Teacher Wit A Pen
Sermon
Life Everlasting
The Essential Book of Funeral Resources
Object:
For a 57-year-old who died shortly after the birth of her first grandson
Teacher Wit A Pen
Ecclesiastes 3:1-2, 4
(For a 57-year-old woman with liver cancer whose death occurred after the birth of her first grandson in the hospital room above hers. She saw and held the child and died several hours later.)
For everything there is a season. A time for every matter under heaven. A time to be born. A time to die. A time to weep. A time to laugh.
-- Ecclesiastes 3:1-2, 4
For you and for all who are your family members and friends, the past few weeks have been a mixed bag of seasons; a time for many matters under heaven. For those of you at the church today for the first time, let me inform you that West Park United Church of Christ has a tradition. We place a rose in the sanctuary to celebrate a new birth in our midst. We also place a rose to commemorate one of God's own, one of our own who has moved on to the church eternal and triumphant. Today, two roses grace the garden of God's altar. It's unusual to have two roses at once. More unusual is that they represent two members of the same family at the same time. On (date) DeAnte was sent by God into this world to begin his journey of the human drama. We celebrate his arrival with his parents and extended family. One day later, in a hospital room one floor below newborn DeAnte's room, his grandmother, Sandy, fighting cancer, experienced what she had long awaited. She felt the touch and the movement of her new grandson's presence upon her body. It was a time for joy in a time of sorrow. It was a time of God's presence in people's lives. A few hours afterward, newborn DeAnte returned to his new room at his parents' side. Sandy with God by her side; walked through the valley of death's shadow and entered her new room in the house not made with hands in the heavens. What is most compelling in this time of different life seasons and in these different matters under heaven, is that we have been called together by the Spirit of the living God. We are here now, to celebrate new life for infant DeAnte and new life for Sandy.
God also has in store new life for each of us. It awaits us beyond our present darkness. Where infant DeAnte begins to write his own story today, we review the already written story of Sandy. Certainly, we all have our memories. These will be recalled silently, if not verbally. Sandy's life can be defined as, "Teacher Wit A Pen." Sandy taught for thirty years, enabling children to love and to learn. She conveyed in her life and lessons to all of us: structure, discipline, and neatness. In her life and living, Sandy always distinguished herself as a competitor. Sandy knew the times when to keep silent and when to speak. She had a way of making children feel like they were a prince or princess. This was the teacher in Sandy.
Sandy, along with being a teacher, was a wonder of wit. I swear that today's Boston Market and Martha Stewart were former students of Sandy's. Sandy's kitchen was always spotless, her stove always dusted.
As she told many of us, her favorite restaurant was "Any Place But Home." If we would ask Sandy to give us her philosophy of life, she would probably forthrightly tell us, "Life is a beach."
And for her it was. At the crack of dawn, she was always out in the yard, soaking up the sun's rays; reading a favorite book. During her illness, she expressed that life was a beach (using different words). Considering all the testing and treatments; all the prodding and the pain, her life near the end was not easy.
Yet, Sandy was honorable. Sandy was honest. Sandy was faith fashioned. We've all seen the placards of people on street corners, "Will work for food." Sandy's placard read, "Will eat for coins." Many here today, including myself, put a few coins in her collection as she increased her appetite during chemo, and a few more coins and a few more coins. Sandy also brought her wit into the church. We all know how it is in church. Everyone has a special place, a certain seat. Sandy and a couple friends somehow ended up someplace else one Sunday. I don't know if they did it to confuse me or what, but when others shockedly asked why they were sitting in a different place, the answer was given that Sandy and her friends were the newly appointed "acoustics" committee. Each Sunday after that, Sandy and her friends were here, there, and everywhere. People are still asking me about when the new church sound system is going to be installed.
Sandy -- "Teacher Wit A Pen." Her pen was her hallmark. Her pen was her ministry to you, to me, to God. Her artistic calligraphy certified all our baptism, wedding, new member, and confirmation certificates. Her pen published posters and certified our lives. Sandy is the only person you received blessings, messages, and mail from, where you threw out the cards and kept the envelopes.
