By: Steve Bloodworth
LEAP Preacher
November 4, 2018
Would you pray with me.
Loving God, we thank you for those who have gone on before us and for the memories we have of them. We are grateful for the promise of heaven and the hope we have of being reunited with them one day. Amen.
Today, we celebrate All Saints Day. There are some who say that Saints are those who are no longer with us or that someone needs to be canonized to be considered a saint. In our opening hymn we learned that “you can meet them in school, on the road or at sea, in a church, in a train, in a shop or at tea: for the saints are folk like you and like me.” I am especially encouraged by the young people of today. From the young survivors at Parkland in Florida, urging people to get out and vote (if you haven’t, there is still time!) and trying to ensure that other kids will not be gunned down at school, to the young people across the border in Oregon that are so concerned about climate change that they’ve initiated a lawsuit against the government to try and change things. Seemingly modern-day David and Goliath stories. Saints are all around us.
Today is also the day that we at Vancouver UCC have set aside to honor those in our church family, as well as those in our own families that have passed away during the past year. I grew up in a church that did not recognize All Saints Day or otherwise have a special day like this to honor our loved ones and I really appreciate this special day. It is especially meaningful for me this year as my own father passed away not quite two months ago. Yesterday would have been my parents 62nd anniversary and tomorrow would have been my Dad’s 86th birthday so it’s kind of ironic that I’m preaching about this today but I’m grateful to be able to share with you some of my thoughts, as we think about those who have gone before us and how we can honor their memory and hopefully take comfort in our reading for today. While of course my family misses being with my dad, we take comfort in knowing that he is no longer struggling physically, or enduring life’s aches and pains and we look forward to being reunited with him one day in heaven.
When someone dies there is often a funeral or memorial service or some other gathering, religious or not. Church funerals can vary based on factors such as the age of the person, the circumstances surrounding their passing, how active the person was in their church family and the denomination itself. In the case of my father, He had lived a good long life and had been healthy most of his life. He had only been ill a short time, and we thought he was recovering well from his recent heart surgery. Over the course of his life he had been active in his church. His memorial service wasn’t sad or melancholy. Funny stories about his life were shared with the congregation. It was a good and appropriate memorial for my Dad and our family, but it may not be right for everyone.
I haven’t been to a lot of funerals, but I do remember another funeral I went to about 40 years ago, when I was a freshman in college. One of my classmates was out jogging one night and was hit in the back of the head by the mirror of a passing RV. From what I remember, he died quickly. We were studying at a college supported by our denomination and we shared a belief in heaven. I don’t know if it was because of cultural differences, his age or the circumstances surrounding his death, probably a combination of all of that, but his funeral was very mournful with a lot of wailing and crying and seeming difficulty in accepting his passing by some of those present.
Even in a tragic death like this, we have hope. As our passage this morning tells us, “the Most High will wipe away every tear from their eyes. And death, mourning, crying and pain will be no more.” Won’t that be a wonderful day! We already know that those who have gone before us are no longer enduring earthly pain or troubles. We know that one day, grief will no longer have power over us, no matter what we may be presently experiencing. Grief is a tricky thing. It is different for everyone. I don’t think there is a right or wrong way to grieve for someone. Grief does not have a timetable.
One thing I have found that’s helped me, not only with my father’s death but also others that have gone on, is indulging in my memories. Memories can be wonderful things. A sound, a song, a fragrance, a place or an activity can help us remember our loved ones who are no longer with us. They can help us be close to them again, if only just for a moment. The night before my father’s memorial service, all the relatives who had come in from out of town gathered at my parent’s apartment to reminisce. We shared a simple meal and spent several hours sharing memories and laughing about the antics that my dad and his brothers pulled, growing up on a farm in West Texas. It reminded me of the times at my grandparents’ house, sitting around and listening to some of the same stories, laughing with my cousins and having a good time. And for that brief amount of time, he was back there with us. It also made the service the next morning easier, remembering the good times and feeling his presence among us.
In our passage from Mark, we read that we are to love our neighbor as yourself. One way that we can do this, especially when someone is grieving or experiencing new loss is to check on them from time to time. Even if you don’t know them well offer a smile or a kind word or send a card of encouragement. If they are up to it, include them in an outing or a meal. Although I am somewhat new here I received a lot of encouragement and kind words after my father passed and I am grateful for that and appreciate that he is among those being remembered today.
I’ve mentioned our hope of heaven and John has some interesting remarks about that in our passage today. The first verse starts out by talking about a new heaven and a new earth, that the former heavens and earth had passed away. He goes on to say that God will live among us and we will be God’s peoples. One of the commentaries that I read in preparing for today talked about a city with the River of Life flowing through it.
This is a lot to digest and we have a short amount of time left. I don’t know what it all means but I would suggest that we’ve sort of had a glimpse of what that could be like. This very place where we worship, some for many years, was consumed by fire and destroyed, yet it has been made new and we are now enjoying this new and reimagined space. The old has passed away and we are enjoying the new.
I’d like you to think about heaven for a few minutes. If you’d like, sit back and close your eyes. Think about how you imagine heaven to be. What does heaven look like, what does it feel like, sound like, smell like? Is your concept of heaven the same today as it was when you were a child? If not, how has it changed? What shaped your image then and what have you experienced in your life that has changed it?
When I was growing up we used to sing a hymn in church that talked about having a mansion over the hilltop, in that bright land where we’ll never grow old. The verse went on that, “someday yonder, we’ll never more wander, but walk the streets that are purest gold.” Mansions and gold streets are a lot to try and comprehend for a child. And the image of God back then was an old man with a long beard sitting on a throne. How has your image of God and heaven changed over time? Is it the same for you as when you were younger or a child? Personally, my image of heaven is more relaxing, maybe a gentle stream, no stress and no traffic on those streets. And looking out, I can see glimpses of God on the faces of each one here. If you had the opportunity, what would you like to do if you found yourself in heaven today? Who would you like to see or spend time with?
As we come to the end of this time of thinking and imaging, I want to repeat the hope, the promise that one day God will wipe away all our tears and that death and grieving and crying and pain will no longer exist. Make no mistake, it IS ok to miss someone that has passed away. If you are grieving the loss of someone, my prayer for you is that you will find comfort and strength in these promises that we read about today. I hope that you have good memories that you can wrap yourself up in. And I would also encourage you to go out and keep making new memories. Thanks for the memories. Thanks be to God!