Funeral Sermon for Gary Wayne Bruce

Funeral Sermon for Gary Wayne Bruce, based on Ps 23; Rev 21:1-6 & Jn 14:1-6 by Rev. Garth Wehrfritz-Hanson, May 13, 2010.

We do not know what the future holds. Our life consists of both the known and the unknown. If Gary, or you Martha, or all of you other family members and friends of Gary here today had to choose—I’m sure that neither Gary nor any of you would have chosen Gary to become ill and have that illness claim his life. Death comes to us all; yet, we struggle to accept it—especially when it claims a loved one whom we were hoping would live among us for many more years to come. Yes, I am certain that the loss of your loved one, Gary hurts you. At times like this we turn to God for help; who, like a Good Shepherd, promises to be with us.

In the twenty-third Psalm, the psalmist reminds us that God is not far away from us. Rather, in the psalmist’s words: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for you are with me…” Your beloved Gary has now passed through the valley of death. You feel his absence and miss him. Your tears are tears of pain and loss. There is an empty place deep inside your lives because Gary is no longer with you.

Yes, Gary has passed through the valley of death. To say this is not to be macabre, but to face life truthfully. Too much of our life is spent ignoring or repressing this reality and that is another reason why the death of a loved one affects us so deeply; we cannot avoid facing the power of death over us.

Yet, we trust the promise of God our shepherd, who through the words of the psalmist, said: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for you are with me.” Notice in these words that the valley of death is not our final destination. No. Rather, we walk through it. Just as a loving shepherd leads their sheep from dangerous to safe places; so God takes us by the hand and walks with us through death and leads us to the safe place of life everlasting—if we trust in God.

Here I am reminded of two other promises from the Bible that re-affirm this promise in our Psalm of God being with us. In Matthew’s Gospel, in fulfillment of a prophecy from Isaiah; when Jesus was born one of his names is Emmanuel; which literally means God is with us. And, in Matthew’s Gospel, the last words Jesus says to his disciples in the form of a promise are these: “And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” What a wonderful promise that is! Such a promise helps to ease your loss—giving you assurance about the eternal destiny of your loved one. The cross did not ultimately kill Jesus and keep him in the grave. No. Rather, God raised Jesus from the dead and Jesus has promised that he is with us always—even and especially during our most difficult times in life. We can count on him and place our trust in him and his word—which has the power to create new hope and new life.

So, in the midst of your sorrow and hurt; as you remember Gary and mourn his loss; I invite you to hear the following words of comfort and promise from God’s word: God's good news, which seems too good to be true—yet, it is true. Hear then what God’s word promises, in the Book of Revelation: “To the thirsty I will give water without price.” By contrast, the world says, “everything has a price tag.” Not so with God. God’s ways are not our ways; and so God promises: “To the thirsty I will give water without price—as a gift.”

Listen also to this promise from Revelation, God: “will wipe every tear from our eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away. And he who sat upon the throne said, ‘See, I make all things new.’” That means God makes Gary new too. Whatever problems, shortcomings or sufferings Gary had in this life will be taken away. Yes, some of us—preachers like me—may have wished he would have come to church. Yes, a few of us here today wish we could have been given the opportunity to know Gary more, yet, none of us knew him as thoroughly as God does. Thus it is ultimately into God's mercy that all of us shall find refuge. We may stay awake nights and worry, perhaps too much, about standing before the Judge of all peoples—including you and I. If we can approach the Almighty with faith as Christians, we can picture that day as a day of great joy, not a day to dread. You see, not one of us has a perfect faith. When the LORD asks, “Do you want justice?”, the best answer is “No, please LORD, I want mercy.” Another word for mercy in Revelation is “thirst,” asking for free water. The world answers “no” too often, but God says: “To the thirsty I will give water without price from the fountain of the water of life.” In the name of God Almighty, and for the sake of our brother, Gary, we ask for mercy, through the resurrection power of Jesus the Christ—who has conquered the powers of evil, sin, and death.

Today, in the church year, we celebrate Ascension Day, which is forty days after Easter Sunday—hence, it always falls on a Thursday. On this day we remember Jesus, who, as we confess in our Apostles’ Creed: “ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father.” In our text from John, Jesus hints at his ascension too when he promises that he is going to his Father’s house where there are many rooms; and he is going there to prepare a place for us. In this sense, Jesus by ascending into heaven is opening the doors of heaven for us. The ascension then reaffirms Christ’s divine saving power, and his place of honour beside God the Father in heaven.

So, may our hope and prayer for Gary and for you and me be the same as these words of scripture that we sing in the liturgy of the church, “Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, abounding in steadfast love.” Amen!