Colorful, artistic envelopes with stickers and drawings. Beautiful penmanship, bringing us her message of God's love and cheer, God's comfort and peace, God's hope and strength. Sandy's envelopes stood out like Publishers Clearing House notices, and when those envelopes arrived, you knew you were a winner. A winner of the warmth and friendship, of the attention and concern of Sandy's mailing ministry. Just as Sandy cared for her mother, who has been in a nursing home for several years, Sandy cared for and watched over us all. Sandy's envelopes didn't deliver the message. They were the message!
Friends, we gather here today as the people of the living God. Sandy's God, and our God. Sandy's envelopes enwrapped our lives with lessons, wit, and creative penmanship. This left us her mark of beauty and love. So, too, God envelops our lives this day with caring and love. Think of this: Before we received the cheery healing ministry message of Sandy, the post office had to cancel the stamps for the carrier to deliver the cards. Likewise, before we receive the healing hope of new life in the resurrected Christ, God has to cancel the stamps of the sins of sickness and sorrow, brokenness and grief, in our bodies, minds, and spirits.
William Cullen Bryant, in one of his written works, penned these words:
So live, that when thy summons comes to join the innumerable caravan which moves to that mysterious realm, where each shall take his chamber in the silent halls of death -- So live that thou go not like the quarry slave at night scourged to his dungeon, but sustained and soothed. By an unfaltering trust, approach thy grave, like one that wraps the drapery of his couch about him and lies down to pleasant dreams.
Let me say to you: The hand of God using the calligraphy of Christ's compassion of offering up his life, has cancelled the stamp of cancer upon Sandy's mind, body, and soul. The love of God has enwrapped Sandy with the blessing of the resurrection life. Sandy is in God's presence. She is sustained and soothed.
Likewise, may the good news of God in Christ sustain and soothe each of you this day. As did Sandy, may each of you put your unfaltering trust in God. God has the power to cancel the stamps of the grief and sorrow in your life. Be open to the Holy One. May you feel the touch and experience the movement of the birth of the new life of Christ upon your body, mind, and spirit as Sandy a few days ago felt the new life of her firstborn grandchild upon her. God is present to and for you in Christ, and Christ's presence is a time for joy in a time of sorrow.
Remember, for everything there is a reason. And for every season, there is God and the community of God's church. Therefore, we can give thanks and look ahead with renewed hope. Amen.
-- Lawrence H. Craig
Teacher Wit A Pen
Ecclesiastes 3:1-2, 4
(For a 57-year-old woman with liver cancer whose death occurred after the birth of her first grandson in the hospital room above hers. She saw and held the child and died several hours later.)
For everything there is a season. A time for every matter under heaven. A time to be born. A time to die. A time to weep. A time to laugh.
-- Ecclesiastes 3:1-2, 4
For you and for all who are your family members and friends, the past few weeks have been a mixed bag of seasons; a time for many matters under heaven. For those of you at the church today for the first time, let me inform you that West Park United Church of Christ has a tradition. We place a rose in the sanctuary to celebrate a new birth in our midst. We also place a rose to commemorate one of God's own, one of our own who has moved on to the church eternal and triumphant. Today, two roses grace the garden of God's altar. It's unusual to have two roses at once. More unusual is that they represent two members of the same family at the same time. On (date) DeAnte was sent by God into this world to begin his journey of the human drama. We celebrate his arrival with his parents and extended family. One day later, in a hospital room one floor below newborn DeAnte's room, his grandmother, Sandy, fighting cancer, experienced what she had long awaited. She felt the touch and the movement of her new grandson's presence upon her body. It was a time for joy in a time of sorrow. It was a time of God's presence in people's lives. A few hours afterward, newborn DeAnte returned to his new room at his parents' side. Sandy with God by her side; walked through the valley of death's shadow and entered her new room in the house not made with hands in the heavens. What is most compelling in this time of different life seasons and in these different matters under heaven, is that we have been called together by the Spirit of the living God. We are here now, to celebrate new life for infant DeAnte and new life for Sandy.
God also has in store new life for each of us. It awaits us beyond our present darkness. Where infant DeAnte begins to write his own story today, we review the already written story of Sandy. Certainly, we all have our memories. These will be recalled silently, if not verbally. Sandy's life can be defined as, "Teacher Wit A Pen." Sandy taught for thirty years, enabling children to love and to learn. She conveyed in her life and lessons to all of us: structure, discipline, and neatness. In her life and living, Sandy always distinguished herself as a competitor. Sandy knew the times when to keep silent and when to speak. She had a way of making children feel like they were a prince or princess. This was the teacher in Sandy.
