roxy and Scott making Lura's last days here in this world such wonderful and loving.  Thank God for all God's wonderful angels that live here in this world.

Lura was preceded in death by her husband Frank in 1984, her daughter Marlys Clark in 1939, parents Homer and Ethel Ort, brothers Kenneth, Burney, Warren and Chuck Ort, and sisters Darlene Caskey and Betty Scollon.  She is survived by her many nieces and nephews, by various and numerous cousins, and by her Aunt Bessie Hendricks.  The family asks that any Memorials be given directly to St. Jude Children’s Hospital.

Psalm 48:9-14 New International Version (NIV)
9 Within your temple, O God,
    we meditate on your unfailing love.
10 Like your name, O God,
    your praise reaches to the ends of the earth;
    your right hand is filled with righteousness.
11 Mount Zion rejoices,
    the villages of Judah are glad
    because of your judgments.
12 Walk about Zion, go around her,
    count her towers,
13 consider well her ramparts,
    view her citadels,
that you may tell of them
    to the next generation.
14 For this God is our God for ever and ever;
    he will be our guide even to the end.


Hebrews 12:1-3  New International Version (NIV)
12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Ours is a great and wonderful God, a God who loves us and watches over us our whole life long.  Let us never lose heart, let us always remember to smile and gently laugh, even while the world throws it's worst upon us... for we know that beyond all that we see and endure here, that our Lord and our Savior loves us.

On March 7, 2019, Lura Norene Knipp was born into the Kingdom of Heaven and looked not only into the face of her young daughter, and the faces of all of her loved ones that have gone on before her but into the very face of God the Father Himself...  Praise be to God... 

Thank you, dear Lord, for giving us Lura to know and to love on this earthly journey.  Though we shall always miss her, we know that her gentle, impish smile, today lights the very streets of Heaven, and its memory shall long be lit in the hearts and minds of those who loved her so very, very much.  Praise be to God.  

Closing Prayer:
The family wishes for you all to join them in further celebration of Lura's life and a time of shared remembrances and closure, by gathering with them for lunch in the Church's fellowship hall immediately after the service.  Due to the weather, we will go ahead and perform the committal service here in the Sanctuary.  

Let us please 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 Lura 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.

Committal Service
Selfishly, we as mortals wish to hold on to Lura. 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 Lura, but now her smile and laughter will warm the kingdom of God. We will continue to love Lura, but God will now take care of her. We will continue to carry Lura 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.

An excerpt from the 3rd Chapter of Ecclesiastes:

There is a time for everything,
    and a season for every activity under the heavens:
2     a time to be born and a time to die,
    a time to plant and a time to uproot,
4     a time to weep and a time to laugh,
    a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5     a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
    a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6     a time to search and a time to give up,
    a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7     a time to tear and a time to mend,
    a time to be silent and a time to speak,
9 What do workers gain from their toil? 10 I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. 12 I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. 13 That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God. 14 I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it.

Believing in the Resurrection to eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ, we now entrust Lura to the care of Almighty God and we ask Our Father to open the doors to his mansion and lead Lura 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 Lura 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.

Revelation 21:1-7
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,
" See, the home of God is among mortals.
He will dwell with them; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe every tear from their eyes.
Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away."
And the one who was seated on the throne said, "See, I am making all things new." Also he said, "Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true." Then he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life. Those who conquer will inherit these things, and I will be their God and they will be my children.

This concludes our committal 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