Hospitality and Proclamation

I haven't had time to elaborate on the sermon as it has been a crazy week.  We are doing our Vacation Bible School this week and we have had two sudden deaths to attend to.  To top it off I'm trying to prepare to take a week of vacation next week.

So, I'm just going to put up the video and go back to funeral preparations.

The sermon had to do with 'Hospitality' and 'Proclamation', two very important components to our Christian lives.  Hospitality goes two ways with our extending it and our accepting it, both are important to us and to the Kingdom.

With that, I apologize but I really must run.

Be a blessing to someone today!!!

In His Grace,

Roy

I pray that everyone had a safe and happy Independence Day!!

Funeral for Phyllis Alcox - June 13th 2016

On June 13th, we held the funeral for Phyllis Alcox here at Woodlawn Christian Church.  Phyllis and her husband Mel had been long term members at Woodlawn and it was with a heavy heart that we laid her to rest last Monday.

I apologize for the delay on getting the transcript for the funeral online.  Please if you are another minister searching for material in preparation for a funeral, feel free to borrow and adapt any part of this service to fit your needs.

In His constant love & grace.
Roy

ps: Be a blessing to someone today!!

Order of Service – Funeral for Phyllis Alcox

Prelude:

Entrance:

Call to Worship:

Gathered in Christ's name, let us praise God

Who is our certain hope in all life's varied circumstances.

In the face of death believe the good news the scriptures proclaim:

As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you.

(Isaiah 66:13)

Greeting:

We have come together within the strengthening fellowship of friends and family:

to praise God for the life of Phyllis Ann Alcox;

to share our grief with God and with one another;

to reaffirm our faith in God's unfailing goodness;

to hear again God's promise of resurrection;

and to commend Phyllis to God's everlasting care.

Opening Hymn: Softly and Tenderly No. 340 All

Opening Prayer:

Dear God, You are our Creator. You are the author of each of our lives, this life which is such a precious gift... given freely to us. We come today to commemorate and honor the life of your child Phyllis, a life that was precious to each of us gathered here today. As we mourn the passing life that is no longer with us, we are aching from a void that has been created in our heart. We lift up our sadness and grief to you and we ask for your comfort and care. Lord, we ask that you would comfort us in our pain, and bring us an abundance of your gentle healing mercies. Holy Father, we praise you for Phyllis's life and for all that it has meant to so many here in this world. Let us even now as we mourn, celebrate the beauty that she brought into this world that is Yours. A world without beginning and a world without end.
In Jesus holy name we pray,
Amen

A Reading From the Old Testament:

Psalm 23 King James Version (KJV)

23 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Hymn: The Old Rugged Cross No. 548 All

The Gospel Reading:

Hear these words from Jesus found in the 14^th Chapter of the Gospel of John:

“Do not let your hearts be troubled.

Believe in God, believe also in me.

In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.

If it were not so,

Would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?

And if I go and prepare a place for you,

I will come again and will take you to myself,

So that where I am, there you may be also.

And you know the way to the place where I am going.

I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you.

In a little while the world will no longer see me,

But you will see me;

Because I live, you also will live.

I have said these things to you while I am still with you.

But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit,

Whom the Father will send in my name,

Will teach you everything,

And remind you of all that I have said to you.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.

I do not give to you as the world gives.

Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.”

(John 14:1 – 4, 18 – 19, 25 – 27)

Hymn: Amazing Grace No. 546 All

Message: Pastor Roy Karlen – Woodlawn Christian Church

Phyllis Alcox passed from this world into the Kingdom of our Lord on June 5, 2016. She was born Phyllis Ann Sterba in Iowa City, Iowa on June 20, 1941 to Henry and Lenora Sterba. Her father was a farmer and she grew up as a farm girl. They raised hogs, chickens and milked cows on their farm located NW of West Branch, Iowa. Phyllis's father had really hoped to have a son but ended up with three daughters instead. While in school, she participated in band playing the French Horn and belonged to the local 4H club where raising rabbits and sewing were her passions. After graduation from West Branch High School in 1959, she attended a two-year X-ray Technologist program at St. Luke’s Hospital in Cedar Rapids. She moved to Lake City after graduation where she worked at Stewart Memorial Community Hospital and McCrary-Rost Clinic for 43 years until she retired in 2004.

