Often as a pastor, I get to preach not only what people need to hear, but what I myself as a fellow sinner need to hear. Tomorrow will be a perfect example of this. The day before I went in for surgery, one of the members of our congregation, a l woman named Brenda Bredehoeft went into the hospital. Brenda had been going through her second round of cancer. Finally on Sunday, Brenda fell asleep in Jesus, surrounded by her husband and daughters. You can read the obituary for this wonderful sister in Christ here.
The thought crossed my mind, "wouldn't it be scary to do a funeral for someone who died from cancer while you have cancer?" Yes it would. It would be terrifying except that at a Christian funeral it get's to be all about Jesus and His victory over death for Brenda and for me. That's far more meaningful and even real than any fears I might have.
Putting together the funeral service with the family was comforting for me, and I think for them as well. We read scripture and hymns that point to Jesus' victory over death. I really like what they picked (I only suggested a few of them) and I'll share it with you here:
Hymns: (all from LSB)
801 "How Great Thou Art,"
461 "I Know that My Redeemer Lives"
490 "Jesus Lives! The Victory's Won."
744 "Amazing Grace"
Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 25:6-9
On this mountain the LORD of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined. And he will swallow up on this mountain the covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the LORD has spoken. It will be said on that day, "Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us. This is the LORD; we have waited for him; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation."
I suggested this reading because Brenda liked to share food (offering everyone part of her meal at restaurants), and here God is going to share the best food with everyone! What a great party! We are there because Jesus has defeated death for us.
Epistle Reading: Revelation 21:1-7
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." And he who was seated on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." Also he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." And he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.
The family really like this passage when they saw verse 4 on one of the bulletin covers we keep on hand for funerals. Again, it's a wonderful description of the new heavens and new earth which we will inhabit when Christ comes again for us. The crying, pain and former trouble will all be gone!
Gospel Reading John 11:17-44 (I'll put just part of it here)
Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you." Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." Martha said to him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day." Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?" She said to him, "Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world." (21-27)
Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. And he said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to him, "Lord, come and see." Jesus wept. (32-35)
Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, "Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days." Jesus said to her, "Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?" So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me." When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out." The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go." (38-44)
Verses 25-26 were especially comforting to Brenda and her Husband Dennis in her last days. It's an awesome text to proclaim the resurrection! Brenda is now with the Lord and her battle with cancer is over. And God also promises to raise or bodies so that we will live with Him when He comes again. Death is not the end for those who trust in Christ Jesus!
The first sermon I preached at Holy Cross was a funeral the day after I was ordained and installed. I guess it's fitting that my first time in the pulpit after cancer surgery would be a funeral also. Yes, this is why I became a pastor, to bring Jesus and His life to the people who need to hear it most--even if that also happens to be me.
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