The Old Rugged Cross, Sermon from 11/26/17

Below please find both the video of last Sunday's sermon and the manuscript.  The sermon last Sunday covered the hymn that nearly all love dearly, "The Old Rugged Cross".  Though so many of us hold a great fondness to this hymn, it is not without its own theological difficulties.

Please take a moment to read or to listen to the sermon. May it in some small way be a blessing to you.  And may you in kind "be a blessing to someone today".

In Christ,
Roy

The Old Rugged Cross – Sermon 11/26/17

Today will be our last Sunday of looking at hymns before we start into the Advent Season next Sunday.  The hymn for today is probably the most widely known of all Christian Hymns and has consistently ranked as one of Americans all-time favorite hymns... and of course, as you've all just heard, today we will elaborate upon the history and meaning of “The Old Rugged Cross”.  

This wonderful old hymn has been a favorite of recording artists through the years, sung by artists such as Johnny & June Cash, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Alan Jackson, Ernest Tubb, Elvis Presley, Jim Reeves, Patsy Cline, Merle Haggard, Loretta Lynn, Willie Nelson, The Statler Brothers and many, many more.  It was also a favorite hymn of the famous Iowan Evangelist Billy Sunday and his worship team. It was always a portion of George Beverly Shea’s repertoire during the Billy Graham evangelistic campaigns, and it was reportedly one of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr's favorite hymns.

“The Old Rugged Cross” has been utilized in multiple motion pictures, including Pennies from Heaven (1978) and Gridlock (2007).  And it even appears in an episode of the popular and long-running sci-fi series Doctor Who.

  The hymn was written by Reverend George Bennard (Benn-ARD) who though not born in Iowa, did grow up in Iowa.  His was a financially poor upbringing but one that spawned a timeless influence on nearly all American Christians.

Bennard was born in Youngstown, Ohio, he was the son of George and Margaret Bennard, and he was of Scottish descent. The couple had five other children, and after George's birth, they moved their family to Albia, Iowa, where George Senior ran a tavern. When the Albia tavern burned, George Senior turned to mining coal and the family moved to Lucas, IA,  There George Senior was killed in 1889 in a mining accident at the all too early age of 49 which left young George at just 16 to support his mother and siblings. He did so by following in his father's footprints and going to work in the mines. In 1890 George moved his family to Illinois, and it was there that he met his first wife Ariminda.

In 1895, George attended a meeting of the Salvation Army in Canton, IA. According to an Iowa newspaper’s 2010 account, “Bennard had heard about Salvation Army meetings and decided to walk the five miles into town to see what those meetings were all about.”  During the services, Bennard responded to the speaker’s invitation and committed his life to Jesus Christ right then and there.

George entered into Christian ministry with the Salvation Army, becoming a minister at the tender age of 24. He and his wife, Ariminda, became officers in 1898 and he served as such for nearly a decade. Also in the year 1898, he was conducting revival meetings throughout the Midwest, later transferring to New York, where he resigned from the Salvation Army in 1910 to go out on his own as an evangelist ordained within the Methodist Episcopal denomination. It was around this time that he began composing hymns.  George and Ariminda settled in Albion, Michigan, and there he opened his own hymn publishing company. 

The story of how this old favorite hymn came to be written goes as such: 
In late 1912 or early 1913, George had been conducting revival services traveling throughout the Midwest, but he had returned to Michigan and was living with his wife in an apartment in the home of a professor across from Albion College.

While at a revival meeting in Michigan, he was heckled incessantly by several youths. George was deeply troubled by the youths blatant disregard for the gospel.  Caught in introspection and contemplating this disrespectful and irreverent behavior, Bennard turned to Scripture to reflect on the work of Christ on the cross. He became convinced that the cross was the centerpiece of the gospel and not just a religious symbol.

He later recalled, "I seemed to have a vision ...  I saw the Christ and the cross inseparable. I began to write ‘The Old Rugged Cross.’ I composed the melody first. The words that I first wrote were imperfect. The words of the finished hymn were put into my heart in answer to my own need.”

The melody had come to George easily, and the first verse was completed by Bennard during a series of meetings in Albion, Michigan. But, it was several months later, before the remaining three verses were completed while George was in Pokagon, Michigan, where he was leading meetings at the local Methodist Episcopal Church.

After completing the hymn, he performed the song in its entirety for the sponsoring pastor, the Reverend Leroy Bostwick and the Reverend's wife Ruby, in the living room of the Parsonage. The Bostwicks were moved to tears and George incorporated the song into the revival services on June 7, 1913.

At first, Bennard sang his hymn with a simple guitar accompaniment, but then a five-voice choir performed the hymn with an organ and violin accompaniment. The first occasion where it was heard outside of the Methodist Episcopal church at Pokagon was at the Chicago Evangelistic Institute. There it was introduced before a large convention and soon it became extremely popular throughout the country.

Noted evangelist Billy Sunday, an Iowa native, popularized the hymn with his nationally broadcast radio show. By 1939, more than 15 million copies of the hymn had been sold and numerous recordings made.

Billy Sunday's song leader Homer Rodeheaver had a publishing company and Bennard sold his song to him for $500.  Later the copyright was renewed for an additional $5,000.