Shortly after moving to Lake City, Phyllis's car needed repair, one of the Doctors at the hospital directed her to go to Mel's father's garage. Mel told how when Phyllis first moved to Lake City she had a 56 Chevy, but that she had ordered before leaving Cedar Rapids, a 61 Chevy Bel, it was a Air Bubble Top even though she had wanted a flat roof. When the car arrived she went to pick it up and while she was returning to Lake City with her new car she got a flat tire and forgot to disengage the emergency brake after changing the tire. When she got home to Lake City she had to take her new car to Mel for new brakes, Mel questioned her about needing brakes on a brand new car but soon realized what had happened. Something about this exchange must have been endearing... because shortly after this they began dating.

Mel told me that their first real date was going to the Dayton Rodeo on Labor Day weekend of 1961. Mel and Phyllis were united in marriage on July 7, 1963 at West Branch United Methodist Church in West Branch, Iowa. Phyllis and Melvin raised two children together, Kevin and Traci. Sadly, their daughter Traci Ann Alcox Mason passed away on June 16, 2010. Indeed the month of June has not been kind to the Alcox family.

The young couple soon purchased a home, the home that they still own on Center Street here in Lake City. Mel bought the home for $6,000 but they had to do some work on the house before moving in, so for a while they rented a home on the south side of Lake City. Through the years the house has been remodeled and added onto of course but it's the same home where they lived for so very many years of marriage.

When I asked Kevin and Mel to give me a word or two that described Phyllis, they said compassionate, conscientious, social and in our visit the other day Kevin added 'concerned'. She was oriented towards helping others and to caring for others. Phyllis was concerned for others when they were ill or there was a death. She made sure to get cards out to let folks know that she was thinking about them and praying for their situation.

She worked hard through the years to maintain contact with their relatives on both the Sterba and Alcox sides of the family. When Mel was injured she literally kept him going by caring for him, always making sure to follow the care instructions to the letter. Kevin and Mel said she quite simply kept Mel alive through these difficult times. She was a persistent and determined caregiver and pushed Mel to get better and to do what needed to be done to heal his body. Unfortunately, Phyllis like many from the health care world was a much better caregiver than she was a patient. She was very good at guiding care for others, she wasn't so good at accepting that guidance for caring for herself.

Phyllis was always concerned about her children and made sure that even though Kevin's birthday is on Christmas Eve that he had a birthday. She also traveled to see her children, first to Florida when Kevin lived there than to Colorado and to Houston to see her daughter Traci.

Phyllis had long wanted to go to Hawaii and thankfully, in 2013 she, Mel and Kevin along with his wife and son took a trip to Hawaii to fulfill this lifelong dream. It was fortunate that they did so for just the next year Mel would have his accident which would have complicated that adventure considerably.

In talking to people about Phyllis I learned that she made a particularly delicious Custard Pie, I was told that she was always requested to bring them for the Church's Soup Suppers. In fact she was encouraged to bring two or even three pies to these events. Once she was busy working on her pie and dropped the nutmeg, which she was unable to find. Well, after taking this pie to the Church, Jim Bruce found her nutmeg in his piece of pie and returned it to her. Leave it to Jim to appreciate fresh ingredients in cooking.

Phyllis was an active member of the CWF here at Woodlawn for all the many years that she was a member.

Linda Stotts told me how she first met Phyllis 51 years ago when they both worked at the hospital, Phyllis as an X-ray technician and Linda as a Lab and X-ray assistant. They formed a fast and long friendship.

Linda told me of all the many outings they had with motorcycles, 4-wheelers, snowmobiles, all the dances they went to, and all the dance lessons they attended together with their spouses. Phyllis and Mel took ballroom dancing lessons and even disco dancing lessons. This group of friends that went dancing together went all over the area attending dances.

