Dancing Through Life
Sermon
Life Everlasting
The Essential Book of Funeral Resources
Object:
For a native of Scotland who loved dancing
Dancing Through Life
Ecclesiastes 3:4
(This was preached for a native of Scotland who immigrated to Canada, then the United States, as a young woman. She loved to dance and spent her blessed years dancing through life even amidst great personal loss and afflictions over the years.)
A wise, old Scotsman once wrote to his granddaughter some very simple, yet profound, words. In his conversation with her, using pen and paper, this is what the grandfather said: "I hope that you will live all of your life."
I came across these words yesterday afternoon. Actually, they fell from the pages of a book that I have shoved numerous clippings and quotations into over the years. Pieces of paper and notes that, at times, seem very ordinary. Yet, when reviewed later offer a striking idea or thought that holds promise.
"I hope that you will live all of your life." After repeating these words several times to myself, I had to wonder if somewhere along the journey of her own life, __________ might have had these words spoken to her. We are drawn together in Christ this day to remember and celebrate and give God praise for this life. We can engage in doing so because __________ was one of those unique people we all came to know and love. She was an example to us of having fully lived all the years God gave her. __________ lived, as the wise, old Scotsman advised, all her life. Her life was full and it was complete. In fact, __________'s life, together along with yours, was a life in which there was a season for everything, and a time for every matter under heaven.
When we look at the passage from Ecclesiastes, those who knew __________ and those who are here to support you, __________, along with supporting one another, know all too well that there have been many times to weep, and many times to mourn. There were struggles to face, losses of children to deal with, confrontations with personal illness, and serious surgeries. Yes, there were times of pain and anguish. Yet, too, there have been times of joy and laughter, times of wellness and dancing.
I have to believe the important words of the wise, old Scotsman to his granddaughter are also very important words for those of us gathered here this morning. For there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven in our lives as well. I'm assuming the wise Scotsman, in saying, "I hope that you will live all of your life," meant for his granddaughter to live through and grow from bad times as well as the good times. He most likely meant for her to know that God doesn't promise us a rose garden. But God will always be present as the master gardener.
There are times when life sets us to weeping, as well as times to laugh. There are times when we shall deeply mourn, just as there are times for us to dance. Friends, if we are to live all of our lives, if we are to endure the complete journey of good times and not so good times, we must acknowledge that the future, our future and the world's, belongs to God.
__________ was a person who, because of her faith, her love of God, her connection to the church, showed us by example what it means to "dance through life." Dancing through life, __________ immigrated with __________ to Canada, then to the United States. Dancing through life, __________ showed us how to live all of life. Yes, there were the times to weep and mourn. However, there were the times of gardening and laughter, like when she brought Scottish bluebells to America, so a part of the motherland could be experienced outside her back door.
There were moments of fun, like making shortbread for the first time in the United States. Her mother never told her when to take it out of the oven. __________ waited until it looked brown enough. That was too late, for by then it became like the stones in Scottish fences stretching across the heather-covered moors. Then the icing on the cake. What's known by the Scots as Royal Icing. __________ made some. It's naturally crusty, you know. Yet, in her attempt at it on her first Christmas here in the United States, she found that a knife could not penetrate its crustiness.
Yes, times to weep and times to laugh, times to mourn and times to dance. And dance she did with the __________ Chapter of the Royal Scottish Country-Dance Society. When her friend __________'s husband became ill many years ago, he made __________ promise that she would keep the dance group dancing. And __________, along with __________, danced. They danced as chairpersons of the Scottish Ball. They danced through life, uplifted by faith in God, a God who now is available to you, __________, and to each of you here today in this difficult season and time under heaven.
__________ danced from Scotland to Canada, then to America. She danced in Australia and New Zealand. She danced through the Panama Canal. She danced with God throughout her life, God, the Lord of the dance. And __________ danced these recent months through radiation and chemotherapy, through it all. __________ lived the wise, old Scotsman's advice: "I hope that you will live all of your life." Bad times as well as good. Her life was tempered and tested and it was full and complete. Today, we may miss __________, we may mourn, and we may weep, but with God we, like __________ can dance through life, through every season and matter under heaven. We have a faith and we have a God who is Lord of the dance.
To you, __________, and to each of you who have come here with tears in your eyes and sorrow in your hearts, as the song tells us:
Dance then wherever you may be.
I am the Lord of the dance, said he.