Bennard eventually composed about 350 hymns, such as "Speak, My Lord," "Oh, Make Me Clean" and "Have Thy Way, Lord" but none was nearly as successful as "The Old Rugged Cross."

Bennard, who played guitar but not the piano, was known as a persuasive speaker and sharp dresser, yet humble and sincere. He was a short man at only about five foot tall.  He didn't drive a car and during the 40's and 50's he had the same personal driver for many years.  His driver drove him on all his travels which included trips as far as Canada, California, and Florida. George was a modest man with a sense of humor, the following quote is attributed to him; “I’ve been introduced as the author of ‘The Old Gray Mare,’ ‘The Old Oaken Bucket’, and even the ‘Rock of Ages’, and once introduced as George Bernard Shaw, the English philosopher.”

Bennard and his first wife, Araminda, later moved their home from Michigan to California,  it is believed they did so for health reasons.  Ariminda passed away in California in 1941 and was buried in Inglewood Park Cemetery. 

After Araminta's death, George returned to Michigan and in July 1944 he married his second wife, Hannah Dahlstrom, who was his accompanist. The couple eventually retired to Ashton, Michigan.

Bennard died of asthma in Reed City, Michigan, on October 10th, 1958, at the age of 85.  His services there were attended by over 400 people, including 25 area ministers. As could be expected, the rites included an organ rendition of "The Old Rugged Cross."  George's body was then transported to Inglewood, California, where he was buried beside his first wife Ariminda in the Inglewood Park Cemetery. 

Michigan’s “Old Rugged Cross” roots are memorialized today in several locations:
* While Bennard was still living, a twelve-foot-high wooden cross was erected in Rambardt Park in Reed City, Michigan, bearing the words of the “Old Rugged Cross” and stating that Reed City was the home of the hymn's author Reverend George Bennard.  After his death, the cross was replaced with another one from a local museum.

* Also in Reed City, the Old Rugged Cross Historical Museum was opened in 1990. Outside the building is the large cross that I just mentioned, which was dedicated before Bennard’s death. The museum contains memorabilia, music, and relics from George's life and music. 

* In Albion, across from Albion College, there is a decades-old 'Michigan Historic Marker' that marks the site where the first verse and chorus of the hymn were written. The house in which he did the work later became a fraternity house and was unfortunately demolished sometime in the 1960s.

* In 2000, another marker was erected in Pokagon. On one side it summarizes the story of the hymn’s writing. On the other, the story of the old Methodist Episcopal Church building is told. In 1998, the Old Rugged Cross Foundation Inc. was formed to restore the original church building in Pokagon. It had been in use as a barn for many years and had fallen into disrepair.

Bennard's hymn was immediately popular and remains a perennial favorite. Though the hymn is so widely loved, it has not been immune from criticism. There have been many criticisms of it from a musical standpoint, however, this is an area I will eschew, for far be it for me to critique anyone's musical abilities.  Some contemporary Christians view it as culturally irrelevant for today's world. Others see its apparent emphasis on the cross as misguided and incorrect theology. The composer Frank C. Huston, wrote the lesser-known hymn “The Christ of the Cross”. Huston’s third verse contains an apparent critique of Bennard's far more popular hymn:
Let others who will praise the cross of the Christ,
The Christ of the cross is my theme;
For though we must cherish the old rugged cross,
‘Tis only the Christ can redeem.

Returning to the initial comment that many love this gospel song, and many love to hate it, this may be the result of the hymn’s emblematic nature. British hymnologist Erik Routley offered his opinion of this hymn in a text published in 1967. In the style he was well known for, he was both candid and cutting. He expressed that it is a hymn of “unspeakable vulgarity,” though allowing that he appreciated its attraction as a “compelling witness for the gospel.... despite its perceived theological and musical shortcomings”.

Undoubtedly, this hymn has had a significant and positive impact throughout its long history.  The one dark side to the hymn is that it is apparently a favorite of the Ku Klux Klan, and has been sung during cross burnings.  

Now, let's look at the hymn for ourselves and delineate verse by verse:

The Old Rugged Cross by George Bennard
Verse 1:
On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
the emblem of suffering and shame;
and I love that old cross where the dearest and best
for a world of lost sinners was slain.

Bennard has in this first verse clearly proclaimed the cross as an emblem. A symbol that we use to focus upon to draw ourselves closer to God. It also proclaims Christ's sacrifice on the cross for all of us here in this world.

The danger of an emblem or symbol in worship is when the symbol stops being a representation in our worship and becomes the thing that we are worshiping. This was and is an element of the criticism of Bennard's hymn.

Verse 2:
Oh, that old rugged Cross so despised by the world
has a wondrous attraction for me
for the dear Lamb of God, left His Glory above
to bear it to dark Calvary.

The symbol of the cross is in fact despised by the world, that is absolutely true.  At this juncture in the hymn, Bennard has not yet elevated the Cross to the point of being worshiped.  His focus in the last two lines is upon the Lamb of God and the fact that He came into this world to bear our sins.

I will point out that it's not only the issue of the cross being despised but the cross being misinterpreted as a fashion item. Today we see people wearing crosses in all manner of unspeakable situations. Sadly, for many the cross is just a shiny piece of jewelry... an adornment, the symbolism... the Sacrifice... the Suffering Savior is entirely forgotten or even worse... never known. 