I learned that on one of their snowmobile outings that in the cabin where they stayed Mel and Phyllis had the blanket on their bed actually freeze to the wall during the night. Another story had to do with harvesting icicles to provide ice for their drinks. Closer to home, Linda told me about a night at the Wagon Wheel when a hypnotist was performing and Mel went up to be hypnotized. It sounded like this group had so many wonderful times together and so many fantastic memories to share as a result.

Phyllis enjoyed playing bridge, and sewing. She was a good seamstress and always had her sewing machine set up and ready. Linda also told how Phyllis actually enjoyed ironing clothes, and that she had confessed to taking clothes out of the closet and repressing them. Mel told me how she moved a suitcase full of things to be mended with her to Colorado. Sadly, many of those mending projects never where completed and remain in that same suitcase.

Mel and Kevin had relayed to me that Phyllis did have a bit of an element of vanity, and Linda confirmed this with a wonderful story of one of her memories about Phyllis. A story of how when the two of them were working together in x-ray that Phyllis would have Linda pull out any gray hairs she had. This apparently went on until the gray outnumbered the rest.

There are many more stories that you need to talk to Mel or Kevin about, stories about how Phyllis dumped a BMW motorcycle while going down the highway in 1970, stories of why she was afraid of storms and so many more.

So, we celebrate today a life that knew so many good times with friends and family, a life that has left so many with such wonderful memories and stories. Those gathered here today will always miss Phyllis, but they will also always carry a bit of her along with them in their memories.

Phyllis seemed to love life and lived a life of caring for and loving others.

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 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 have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never ends

Corinthians Chapter 13

The Holy Scriptures are filled with many, many, many references of love. We are called not just to love our Lord, but to love our fellow man, along with all of God's creation. One of my all time favorite passages of scripture is;

2 John 5-6New Century Version (NCV)

5 And now, dear lady, this is not a new command but is the same command we have had from the beginning. I ask you that we all love each other. 6 And love means living the way God commanded us to live. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is this: Live a life of love.

Phyllis lived a life or concern for others, a life of love for others.

Please join with me now in praying the prayer that our Lord Jesus Christ taught to us, using the words 'sin':

Our Father....

Reflections:

Kevin Alcox

Closing Prayer:

Following this service of remembrance, the family invites you all to join them in further celebration of Phyllis's life and a time of shared memories and closure, by gathering with them for lunch in the Church's fellowship hall. Let us allow this closing prayer to serve as 'Grace' for that shared meal. A shared meal to strengthen not only our bodies, but our spirits and our very souls as well.

Let us pray:

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

We trust you. We love you. We know in Christ that your love is everlasting. Nothing can separate any of us from your abiding care. With you is eternal life.

With confidence we now entrust Phyllis to your unfailing love and overflowing goodness. Through the power that raised Christ from the dead to live eternally with you, lift up this, your servant, to life fulfilled beyond our imagining. We give you but your own, enfold her in your everlasting arms, hold her for she is your child.

Now strengthen us, through the gift of your Spirit, to face into the future with confidence that you stand with us. Grant that the changes of life may leave us stronger as we journey through life.

Reassured of your abiding presence, help us to knit more firmly the ties that bind us one to another. Renewed by your love, help us to love in ever larger circles so as to embrace your people everywhere till at last we are all united eternally through Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Benediction:

Postlude: Dire Straits "Walk of Life"

Funeral for Marilyn Wheeler - June 10th, 2016

Below please find the manuscript from the funeral for Marilyn Wheeler that I performed at Lampe's Funeral Home on June 10th.  I apologize for the delay but it's been very chaotic for the last week.

I pray this finds you all well and blessed, and remember to...

'Be a Blessing to Someone TODAY!'

In His constant care & grace,

Roy

Order of Service – Funeral for Marilyn Wheeler

Call to Worship:

You, O God, have been our dwelling place in all generations.  Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.  (Psalm 90:1-2)

Greeting:

We have come together this morning to praise God for the life of Marilyn Marie Wheeler;

to mourn our loss with one another, to console each other in our moment of grief;

to celebrate Marilyn's life and all that she meant to all that loved her;

to celebrate God's love for Marilyn, and His love for each of us;

And to commend Marilyn to God's everlasting love and care.

