Reverend Ref +

SERMON
FUNERAL 3/18/06

I find that funerals are a double-edged sword, so to speak. On the one hand, I may not know the deceased all that well, or at all. On the other hand, the better I know the person the more likely it is that they were a part of my family in some manner of speaking. I'm not sure which is the harder task.

But I have discovered that, regardless of which end of that spectrum I fall, it is always an honor to be asked to officiate at a persons funeral. To be allowed into the life of a family as they both brieve and celebrate is a privilege that I take very seriously.

It would be easy for me to stand up here and deliver a eulogy about what a great and wonderful woman Selma was; or for me to simply read her obituary from the Madisonian, but that wouldn't be honest to Selma's faith, to my calling or to the Gospel.

The Gospel of John speaks about the good shepherd who protects the sheep, as opposed to a hired hand who cares only for himself. The contrast is clear: people will come and people will go, but Jesus Christ remains forever.

I believe that to be true and I believe that it is our faith in Jesus Christ that allows us to weather a variety of storms but keeps us within the fold of his loving embrace. I also believe that not all hired hands run away at the first sign of trouble; not all hired hands run from the wolf or seek shelter in other places when the weather turns.

Some hired hands work to protect the flock and refuse to run from danger - like Selma. She was an active member of this parish from 1939 until she could no longer participate and she was a member of the Eastern Star organization for almost 80 years. In the last week, I've heard many of the stories about Selma and her life: how she served the community, was always in a good mood, and reached out to those in need.

And while it's true that you don't need to be a Christian to do those things (anyone can be a good person), being a Christian gives us a foundation for doing those things. That foundation is love. As a child learns about love and dignity and respect from its parents, so too do we learn about love from God. God's love allows us to follow Jesus' example and not run from danger. God's love allows us to extend that act of love to people outside our own flock. God's love allows us to have faith that there is more to this life than what can be seen with our own two eyes.

Death is a hard thing for those left behind, yet all of us die eventually. All of us go down to the dust, but it is our belief in a loving God that allows us to say at the grave, "Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia."

Selma was who she was not because she was good, but because she believed in the love of God and she let that love shine forth and touch others. We are here to remember Selma's life and mourn her passing, yes, but we are also here to celebrate a life lived in God's loving embrace, and a life that passed on the love of God to those she met. So today, let us join ourselves with Selma in her new life and sing, "Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia." Amen.