Verse 3:
In the old rugged Cross, stain'd with blood so divine
a wondrous beauty I see
for the dear Lamb of God, left His Glory above
to pardon and sanctify me.

Here Bennard is still relating the cross to Christ. Though throughout the hymn he never says Christ, or Jesus, or Savior, he does repeat the title of 'Lamb of God' and thus indicates that he is indeed revering Christ.  He also again focuses upon Christ coming into this world as our Savior “to pardon and sanctify me”. 

Verse 4:
To the old rugged Cross, I will ever be true
its shame and reproach gladly bear
then He'll call me some day to my home far away
where His glory forever I'll share.

Here we can start to raise an issue with Bennard, it's not to the cross that we are to forever be true... it is to God. Another criticism could be the lack of any mention in the hymn of God the Father or the Holy Spirit. Bennard like many evangelicals is very Christ focused and in this hymn at least has ignored the Trinity entirely.

His reference to “He'll call me some day” is in this context somewhat ambiguous, is it the Cross that will call him or is it, Christ.  Of course where we can clearly raise an issue with Bennard's theology is in the line “where His glory forever I'll share”.  Share isn't the best word to understand our relationship with God in eternity. Clearly, we are not on God's level and thus we are not sharing. A better word would be revere, or observe, or witness, or worship, none of which unfortunately have the right ring to them for the poetry of the verse. I understand as one who has written poetry why Bennard used “share”, but theologically it's not good word usage.

We will be called to worship and revere our God for all eternity, we will share the streets of Heaven with Him but we are not partners in His Glory. The glory is our triune God's alone.

Refrain:
So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
and exchange it some day for a crown.

It's in the refrain that Bennard seems to venerate the cross as a devotional object that one may eventually trade in... “exchange it some day for a crown.”  It clearly shows that in Bennard's theological beliefs he felt we would be honored and glorified along with God, even bearing crowns in Heaven. It's honestly not the usage of the Cross as an emblem that I have an issue with in Bennard's hymn, it's the elevation of ourselves to a level equivalent with God the Father.  The line about laying down trophies could also be interpreted to think one's life works has some basis upon one's salvation... which we would question as being in some small way works-oriented as opposed to faith-oriented.

All it all though, the song is as Erik Routley stated, a compelling witness for the gospel.  Undoubtedly, this hymn has brought countless individuals to the feet of the cross and to the grace of God.

It's up to us to then educate those that come to God through this theologically imperfect hymn that the item of reverence is not the cross but the dear Lamb of God that it bore... that the focus of our reverence is upon our all loving and all grace-filled Triune God.

As we learned in the sermon over Horatio Spafford's hymn “It Is Well with My Soul” God can and will use imperfect people, imperfect hymns, imperfect witness, and imperfect sermons... to lead His people back to Him.

Praise be to God!


Let us pray...

Matthew 21:23-32, The Authority of Jesus and the Parable of the Two Sons - October 1, 2017

This past Sunday's sermon was, by my estimation, a bit rambling.  I do apologize, I was a little weary on Sunday morning as I had traveled to Omaha on Friday and then to Saint Paul, MN on Saturday. Both trips were to haul vehicles back to Lake City. On Friday, I trailered back to Lake City the old Cougar that I purchased a few weeks back. Due to the length of the car and the size of the trailer, there was no good way to balance the load and I ended up trailering her with more weight to the back of the trailer than I'd recommend. That made the trailer a bit finicky to tow and we ended up driving all the way at around 50 mph or less. Needless to say, it was a long drive home and in the dark to boot.

She's a beautiful old car with low miles and has spent all of her life thus far in and around Oakland, California. I had the car delivered to Omaha, as it was much less expensive than having it hauled all the way here. The old girl is currently down at Scott Gorden's garage having some steering issues examined (which is why I didn't just drive it here as I'd planned to do originally). Hopefully, he'll get whatever is going on worked out and I'll be able to drive her soon.

But, back to my rambling message on Sunday.  The sermon this week was over the verses found in the Gospel of Matthew 21:23-32. The passage covers the questioning of Jesus' authority by the leaders and then the beginning of His response to them. The sermon this coming week will continue on with this exchange between Jesus and the leaders.

The parable of the "Two Sons" speaks to us today, asking us when do we do better... when we immediately answer Jesus' call and then drop the ball... or when we argue with God and then relent and go and do His bidding... or is there a better way?  Well, of course, there is... we are called to respond and to carry through. Of course, we all know that there have been, and will be again, times when we emulate both brothers. Let us by preparation and prayer be ready to react properly the next time our God asks us to be His hands and feet to this wanting world.

Be a blessing to someone today!

In His Grace,
Roy

Matthew 21:23-32  New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

23 When he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” 24 Jesus said to them, “I will also ask you one question; if you tell me the answer, then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. 25 Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?” And they argued with one another, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ we are afraid of the crowd; for all regard John as a prophet.” 27 So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

28 “What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ 29 He answered, ‘I will not’; but later he changed his mind and went. 30 The father[a] went to the second and said the same; and he answered, ‘I go, sir’; but he did not go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him.