Music: The Old Rugged Cross

Opening Prayer:

Let us pray,

Eternal Spirit, before whom the generations rise and pass away, even in the presence of death our first words to you are in praise for your unnumbered mercies.  For the memory of loved ones now departed, we praise you.  For their victories of character over trail, of courage over difficulty, of faith over sorrow, we give thanks, and for all those who have done justly, loved mercy, and walked humbly with their God, we sing joyfully to you.  Grant us now this same joyful thanksgiving as we remember your child Marilyn, and give to us that sure knowledge that you have won the victory over death in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Music: Holes In the Floor of Heaven

A reading from the Old Testament:

Psalm 23  King James Version (KJV)

23 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

A reading from the New Testament:

Romans 8:18-31 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

18 I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; 20 for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; 23 and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. 27 And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

28 We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified

31 What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us?

Music:  In The Garden   

Message:  Pastor Roy Karlen – Woodlawn Christian Church

This Monday I visited on the phone with Marilyn's daughter Angie and made plans to come out and visit with Marilyn at her home in Marathon Iowa this Tuesday.  However, Marilyn and our Good Lord had different plans and Marilyn passed from our troubled world into the grand and glorious Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ early Tuesday morning.  We mourn the passing of our loved ones, but we rejoice in their birth and acceptance into Heaven.  Praise God!

Marilyn was born on November 8, 1940 to Russell and Marcella Daisy.  On March 29, 1953 she was baptized at Woodlawn Christian Church here in Lake City.  On September 7, 1965 she married Carrol Wheeler at the Courthouse in Jackson, Minnesota.  They were happily married until Carrol's passing on December 29th, 2007.

In meeting with Marilyn's family members, I learned just a little bit about Marilyn and her life.  I will share with you today, the items which stuck out to me, but please after we conclude this service, the interment at the cemetery, and then move to our luncheon at Woodlawn Christian Church, please continue to share among yourselves more of these wonderful memories.

I learned that Marilyn had worked at a number of businesses around Lake City, among them Casey's, D&M Cafe and the Lake City Drive In.  That she liked to eat at the 'Wagon Wheel' with her two best friends, who are with her now in Heaven.  Marilyn was on a bowling league, and she loved to do needle-work, and crocheting afghans.  She collected salt & pepper shaker, bells and thimbles which her husband would bring back to her from his travels over the road as a truck driver.

They told how she liked to go and see the 'living nativity scene' that Woodlawn Christian Church used to do annually at the Blair's.  She also liked to take the kids around and look at Christmas lights around town.

Her children told me how she tried to be strict with them and ground them when they misbehaved.  The only problem was with a truck driver for a father and a mother that worked the kids knew when she wouldn't be home so grounding them wasn't really very successful.  Kids will be kids... but Marilyn had a way about her that made the kids confess their misbehavior.

The family told me about how every year she gave the kids summer haircuts, pixie cuts for the girls and shaved heads for the boys.  I was led to believe that all of them thoroughly loved these hair styles.  Well....  maybe not so much for all of them.

Marilyn's children as well as her brother Art relayed to me how much she enjoyed going to the casinos and how much her family enjoyed going with her on these outings.  Art mentioned going with his sister almost every weekend.  Apparently, Marilyn had her favorite slot machine and always checked to see if it was available first.  She made her last trip to the casino just two months before her passing.

Marilyn's sister Alice shared that Marilyn took her on her first 'big trip'.  This was a trip to Colorado where Marilyn was living at that time.  Alice remembered how much fun they had on this trip and about jumping on a trampoline with her sister.

Lonnie discussed how Marilyn would allow him to drive her car when he first got his learners permit and then his first permanent license.  They would drive over to Lake View to fish and sometimes stop at the A&W there.  Great memories of fishing and a sister helping her brother polish his driving skills.

And while we're mentioning fishing, the family told me how no matter what Marilyn had 'hooked' while fishing she always professed to 'have a whale by the tale'.  It would seem that every fish she hooked was a whooper.