Sandy, along with being a teacher, was a wonder of wit. I swear that today's Boston Market and Martha Stewart were former students of Sandy's. Sandy's kitchen was always spotless, her stove always dusted.
As she told many of us, her favorite restaurant was "Any Place But Home." If we would ask Sandy to give us her philosophy of life, she would probably forthrightly tell us, "Life is a beach."
And for her it was. At the crack of dawn, she was always out in the yard, soaking up the sun's rays; reading a favorite book. During her illness, she expressed that life was a beach (using different words). Considering all the testing and treatments; all the prodding and the pain, her life near the end was not easy.
Yet, Sandy was honorable. Sandy was honest. Sandy was faith fashioned. We've all seen the placards of people on street corners, "Will work for food." Sandy's placard read, "Will eat for coins." Many here today, including myself, put a few coins in her collection as she increased her appetite during chemo, and a few more coins and a few more coins. Sandy also brought her wit into the church. We all know how it is in church. Everyone has a special place, a certain seat. Sandy and a couple friends somehow ended up someplace else one Sunday. I don't know if they did it to confuse me or what, but when others shockedly asked why they were sitting in a different place, the answer was given that Sandy and her friends were the newly appointed "acoustics" committee. Each Sunday after that, Sandy and her friends were here, there, and everywhere. People are still asking me about when the new church sound system is going to be installed.
Sandy -- "Teacher Wit A Pen." Her pen was her hallmark. Her pen was her ministry to you, to me, to God. Her artistic calligraphy certified all our baptism, wedding, new member, and confirmation certificates. Her pen published posters and certified our lives. Sandy is the only person you received blessings, messages, and mail from, where you threw out the cards and kept the envelopes.
Colorful, artistic envelopes with stickers and drawings. Beautiful penmanship, bringing us her message of God's love and cheer, God's comfort and peace, God's hope and strength. Sandy's envelopes stood out like Publishers Clearing House notices, and when those envelopes arrived, you knew you were a winner. A winner of the warmth and friendship, of the attention and concern of Sandy's mailing ministry. Just as Sandy cared for her mother, who has been in a nursing home for several years, Sandy cared for and watched over us all. Sandy's envelopes didn't deliver the message. They were the message!
Friends, we gather here today as the people of the living God. Sandy's God, and our God. Sandy's envelopes enwrapped our lives with lessons, wit, and creative penmanship. This left us her mark of beauty and love. So, too, God envelops our lives this day with caring and love. Think of this: Before we received the cheery healing ministry message of Sandy, the post office had to cancel the stamps for the carrier to deliver the cards. Likewise, before we receive the healing hope of new life in the resurrected Christ, God has to cancel the stamps of the sins of sickness and sorrow, brokenness and grief, in our bodies, minds, and spirits.
William Cullen Bryant, in one of his written works, penned these words:
So live, that when thy summons comes to join the innumerable caravan which moves to that mysterious realm, where each shall take his chamber in the silent halls of death -- So live that thou go not like the quarry slave at night scourged to his dungeon, but sustained and soothed. By an unfaltering trust, approach thy grave, like one that wraps the drapery of his couch about him and lies down to pleasant dreams.
Let me say to you: The hand of God using the calligraphy of Christ's compassion of offering up his life, has cancelled the stamp of cancer upon Sandy's mind, body, and soul. The love of God has enwrapped Sandy with the blessing of the resurrection life. Sandy is in God's presence. She is sustained and soothed.
Likewise, may the good news of God in Christ sustain and soothe each of you this day. As did Sandy, may each of you put your unfaltering trust in God. God has the power to cancel the stamps of the grief and sorrow in your life. Be open to the Holy One. May you feel the touch and experience the movement of the birth of the new life of Christ upon your body, mind, and spirit as Sandy a few days ago felt the new life of her firstborn grandchild upon her. God is present to and for you in Christ, and Christ's presence is a time for joy in a time of sorrow.
Remember, for everything there is a reason. And for every season, there is God and the community of God's church. Therefore, we can give thanks and look ahead with renewed hope. Amen.
-- Lawrence H. Craig