Footnotes:
a) Matthew 21:30 Greek He

Unfair Wages - sermon given on Sept 24th, 2017

St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, Newton, IA

In my "Children's Conversation" Sunday, I presented the scenario of hiring two of the children to do work for me.  One I wanted to hire to fold a single towel, and the other I wanted to mow the Church grounds (a total of a block and a half of ground).  When I told them that I want to pay the same amount for both jobs I was emphatically told, "That's crazy"!  And yes, that is CRAZY, but, that's just the kind of crazy that God is to us his children.

The parable of the "Workers in the Vineyard" is perhaps the second most important parable in understanding the nature of God that there is in the Bible. (First and foremost in my humble opinion would be the parable of 'The Prodigal Son') This isn't a story about justice, though some might confuse it as such, rather this is a story of grace.  The type and degree of grace that God extends to us does, in fact, seem 'crazy' in our human experience.

Ultimately, God's grace, God's capacity to forgive, God's desire for reconciliation, makes us exclaim "That's Crazy", but that's the radical nature of our all loving and all forgiving God.  The hour is not important to our God, what is important is that we arrive, that we accept the invitation to join the workers in the vineyard.  Praise be to God!

Please remember today and every day to...

Be a blessing to someone today!

In My Father's Grace,
Roy

St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, Newton, IA

Matthew 20:1-16  New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
The Laborers in the Vineyard
20 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 After agreeing with the laborers for the usual daily wage,[a] he sent them into his vineyard. 3 When he went out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace; 4 and he said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ So they went. 5 When he went out again about noon and about three o’clock, he did the same. 6 And about five o’clock he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, ‘Why are you standing here idle all day?’ 7 They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard.’ 8 When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first.’ 9 When those hired about five o’clock came, each of them received the usual daily wage.[b] 10 Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received the usual daily wage.[c] 11 And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, 12 saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ 13 But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage?[d] 14 Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. 15 Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?’[e] 16 So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”[f]

Footnotes:
a) Matthew 20:2 Gk a denarius
b) Matthew 20:9 Gk a denarius
c) Matthew 20:10 Gk a denarius
d) Matthew 20:13 Gk a denarius
e) Matthew 20:15 Gk is your eye evil because I am good?
f) Matthew 20:16 Other ancient authorities add for many are called but few are chosen

St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, Newton, IA

Colossians 3:1-17 Sermon given September 10, 2017

This last Sunday, September 10th, the sermon covered the scripture found at Colossians 3:1-17.  This was a sermon of conviction; not every sermon can be (or should be) all nice and sweet... this week was a reminder that we all fall short of the glory of God.

It's not a long sermon at under 14 and a half minutes, and most of it was (out of fashion for me) from a manuscript.  I did this because I knew I had to keep the sermon reasonably short due to other events outside of worship.  I've included the manuscript which is only minus the introduction and some history about the letter to the Colossians.  Please take a moment and watch the video or read through the manuscript.

Thank you all for stopping by and please remember to...

Be a blessing to someone today!

In His grace, glory, and love,
Roy

Colossians 3:1-17New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

The New Life in Christ
3 So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, 3 for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your[a] life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory.

5 Put to death, therefore, whatever in you is earthly: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed (which is idolatry). 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming on those who are disobedient.[b] 7 These are the ways you also once followed, when you were living that life.[c] 8 But now you must get rid of all such things—anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive[d] language from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have stripped off the old self with its practices 10 and have clothed yourselves with the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of its creator. 11 In that renewal[e] there is no longer Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all!

12 As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. 13 Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord[f] has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ[g] dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God.[h] 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Footnotes:

a) Colossians 3:4 Other authorities read our
b) Colossians 3:6 Other ancient authorities lack on those who are disobedient (Gk the children of disobedience)
c) Colossians 3:7 Or living among such people
d) Colossians 3:8 Or filthy
e) Colossians 3:11 Gk its creator, 11 where
f) Colossians 3:13 Other ancient authorities read just as Christ
g) Colossians 3:16 Other ancient authorities read of God, or of the Lord
h) Colossians 3:16 Other ancient authorities read to the Lord

Partial Manuscript of the Sermon given on Sept. 10, 2017

Colossians 3:1-21  New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

3 So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, 3 for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory.

If you've been raised with Christ has your life changed?  Are you focused on earthly things or focused on Christ who has risen and is seated at the right hand of the Father.  How many here have been baptized, especially those who've been baptized in a believers baptism or in other words dunked? All of you and myself as well have symbolically died to our old way of being and been raised again in and with Christ.  It is Christ who has hidden your old way of being.
I've said it many times, your life may be the only Bible that someone will ever read. Is your life revealing Christ to those around you?  That's a question we should each ask ourselves every morning and every evening of our lives.

5 Put to death, therefore, whatever in you is earthly: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed (which is idolatry). 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming on those who are disobedient. 

Turn your backs on your old ways of being.  Here the author makes us a bit uncomfortable in his verbiage...

Fornication is defined as sexual intercourse outside the confines of the marital bed. Though it's not politically correct nor considered polite in today's world to point these things out, it's quite plain that whomever wrote Colossians is warning us that we who have been risen again with Christ... are called to live up to a certain standard of behavior.  Put to death, fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, I believe all of these are addressed towards sexual sins and all of these are difficult to preach to and even harder to live up to. But, we've been called again to a higher standard. Let us each examine our own lives and reflect upon ourselves.