Marilyn liked to cook.  Her children and her brother Lonnie both mentioned her homemade noodles and how much everyone battled over who would get the leftovers.  Lonnie told me how Marilyn had taken over this family tradition of making noodles after their mother passed away.

Marilyn loved her Church and had all of her children baptized at Woodlawn Christian.  Marilyn was active in the CWF which is the Christian women group at Woodlawn Christian Church.  She was involved in her Churches activities, especially those that had to do with cooking and food.  Marilyn was involved in the God's Portion Sales, the Funeral Lunches, and I'm told that she along with her good friend Marge Cunningham were the major force behind the first Soup Suppers at Woodlawn Christian.

I have read and heard Theologians who contend that in Heaven we are tasked to do those things that we loved to do and enjoyed the most here on Earth.  If that is the case then just maybe Marilyn is working once again with Marge Cunningham in preparing a whale of a Soup Supper for the good souls up in Heaven.

We mourn the passing of Marilyn but, in our time of sorrow, let us look to the words of the Apostle Paul for reassurance.

2 Corinthians 5:6-8New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

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.

1 Thessalonians 5:9-11New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

9 For God has destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing.

Romans 8:38-39New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We rest assured that Heaven and being in the presence of our Lord is where we truly belong.  We rest assured that Salvation is ours through the love of Christ Jesus.  We rest assured that nothing in this world or beyond can sever the tie that we have to our all gracious and all loving God.  We rest assured that though we enjoy the life that we live and we cherish all those that we love and care for here in this earthly realm... we know that this world is not our ultimate destination.  We are each created to reside in the presence of our God.  Today we celebrate that Marilyn has gone on to her reward in Heaven... Praise be to God!

Eulogy and Reflection:  Ryan Daisy

Closing Prayer:

Following the committal ceremony at Lake City Cemetery, the family invites you all to gather with them in further celebration of  Marilyn's life and a time of shared remembrances and closure, by joining with them in a luncheon at Woodlawn Christian Church's fellowship hall. If you do not wish to accompany the family to the cemetery, please feel free to wait at Woodlawn Christian Church for their arrival.

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 Marilyn to your unfailing love and overflowing goodness.  Through the power that raised Christ from the dead to live eternally with you, lift up this, your servant, to life fulfilled beyond our imagining.  We give you but your own, enfold her in your everlasting arms, hold her for she is your child.

Now strengthen us, through the gift of your Spirit, to face into the future with confidence that you stand with us.  Grant that the changes of life may leave us stronger as we journey through life.

Reassured of your abiding presence, help us to knit more firmly the ties that bind us one to another.  Renewed by your love, help us to love in ever larger circles so as to embrace your people everywhere till at last we are all united eternally through Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.  Amen.

Benediction:

Music:

Committal Service:

Gathering

We have gathered here to praise God and to witness to our faith as we celebrate the life of Marilyn Wheeler.  We come together in grief, acknowledging our human loss.  May God grant us grace, that in pain we may find comfort, in sorrow hope, in death resurrection.

O God, who gave us birth, you are ever more ready to hear than we are to pray.  You know our needs before we ask, and our desires in asking. Give to us now your grace, that as we shrink before the mystery of death, we may see the light of eternity.  Help us to live as those who are prepared to die.  And when our days here are accomplished, enable us to die as those who go forth to live, so that living or dying, our life may be in you.  AMEN

PSALM 121

We lift our eyes up to the hills.

From where does our help come?

Our help comes from the Unseen One,

The Maker of the heavens and the earth,

Who will not cause our feet to stumble,

Our protector who never sleeps.

The Abundant One preserves us,

The Watchful One is our shelter and

support.

The Vigilant One guards us from evil,

And keeps our Life-breath safe.

The Shepherd guards our going out

and our coming in from now unto eternity.

The Broken Chain – author unknown

We little knew that morning,

that God was going to call your name.

In life we loved you dearly,

in death we do the same.

It broke our hearts to lose you,

you did not go alone;

for part of us went with you,

the day God called you home.

You left us peaceful memories,

your love is still our guide;

and though we cannot see you,

you are always at our side.