Funeral Sermon for Fred Stuber

Funeral Sermon for Frederick Stuber

Based on Ps. 23, Rom 8:31-39 & Matt 7:12 By Pastor Garth Wehrfritz-Hanson,

Chaplain, South Ridge Village, Good Samaritan Society, Medicine Hat, AB May 6, 2010

A loving husband, father, grandfather, brother, a dear friend, and kind neighbour, Frederick Stuber, is no longer with us. Those who loved and knew Fred shall certainly miss him. Fred will continue to be loved and remembered for his friendliness and kind qualities.

Fred had a big heart, loved conversation and coffee row. Because of his friendliness and kindness; he knew everyone and everyone knew him. He always enjoyed being with his friends and family. His grandchildren and great grandchildren had a special place in his heart. At times he loved to tease. Those who shared Fred’s companionship shall surely miss him. If he were able, I’m certain Fred would say thank you to his family and friends, the staff at South Ridge who came to know, love and care for him; and, he would also express his deepest gratitude to his loving wife Joan, who faithfully provided for his needs and was with him every day.

In Psalm 23, we are given a beautiful picture of a God who is like a loving, caring shepherd. A God who is always with us, providing for our needs, and protecting us from danger and harm. A God who walks with us even in our most trying and difficult times. A God who walks with us even to the end, to lead us through the door of death, into life everlasting.

As brothers and sisters in Christ, we are here to embrace Fred’s family as they mourn his death. We are also here with them today to listen to the Good News of Scripture. During times like this, we can be overwhelmed by our emotions, it is important to hear the words of faith, words which keep us on track through the good and difficult times of life. The apostle Paul’s words from Romans assure us that there is nothing—not hardships, nor poverty, nor danger, nor disease, nor illness, nor the unknown, nor death itself—nothing in all creation can sever our relationship with God in Christ. Nothing can separate us from God’s love, and that’s the Greatest News we could possibly ever hear!

We can depend on God’s love, which constantly surrounds us; creating the bedrock of our faith. What a wonder it is and how beautiful it was demonstrated in Fred’s life. Christ’s love strengthened him, empowered him, even as he became increasingly ill. And it is comforting to know that, should you and I be stricken with illness or disease as Fred was, we will not be separated from the love of God in Jesus our Lord and Saviour.

We have experienced God’s love here together today as it surrounds us and flows through us. God’s love will also accompany us as we go from here to begin our daily routines. The LORD promises to go from here with us; encouraging us through loved ones and friends. His Holy Spirit ministers to us—providing us with strength, comfort, and hope day-by-day. God’s grace gives us a solid foundation for the living out of all our days, regardless of what happens. Christ’s healing and resurrection presence embraces us; so we can look forward to the future. Whatever the future holds for you and I—God’s love will be there to lean on, rest in, and grow stronger. Nothing in all of creation—not even death can separate us from the love of God thanks to Jesus our Lord and Saviour’s victory over sin, evil and death through his suffering on the cross and his resurrection. Jesus rules! We who believe in Jesus and the winning power of his resurrection shall, when we die, share in a resurrection like his. That is something wonderful to look forward in hope for!

Fred was a man of deep faith in Jesus, and for that we thank the LORD. One of the deepest values and beliefs of Fred, which he practiced in his life, is the central message of Christian faith—namely, to love, care for, and be kind to one another. Psalm 23 certainly provides us with an excellent example of God’s love and care for us, and God’s kindness toward us.

Jesus, in Matthew’s Gospel, chapter seven, verse twelve, teaches us the true meaning of kindness, which is often referred to as the Golden Rule: “In everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets.” Fred strived to live up to this teaching of Jesus by looking for the good in everyone. That is certainly something all of you can strive to do, as you remember Fred and are inspired by this way of looking at and treating others. By doing to others as you would have them do to you, you love your neighbour as yourself. A wise person once said that God is as close as our neighbour. Therefore, to love and care for our neighbour is indeed to love God. Fred demonstrated his love by his love and kindness to his wife, children and grandchildren; and by his many kindnesses and friendliness in the community. I know I witnessed Fred’s kindness and friendliness to others at South Ridge Village. While he was still able to walk; I remember how he would enjoy walking in our building in order to mingle with others and greet them. Later, when he was confined to the wheelchair, Fred would still enjoy peoples’ company and give them a big smile, shake their hand, and his eyes would light up.

And so, we can give our thanks to God our Good Shepherd, God our loving Father, and Jesus his Son, who provides us with all that we need in this life and the next. We can give thanks to God for the life of Fred. God who has called Fred to a better place, where peace, joy, and love have no ending. God who offers you here today his comfort, kindness and love, and provides for all of your needs now and in the future. God who, one day, shall call us all to that better place, to dwell with him and our loved ones forever. Until then may our prayer be:

O God our help in ages past, Our hope for years to come, Our shelter from the stormy blast, Still be our guard while troubles last And our eternal home! (Lutheran Book of Worship #320, Isaac Watts) Amen.