I've told a few of you the story about how before I came here to Lake City, that during an interview with another church, actually a Baptist Church, that one of the ladies on their search committee asked me a very pointed question.  She asked if I would ever conduct a wedding for a couple that had been living together.  I could see in her eyes the answer that she wanted, of course she wanted me to say that 'NO' I would not... but rather I said “yes”, that I would and I went on to say “you see they unlike most of us... are doing something about their sin.” You could also see in her eyes that she didn't care for my answer, you see she wanted to focus on another's sin not be reminded of her own.

Greed, this one isn't sexual in nature, rather it's a caution about placing things on a higher scale than you place God.  The writer clarifies his commentary and reminds us that greed is idolatry... do not let anything come before God in your lives.

7 These are the ways you also once followed, when you were living that life. 8 But now you must get rid of all such things—anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive language from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have stripped off the old self with its practices 10 and have clothed yourselves with the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of its creator. 11 In that renewal there is no longer Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all!

In this new way of being, it doesn't matter who or what you are.  What matters is how you... we... treat one another. By now, you have all more than likely heard me say my own quote “If when reading scripture you never feel convicted, if you never see the hairy hand of God pointing a fat finger right back at you... well then you're not paying close enough attention”.  

If you didn't get a peek of a fat pointing finger at fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, then I'm willing to bet you spied one... or more... at anger, wrath, malice, slander, abusive language, or telling an untruth.  Don't worry about the fingers pointing at the person beside you either... you and I have more than enough to be concerned about with the fingers aimed in our own direction.

These words are of course very similar to what we read in the book of Ephesians.

Ephesians 4:25-32
25 So then, putting away falsehood, let all of us speak the truth to our neighbors, for we are members of one another. 26 Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and do not make room for the devil. 28 Thieves must give up stealing; rather let them labor and work honestly with their own hands, so as to have something to share with the needy. 29 Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up,[b] as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with which you were marked with a seal for the day of redemption. 31 Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, 32 and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you. 

We are to have clothed ourselves with a new self, the act of submersion in that baptistery is not only a symbolic death but a symbolic re-clothing.  We are to put on the robes of Christ. And as the author of Colossians says here there is no longer Greek, Jew, circumcised or those under the law, uncircumcised or those born as a gentile, no longer slave nor free, for all are one in Christ.  This closely follows the language found in the book of Galatians, a letter that is indisputably written by the Apostle Paul.

Galatians 3:28 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
28 There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.

Of course, it is important to note that in Paul's own words he includes that there is no distinction between male or female.  When our God looks at us He does not see a white man or an African-American female, He doesn't see a sex nor an ethnicity at all... what He sees is one of His children.  A child that He loves, and a child that He wants to have a relationship with for all eternity.

12 As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. 13 Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 

Again we are reminded of the words found in Ephesians that we just read a moment ago: 32 and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.

Forgiveness of others is serious and vital business, in fact as it says... just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

In the Gospel of Mark we read an even more startling statement:

Mark 11:26  New King James Version (NKJV)
26 But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”

And the Gospel of Matthew repeats this message:

Matthew 6:15New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
15 but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

It appears that God really means it... we are to forgive those who trespass, sin, or are indebted to us. The extension of grace is not just important... it's imperative. 

14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.


Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, be in a constant state of gratitude to God for all the blessings and the grace that He extends to us, and be always in a state of praise and worship to Him and live your lives in the name of your Lord... Jesus.

Sermon on the "Wheat Among the Weeds", Matthew 13:24-43

This past Sunday, July 30th, the sermon was over the Parable of the "Wheat and the Tares" also called the "Wheat Among the Weeds".  It was a fitting bit of scripture to follow the sermon which I gave on the 23rd, as it drove home the message of remaining in association with those who disagree or even are in contention with you.

The bottom line is that we are all called to live our lives here on this side of the veil in fellowship and cohabitation with the 'weeds'.  We are not to try and carve out a nice comfortable space where everyone is in perfect accord and thinks and believes as we do.

If I were to chastise the church today, especially mainline denominations, it would be concerning the trend towards ostracizing those voices that are in disagreement.  But, this trend is all too present in the more Fundamentalist denominations as well, it seems that whether it be the right or it be the left, we have lost the ability to have calm and reasoned conversations and disagreements. 

The parable of the 'Wheat and the Tares' is a story of being 'non-judgemental'.  It is not up to us to judge the weeds of this world, in fact, who among us has not been... and still is at times a weed in God's garden?  In ripping up those perceived as 'weeds', we will all too often rip up those that are, or will eventually be 'wheat'.  God has the capacity to change hearts, minds, and souls.  God can and will turn the weeds into wheat.  Besides, far too many of us regard ourselves as 'wheat' and any that disagree with us as 'weeds', and those we disagree with believe themselves to be 'wheat' and we to be 'weeds'... who judges rightly?  Let's just live and learn together and not pass judgment upon our neighbor, for judgment is reserved for God and not for any mortal man.

Be a blessing to someone today!