Our family chain is broken,

and nothing seems the same;

but as God calls us one by one,

the chain will link again.

Now let us pray...

Into your hands, O merciful God, we commend your servant Marilyn.

Acknowledge, we humbly beseech you, a sheep of your own fold,

A lamb of your own flock, a sinner of your own redeeming.  Receive Marilyn into the arms of your love and mercy, into the blessed rest of everlasting peace, and into the glorious company of those that have gone before.  Amen

Benediction:

May the all abiding love of our all gracious God... support you, guide you and uphold you in the days, and weeks and years ahead.  His peace be upon you all.  Amen.

Sermon From June 5th, 2016

Sorry, for my great delay in getting the sermon from June 5th posted.  It's been a bit crazy lately.  I scheduled to be on vacation from June 10th through the 19th but ended up doing two funerals in that period of time (I'll post up the transcripts from them in separate posts).  The sermon was over the following verses in the book of Galatians.

Galatians 1:11-24New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

11 For I want you to know, brothers and sisters,[a] that the gospel that was proclaimed by me is not of human origin; 12 for I did not receive it from a human source, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

13 You have heard, no doubt, of my earlier life in Judaism. I was violently persecuting the church of God and was trying to destroy it. 14 I advanced in Judaism beyond many among my people of the same age, for I was far more zealous for the traditions of my ancestors. 15 But when God, who had set me apart before I was born and called me through his grace, was pleased 16 to reveal his Son to me,[b] so that I might proclaim him among the Gentiles, I did not confer with any human being, 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were already apostles before me, but I went away at once into Arabia, and afterwards I returned to Damascus.

18 Then after three years I did go up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and stayed with him fifteen days; 19 but I did not see any other apostle except James the Lord’s brother. 20 In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie! 21 Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia, 22 and I was still unknown by sight to the churches of Judea that are in Christ; 23 they only heard it said, “The one who formerly was persecuting us is now proclaiming the faith he once tried to destroy.” 24 And they glorified God because of me.

Remember, to be a blessing to someone today!

In His grace,

Roy

All kinds of Faith, Sermon given May 29th, 2016

Photo by Christian Begeman / Praire Sanctuaries

The Sermon for this past Sunday was over the verses found in the Gospel of Luke 7:1-10.

1 After Jesus had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. 2 A centurion there had a slave whom he valued highly, and who was ill and close to death. 3 When he heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to him, asking him to come and heal his slave. 4 When they came to Jesus, they appealed to him earnestly, saying, “He is worthy of having you do this for him, 5 for he loves our people, and it is he who built our synagogue for us.” 6 And Jesus went with them, but when he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to say to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; 7 therefore, I did not presume to come to you. But only speak the word, and let my servant be healed. 8 For I also am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and the slave does it.” 9 When Jesus heard this he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, he said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” 10 When those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave in good health.

Often we hear sermons from these verses highlighting the 'faith' of the Centurion, but there's more faith involved here than just his.  In the sermon, I consider the faith of the Jewish Leaders who come to Jesus on the Centurion's behalf.  I also discuss Jesus' own faith... Jesus' faith you say... yes Jesus'.  Here Jesus models for us (as he always does) what our own relationship and agency to the Father should be like.  If you've got 15 minutes or so take a listen to the sermon.

Remember...
To be a blessing to someone today!

In God's constant care & love,
Roy

Trinity Sunday - May 22, 2016

This past Sunday (May 22nd) was Trinity Sunday.  There was a problem with the video this week and so I've just attached the manuscript from the sermon below.

I'm going to just leave this blog post at that for the time being as it's a terribly busy time right now and I need to be getting along to other projects.

I hope you enjoy the sermon.

Be a blessing to someone today!

In His Care and Grace,
Roy

Sermon given by Pastor Roy Karlen on May 22, 2016

Last Sunday was Pentecost Sunday and we talked about the coming of the Holy Spirit.  I referred briefly to the Trinity during that sermon, but today we're going to talk more about the Holy Trinity because today is 'Trinity Sunday'.

