Funeral Sermon

O God, giver of life and conqueror of death,

our help in every time of trouble,

we trust that you do not willingly grieve or afflict us.

Comfort us who mourn;

and give us grace, in the presence of death, to worship you,

that we may have sure hope of eternal life

and be enabled to put our whole trust in your goodness and mercy;

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

And so we come to mourn this afternoon, but we also come to celebrate a life, the life of a dear daughter, sister, sister in law, aunt, and friend. We also come this afternoon because we need to hear a word from God. We need to be comforted by hope that is contained within. We need a vision from God. A vision of the hope we have even in the midst of our grief. We need a vision to comfort us in our time of need.

We are not the only people who have needed a vision of what’s to come. John the Revelator also needed a vision. John lived in a time of great persecution in the church. Tradition holds that John was exiled to an island called Patmos. He had seen many of his friends and church family die at the hand of an oppression Roman Empire. He was in need of a vision. On the beach there at Patmos God gave him the vision that he needed.

Among other things John saw a new heaven and a new earth and the holy city of Jerusalem was descending from heaven to earth. Everything in the past had passed away. The old was being redeeming into new. The kingdom of God was taking its place. And while John was seeing this a voice cried out from very throne of God and said “See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them.” The vision was of God living and dwelling with us, God’s people. God will live one on one with us. God will not be distant or aloof. God will not be on high looking down upon us. Instead, God will be with us, among us living and dwelling as friend with friend. This lets us know that God loves us and cares for us. This vision gives us the insight that God desires to be with us and to have a relationship with us.

The vision continues with God wiping the tears away from our eyes. The power and glory of God will wipe the very tears from our eyes. What an amazing vision! Why does God do this? God knows that sadness will no longer be a reality. Death itself will no longer be a reality. Death has been conquered by God in Christ. Remember the words of Paul to the Corinthians “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” Through Christ death will no longer a concern. Because there is no death there is no mourning. No more will we have to gather in funeral homes and churches to mourn loved ones lost. Instead there will be the greatest family reunion the universe has ever known. We will see our ancestors from generations and generations back. We will be reunite with those who have gone before us.

But more than this, pain will be no more. Pain, disease, and suffering will be no longer a reality. Cancer will no longer be a reality. The pain and nausea of chemotherapy will no longer be a reality. Our bodies will be renewed, redeemed, and restored. All of the heartbreak and pain that we now know and are all too familiar with will be no more. This was the vision given to John on the beaches of Patmos and it is still the vision that God has for us today. This vision from God gives us hope in the midst of loss and in the midst of grief.

Can we really hope in a funeral home chapel? Yes, we can. We can hope, we can even rejoice in our grief because for Kathleen that beautiful vision has now become a reality. Her tears of pain have already been wiped away by God. Her body has been renewed and redeemed and is cancer free. There is no pain or sickness from radiation and chemo. There is no death or mourning. She lives with God as friend lives with friend. For Kathleen the great family reunion has already begun. This is why we can hope. This is why we can rejoice for her.

For those of us left behind, we still grieve. We still feel the emptiness in our hearts for Kathleen and others who have gone on before us. It is ok to grieve. It is human nature to feel sadness and grief for those loved ones we’ve lost. God also mourns with us. God is in the midst of us right here and now and God shares in our suffering. But, God knows the end of the story. God knows that one day we will all be reunited with loved ones lost. There is a great hymn that I love to sing. When we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be, when we all see Jesus, we’ll sing and shout the victory.

In the name of the Father who created us,

The Son who redeemed us,

And the Holy Spirit who sanctifies us. Amen.

Let us Pray:

Almighty God, our Father, from whom we come,

and to whom our spirits return:

You have been our dwelling place in all generations.

You are our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Grant us your blessing in this hour,

and enable us so to put our trust in you

that our spirits may grow calm and our hearts be comforted.

Lift our eyes beyond the shadows of earth,

and help us to see the light of eternity.

So may we find grace and strength for this and every time of need;

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.