In His Love,
Roy

Matthew 13:24-43  New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
The Parable of Weeds among the Wheat
24 He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; 25 but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. 26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. 27 And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?’ 28 He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The slaves said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ 29 But he replied, ‘No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. 30 Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’”

The Parable of the Mustard Seed
31 He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; 32 it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”

The Parable of the Yeast
33 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with[a] three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.”

The Use of Parables
34 Jesus told the crowds all these things in parables; without a parable he told them nothing. 35 This was to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet:[b]
“I will open my mouth to speak in parables;
 I will proclaim what has been hidden from the foundation of the world.”[c]

Jesus Explains the Parable of the Weeds
36 Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples approached him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” 37 He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; 38 the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. 40 Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, 42 and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears[d] listen!
Footnotes:
a) Matthew 13:33 Gk hid in
b) Matthew 13:35 Other ancient authorities read the prophet Isaiah
c) Matthew 13:35 Other ancient authorities lack of the world
d) Matthew 13:43 Other ancient authorities add to hear

Patience, it's a matter of faith.... Sermon given August 14th, 2016

Photo by Christian Begeman
Prairie Sanctuaries
https://www.facebook.com/prairiesanctuaries/?pnref=story

On Sunday, August 7th, the sermon was over 'Faith'; in that sermon, I chose to hit especially upon the concept of 'obedience' and 'living out' your faith.  As the book of James relays, faith without works is dead.  I read that as stating that a true faith in God precludes the ability to be inactive in His creation.  An 'obedient' faith does not allow one to sit idly by.

This past week, I decided to disconnect with the Lectionary verses and instead to pursue the concept of faith a bit further and in a different direction.  The sermon this past Sunday was focused upon 'Patience'.  Faith often necessitates us being patient while God prepares the way for us.  The scripture verses which I have chosen for today are Colossians 1:1-14.

Colossians 1:1-14New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

2 To the saints and faithful brothers and sisters[a] in Christ in Colossae:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father.

3 In our prayers for you, we always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 4 for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, 5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. You have heard of this hope before in the word of the truth, the gospel 6 that has come to you. Just as it is bearing fruit and growing in the whole world, so it has been bearing fruit among yourselves from the day you heard it and truly comprehended the grace of God. 7 This you learned from Epaphras, our beloved fellow-servant.[b] He is a faithful minister of Christ on your[c] behalf, 8 and he has made known to us your love in the Spirit.

9 For this reason, since the day we heard it, we have not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of God’s[d] will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so that you may lead lives worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, as you bear fruit in every good work and as you grow in the knowledge of God. 11 May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled[e] you[f] to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. 13 He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.[g]

Footnotes:

a) Colossians 1:2 Gk brothers
b) Colossians 1:7 Gk slave
c) Colossians 1:7 Other ancient authorities read our
d) Colossians 1:9 Gk his
e) Colossians 1:12 Other ancient authorities read called
f) Colossians 1:12 Other ancient authorities read us
g) Colossians 1:14 Other ancient authorities add through his blood

Let's highlight verses 11 & 12:
11 May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled[e] you[f] to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light.

"Endure everything with patience", it's not like God is giving us an easy task to pursue here.  My personal experience in life has never been that 'patience' was ever the long suite of human beings, or at least of most human beings.  There are those few out there who are certainly counted among the Saints, who seem unrattled by the world and can keep going right along while waiting, waiting and waiting.  

Before we go any further, let's determine just what the word 'Patience' means in the English language.
If we look up the word 'Patience' we read the following:
pa·tience
noun
1. the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset.
"you can find bargains if you have the patience to sift through the dross"

synonyms: forbearance, tolerance, restraint, self-restraint, stoicism; calmness, composure, equanimity, imperturbability, understanding, indulgence
"she tried everyone's patience"

perseverance, persistence, endurance, tenacity, assiduity, application, staying power, doggedness, determination, resolve, resolution, resoluteness
"a task requiring patience"

There are actually several Greek words which are translated into English as 'Patience'.  The two most generally used are:
Makrothumia which is clarified as patience in respect to persons, while Hupomone (endurance) is putting up with things or circumstances. The Greek word that we find here in Colossians is the word 'makrothumia'.  Strongs Greek Concordance lists makrothumia as a noun and relays that it is the feminine form. The definition is stated as; patience, forbearance, longsuffering. Strong's goes on to state the following: Makrothumia embraces steadfastness and staying power. If in English we had an adjective 'long-tempered' as a counterpart to 'short-tempered,' then makrothymia could be called the quality of being 'long-tempered'. . . . which is a quality of God.

The Greek Lexicon relays; Makrothymia (mak-roth-oo-mee’-ah) n. Longanimity – Calmness in the face of suffering and adversity, that is, (objectively) forbearance or (subjectively) fortitude: longsuffering, patience; good-natured tolerance of delay or incompetence.

Makrothumia is especially related to love, hupomone is especially related to hope.  We endure circumstances because we always retain hope.  The distinction between hupomone and makrothumia can best be seen in their opposites.  The opposite of Makrothumia is wrath or revenge, and the opposite of Hupomone is cowardice or despondency. 

The one thing we should not about both makrothumia and hupomone is that neither in their definitions says anything about being idle.  Patience isn't about sitting still and doing nothing, patience is about persevering and working continually even though we should by all rights become discouraged and stop entirely.