As I mentioned then there isn't anywhere in the Bible where it directly states that there is a Trinity, rather it is inferred from a number of places in Scripture.  One of these is of course the scripture we shared last week in the 14th Chapter of the Gospel of John.  Today's scripture verses are found in the 15th & 16th Chapters of the Gospel of John and they go on to discuss the Spirit or Advocate again.

We'll look at the 15th & 16th Chapters of John in a moment, but first let's take a look at some of the other verses where we find references to elements that evolved into the understanding of the Trinity.

Some of these verses are:
Matthew 12:32 
Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.

Luke 24:49  
And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.

Romans 8:2-6   
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do: by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and to deal with sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 so that the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.

Romans 8:26-34 
26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. 27 And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 28 We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified.
31 What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? 32 He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? 33 Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us

Acts 2:4  
All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.

Here in this verse in the Gospel of John, Christ dispenses the Holy Spirit onto his disciples.

John 20:22 
When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.

In the First Chapter of the Gospel of Luke, the Holy Spirit is mentioned prior to the birth of Christ.

Luke 1:13-15  
13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John. 14 You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He must never drink wine or strong drink; even before his birth he will be filled with the Holy Spirit. 

Luke 1:39-42  
39 In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, 40 where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit 42 and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. 

And where is the first place in the Bible where we have mention of 2/3rds of the Trinity, well it's fairly early on:

Genesis 1:1-2 
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters.

And of course we have the verses that the Lectionary has guided us to for this Trinity Sunday:

John chapter 15:26 to chapter 16:15  (NRSV) 
Page 878 in the Pew Bibles:
26 “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, he will testify on my behalf. 27 You also are to testify because you have been with me from the beginning.
16 “I have said these things to you to keep you from stumbling. 2 They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, an hour is coming when those who kill you will think that by doing so they are offering worship to God. 3 And they will do this because they have not known the Father or me. 4 But I have said these things to you so that when their hour comes you may remember that I told you about them.
“I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. 5 But now I am going to him who sent me; yet none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6 But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts. 7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 about sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will see me no longer; 11 about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been condemned.
12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15 All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

It's worth noting that in this passage Jesus twice refers to the Holy Spirit coming from the Father.  He is sending the Spirit but the Spirit proceeds from the Father and not from Jesus.  This is interesting to note because this quality of the Spirit was a part of the Great Schism, which was the division between the Catholic and the Orthodox Church all the way back in 1054 AD.  The Western Church or the Catholic Church as we know it today adopted the idea that the Holy Spirit proceeded from both the Father and the Son.  The Eastern Church or Orthodox felt that this diminished the role of the Father in the Trinity and again it was a part of the reason the two regions of the Church split apart; it was however not the only point of contention.

It’s also interesting to note that while the characters in the book of the Acts of the Apostles continually attribute their authority and power to Jesus, the author of the book never ceases to remind us that they do what they do in the name of Jesus because they are “filled with the Spirit” the Spirit is their constant guide:

In these verses in Acts we read about Peter: 
Acts 4:8-10  New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, 9 if we are questioned today because of a good deed done to someone who was sick and are asked how this man has been healed, 10 let it be known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that this man is standing before you in good health by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead.

Acts 10:19  New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Look, three men are searching for you.

There is also this verse concerning Stephen:
Acts 7:55  New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
But filled with the Holy Spirit, he gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.

And then Philip:
Acts 8:29  New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over to this chariot and join it.”

And here we have Barnabas:
Acts 11:24  New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were brought to the Lord.

And finally we have Paul:
Acts 13:9  New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
But Saul, also known as Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him.

So there you go... that's a whole lot of Scripture, but there really probably isn't too much in Christianity that is more difficult to wrap ones brain around than the concept of the Trinity.  It's generally explained as that there is one God who eternally exists as three distinct Persona’s — the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Stated differently, God is one in essence and three in persona, and further that : (1) The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct, (2) each is fully God,  and (3) there is only one God.

One of the problems with the Doctrine of the Trinity is that it is Doctrine.  We as Disciples of Christ are weary of getting carried away with Doctrine.  Another problem is that it's terribly difficult to wrap our minds around.