Let's look at the famous missionary Adoniram Judson.  Judson was one of the first Christian missionaries to go to Burma and the only one to remain more than a short period of time.  At the time of his arrival, there was not one known Christian convert in Burma.  It took six years before one person was baptized as a Christian.  After twelve years of hard work, he saw eighteen converts.  By the time of his death at 62 years of age, and after 38 years in Burma, he had established 100 churches with 8,000 Burmese converts.

How many of us could honestly say that we would continue working when after a year we had seen no results... how about three years... what about six years?  I can certainly attest that it would be exceedingly difficult to keep up the faith for six long years with no results to show for one's efforts.  Of course during these six years Judson wasn't just sitting still and doing nothing, rather he was busy learning Burmese, translating scripture into Burmese, and creating a Burmese dictionary.  All of the while that Judson was preaching to apparently no effect, he was working to set the stage for his later success.  Patience means following the direction that God has placed us upon whether we feel discouraged or not.

Be patient, God can and will work through you in good time, just don't sit idle... keep doing the work that He has set you to.

Be a blessing to someone today!

In His Grace,
Roy

2 Peter 3:8-9  New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

8 But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day. 9 The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance.

Transcript of Funeral for Vera Mae Doty - July 11, 2016

Order of Service – Funeral for Vera Mae Doty

Prelude:  Evelyn Johnson

Procession: Softly & Tenderly

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 grace to let go into new life;

through Jesus Christ.  Amen 

Greeting:

Holy God, gathered together we praise your blessed name.

We praise you today for your servant Vera Mae Doty,

and for all that you did through her.

Meet us here in our sadness and mourning,

and fill our hearts with praise and thanksgiving,

for the sake of the One who loves us all... Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen

Special Music: “In the Bulb There Is a Flower” - soloist Steffani Rash

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 good bye to Vera Mae,

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 Vera'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 name we pray, Amen. 

Hymn:   Amazing Grace  No. 546 All

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.

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:    Great Is Thy Faithfulness  No. 86 All

Message:  Pastor Roy Karlen – Woodlawn Christian Church

Vera Mae Cole was born on August 1, 1925 in Des Moines, Iowa to Frank and Josie Cole.  On June 24, 1946 Vera married Herbert D. Doty at Woodlawn Christian Church, Lake City, she passed from this world into the Kingdom of her Lord on Wednesday, July 6th, 2016 at approximately 1:45 pm.  Vera is survived by her husband Herb, her children Steve, Susan, David, and Dennis; as well as by 11 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren.

Vera is also fondly remembered by Jean Eberhard who was a French Foreign exchange student who lived with the Doty family for a year.  To this day Jean calls Vera and Herb, mom and dad.  Jean was especially close to Vera Mae and wanted to travel back to Lake City for the funeral but was prevented from doing so due to health concerns.  He wished to share the following correspondence sent to Susan with Herb and the rest of the family at this time:

“Whenever you can dear Susan, whisper to my exceptional AFS mother's ear that 4,300 miles away from Lake City, Jean and his family (Anne-Marie, Laurent and Thomas) are in deep sorrow.  Tell her that wherever we go I always tell people how proud I am to have shared the life of the Doty's family.  I miss her and wish I could be there with all of you for her last journey.  Take care of dad. Love. Jean”

Vera Mae was always very, very proud of Lake City.  Her children said she at times seemed to think that the world stopped at the edge of town.  Susan remembered how when Jean was here as an exchange student how Vera made sure to take him up and show him the fountain in the town square.  She was so proud of it and wanted Jean to see how beautiful it was and is.  Later when the family went to France to see Jean and were taken to see some of the unbelievably impressive fountains found in Europe, they asked (I assume in Vera's absence) how he could be so accommodating and admire the comparatively modest fountain in Lake City, Jean told them that he knew it was important to Vera and that was all that mattered.  Vera Mae was proud of Lake City, and indeed she had a right to be.

As I said Vera Mae was very fond of Jean and they had a wonderful relationship, the children expressed to me that perhaps she was even more fond of Jean than she was of her own children.  Though I am certain that could not be the case.  The entire Doty family became very close to Jean during his stay with them that year and Susan and Steve relayed how much the entire family cried when taking Jean to the airport.  The family had planned to stop and eat at a restaurant on the way home but they discovered that they were all too upset to stop and eat.  Everyone that is except for Dennis who wondered why everyone was so worked up, “we'll see Jean again” he told them.  It seems Dennis was right and Susan commented that if they'd have all known how many times they would see Jean that they'd have gone out to eat that day.

The family (in David's absence) relayed to me how David was always the favorite.  And how even long after he'd gotten too big for Vera's lap he wanted to sit on his mother's lap.  In reality, do we ever get so big or so old that we don't want to sit and be comforted once again by our loving mother.  I remember my grandfather telling me when he was closing in on the century mark that he wished just one more time he could lay his head on his mother's lap and feel her stroke his hair.  I'm sure today David, as big as he is... would love to be able to sit with his mother one more time.