We have to remember that the Doctrine of the Trinity was created in a time when there was no understanding at all of Quantum Mechanics, no thinking that there might be additional dimensions to the 3 spatial and 1 temporal dimension that we all experience daily.  Today we are struggling to understand the ideas that there well may be anywhere from 11 dimensions to 26 dimensions of space-time.  We also tend to think of time as being only one dimension when it's actually the past, the present, and the future.  And to top that off not a one of us ever experiences the present.  By the time each of our brains processes the stimulus from outside our bodies, it's already the past.  We are living in the recent past our whole lives long.

God exists outside of time and space, quite simply He is everywhere at once and in all time at once.  Einstein's theories have shown us that the passage of time is an illusion.  Time lines and space time are not at all what we perceive them to be.  In order to not derail my own sermon I will simply leave it at this, all time according to the current understanding of the nature of time co-exists.

How do we as 3 dimensional beings process and envision a being that exists in every dimension and in all time simultaneously?  Well, we can't... 

How many of you are familiar with a Mobius Strip?  A Mobius Strip is a strip of material in this case paper, that I take and I twist like such and then I reattach it.  Now my strip that used to have two surfaces actually only has one surface.  For if I were to shrink myself down and take a walk along that strip, I'd discover that as I traveled I would walk in an endless loop along only one surface of paper.

Now if I take a piece of paper and I make it have three surfaces and I twist it I can create out of these three only one surface.  Again if I was shrunken down in size, I could start at any point on this strip and if I walked long enough I would travel along the entirety of what had once been three surfaces and which is now only one.  Such is the nature of God, what we have perceived as three is actually only one ... but, this is where my analogy breaks down.

For you see my 3 sided Mobius strip really is six sided and has become two sided, for I could also travel along the inside of this strip and walk in an endless loop which again would have me traveling on the entire inside surface of the paper.

But here's the kicker... God exists in all dimensions so unlike us where we cannot envision how to further unite the outside and the inside of this modified Mobius Strip... God can and does.  He is on the inside and the outside, he is on all of the sides at once and in all time at once as well, He is back when I folded this paper, He is here now, and He is already in the future when I discard my most excellent sermon illustration props into the recycling bin.

In my humble opinion for us to get overly engaged in the details of the Doctrine of the Trinity, and certainly to become such as the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church have done and divided their numbers over a fairly minor difference in the understanding of the Trinity, does not serve our God as He wishes for us to serve him.  But for the record, I think what we can infer from scripture gives greater weight to the Orthodox understanding.

Is our understanding of the Trinity perfect, certainly not... it's a tool to try and grasp the nature of God.  We with our finite minds are simply incapable of understanding God entirely.  

The understanding of the nature of God has changed throughout the history of the Church.  As I've said before, ancient Hebrew Theology evolved greatly with the esteemed Old Testament Scholar Walter Brueggeman's theories that this early culture practiced polytheism and came to believe in one God, it changed further during the Exile where it absorbed and adapted Zoroastrian teachings.  Finally, we as Christians have adopted the revelations of God through the coming of Jesus as the Messiah.  I personally think our understanding of the concept of the Trinity can be greatly enhanced by considering what has been learned about the very essence of God's creation itself, mainly through the advances in Quantum Physics.  Please understand that this change in understanding in no way changes the nature of God Himself.  God is God, God has always been God, God does not change, but our understanding and our relationships with Him can and has changed.

We as humans all too often don't like change... but God wasn't afraid to change the way He interacted with us by sending Christ to walk among us, or by sending the Holy Spirit to fill the hearts and souls of His followers.  There are times when we have to embrace change, we grow old, we have to move to a new home or the nursing home, we as a church need to find new ways of reaching out to our community.  We need to look for new projects and new experiences.  Just as God reached out to the world in a new way when He sent His Son to walk among us... that was new... but what a wonderful difference it made in this world.  Let us strive to be Christ like and make a difference in this world of our Father's, let us be filled with the Spirit and testify to that filling all the days of our lives.

Let us Pray!