Vera's father Frank passed away when she was only three, and her mother passed away during Vera's Junior year in High School.  At that time she went to live with her grandmother Mary Holm.  During High School Vera was selected as Lake City's very first Homecoming Queen.  I have to say Herb that I saw Vera's High School graduation picture last night at the visitation, she was a beautiful young woman... Herb, you did very well my friend.  After High School graduation Vera received training at Buena Vista University to teach country school.  Vera taught at Lake Creek School #4 for several years before she and Herb were married on  June 24, 1946.  You'll have to press Herb for more details on the proposal but it seems that Vera Mae more or less pressed the point.  At any length it apparently was a match made in heaven for Herb and Vera celebrated shortly before her passing their 70th wedding anniversary.  What an incredible testimony to all of us, as I said Herb you did very... well.

Herb was enlisted in the Army at the time of their marriage and for the first year of their union they lived in Battle Creek, Michigan were Herb was stationed at Fort Custer working as an orderly and caring for wounded soldiers still recovering from World War II.  While they were in Michigan Vera Mae worked at the cosmetic counter at a local dime store.

Once back home in Lake City, Vera worked for many, many years at the Hardware store as it passed through several different ownership's.

In visiting with Herb and the family it seemed like Vera was involved in an impossible number of organizations here in Lake City and then to top it off she was involved in even more groups down in Arizona where she and Herb spent a total of 18 winters.  Just a partial list and I do mean partial as I wasn't able to keep up with writing them down and the family confessed to not being able to immediately recalling all of the activities:

Central School, AFS or foreign student exchange program, the Hospital board, the Hospital auxiliary, Red Hat club, Music Boosters, Village Square Theater, the snack bar at the Hospital, Meals on Wheels, a number of other activities and groups at the school, songbirds in Arizona, and many, many more.  Marj Burley shared with me last night that if there was a board or a committee then Vera was on it.  

Vera loved to read to her children and grandchildren.  She apparently was a big fan of cabbage patch kids and got them for all her grandchildren.

I heard a great many stories about Vera from her family and I simply don't have time to relay them all to you this morning, but that's just as well... for you really should hear them from the family themselves.  Of all the stories the family told one thing was abundantly clear.  Vera loved her Lord and she loved this Church.  Vera first came to Woodlawn as a child in the company of John and Kerri Lee who were long-time and active members here.  On June 10th, 1934, Vera was baptized right here in this baptistery, which has changed very little since then, by Reverend Weakland.  She was for many, many years a leader for the Christian Women here at Woodlawn.  She taught Vacation Bible School and Sunday School and helped with the youth group.

Vera had a great love for her Lord, even though she certainly faced many difficulties in her life not the least of which was the death of both her parents while still a child, Vera stayed faithful to her God.  Jim Bruce told me that the one word he thought of to describe Vera Mae was resilient, she never gave up.  Vera's children mentioned sacrifice and service as descriptions for Vera Mae, she sacrificed for and served not only her family, but her Church, and the Lake City Community.  As I said earlier, she loved this little town and she was very proud of it.

Vera loved her family, she loved her Church, she loved her Community and she loved helping and serving others.  As I said earlier, Herb and Vera Mae were married for 70 years, she loved Herb and I know first hand how much Herb loved her.  I have watched him console her and comfort her fears and tears while she was in the memory unit at Shady Oaks, and on Wednesday morning it broke my heart to sit with him while he held her hand and stroked her arm.  She knew he was there, and she knew just how much he loved her.

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,[a] 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 Vera Mae Doty.  Though each of her family, friends and loved ones here today feel the heavy weight of sorrow in their hearts... each of us are at the same time filled with an over-whelming sense of joy and celebration for Vera's entry into Heaven.  On July 6th Vera Mae passed from this world but was born anew in the Kingdom of the Lord she loved and served so tirelessly.  Praise be to God!

The one thing that I have yet to mention is how many funerals and other occasions Vera Mae sang for here in this Sanctuary.  She along with Evelyn Johnson and Muriel Pierce sang for literally countless events.  Today, we are singing more hymns than I normally include for a funeral but we do so as a tribute to the wonderful ministry that Vera provided to this Church and it's members, along with her dear friends, Muriel and Evelyn.  Each of the hymns sung as a congregation this morning was selected by Evelyn in Vera's honor.  As we lift up our voices and sing, perhaps if we strain our ears... just maybe, just maybe... in some corner of this sanctuary... maybe... we'll yet hear a distant echo of Vera's voice singing right along.

Let us join together now and sing from the page that you were given as you entered the sanctuary.  Let us sing in Vera's memory... “Beyond the Sunset”, please let us sing all of the verses.

Hymn:  Beyond the Sunset  (Insert)

Closing Prayer:

Following the interment at Lake City Cemetery, the family invites you all to join them in further celebration of Vera's life and a time of shared remembrances and closure, by gathering with them for lunch in the Church's fellowship hall. For those who do not wish to attend the graveside service, please feel free to remain behind and wait here at the Church.  Let us allow this prayer to serve as grace for our meal.

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 Vera Mae 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:

Exit Hymn:  Abide With Me No. 636 All

Committal Service

Selfishly, we as mortals wish to hold on to Vera. 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 Vera, but now her laughter will warm the kingdom of God. We will continue to love Vera, but God will now take care of her. We will continue to carry Vera in our thoughts, but she will 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.

A reading from the 3rd Chapter of Ecclesiastes:

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.

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

Let us now pray together the prayer that our Lord and Savior taught us to pray....

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