And I'll lead you wherever you may be,
And I'll lead you in the dance, said he.
We know __________ is dancing in the kingdom of God with __________ and __________ and many others. We, too, can dance in that kingdom. God is as present with you now as __________ is present with God. God shall give you strength, render you comfort, offer you hope, and bless you, __________, and each of you with new life. That promise is certain and sure in Christ. For Christ is the Lord of the dance, and Christ himself has said, "You have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice. And no one will take your joy from you" (John 16:22). Praise be to our God and the Lord of the dance. Amen.
Life-giving, life-sustaining God, who has been our dwelling place for all seasons of life and its living. We gather this day for we know your presence is here in our midst. We come to have your Spirit reach down and lift from us our pain, anguish, and sorrow. We are open, O holy parent, to be touched by your comfort, to be uplifted with your strength, and to be made well in our sorrow and whole in our brokenness.
We remember this day, your servant and our sister in Christ, __________. How special she was, to each and all of us. All that she gave and shared with us was but a reflection of your glory and an example of your will and presence in our midst. Therefore, as we pray, O God, our praise and joy for her specialness and life, we pray for all who truly, deeply, loved her. We pray for her husband, __________, her brother, __________, and for other relatives -- nieces and nephews and family members near and far -- in this nation and abroad in the Scottish homeland. May your mantle of love, O God, comfort all who seek healing from sorrow. May your arms of supportive care sustain each of us as we continue our journey and dance through life. Help us to face our tomorrows unafraid with the courage of the Christ, the power of our prayerful faith, and the spirit of the resurrection of eternal life. Open us to the promise of life eternal, which awaits all of us who acknowledge you in our servant living. May your guidance, O God, and your blessed presence take us from here back into the living of our days, that we may live for others like your true servant and our loved one, __________, so lived for you and for us.
Let us pray. O God of heather-covered moors, and of Alabaster cities -- O God of life and conqueror of death -- we turn to you with many prayers of thanksgiving, grateful for the life of __________. We praise you for who she was and all that she gave in service to you and to us, and although we feel the emptiness of her departure, although she now has made her crossing from this life through the valley of death's shadow, we are thankful that she now is free of anguish and pain. We are thankful she is enjoined in the communion of saints in your true homeland. We thank you, O God, for your Word of life, for your faith that shall sustain us, and for all our memories of __________ that shall continue to live in us. And we are thankful for the resurrection of Christ, which has opened the way to all of us for everlasting life. To you, O God, we give our thanks, always praying the prayer of Jesus as one: Our Father ... Amen.
Dancing Through Life
Ecclesiastes 3:4
(This was preached for a native of Scotland who immigrated to Canada, then the United States, as a young woman. She loved to dance and spent her blessed years dancing through life even amidst great personal loss and afflictions over the years.)
A wise, old Scotsman once wrote to his granddaughter some very simple, yet profound, words. In his conversation with her, using pen and paper, this is what the grandfather said: "I hope that you will live all of your life."
I came across these words yesterday afternoon. Actually, they fell from the pages of a book that I have shoved numerous clippings and quotations into over the years. Pieces of paper and notes that, at times, seem very ordinary. Yet, when reviewed later offer a striking idea or thought that holds promise.
"I hope that you will live all of your life." After repeating these words several times to myself, I had to wonder if somewhere along the journey of her own life, __________ might have had these words spoken to her. We are drawn together in Christ this day to remember and celebrate and give God praise for this life. We can engage in doing so because __________ was one of those unique people we all came to know and love. She was an example to us of having fully lived all the years God gave her. __________ lived, as the wise, old Scotsman advised, all her life. Her life was full and it was complete. In fact, __________'s life, together along with yours, was a life in which there was a season for everything, and a time for every matter under heaven.
When we look at the passage from Ecclesiastes, those who knew __________ and those who are here to support you, __________, along with supporting one another, know all too well that there have been many times to weep, and many times to mourn. There were struggles to face, losses of children to deal with, confrontations with personal illness, and serious surgeries. Yes, there were times of pain and anguish. Yet, too, there have been times of joy and laughter, times of wellness and dancing.
I have to believe the important words of the wise, old Scotsman to his granddaughter are also very important words for those of us gathered here this morning. For there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven in our lives as well. I'm assuming the wise Scotsman, in saying, "I hope that you will live all of your life," meant for his granddaughter to live through and grow from bad times as well as the good times. He most likely meant for her to know that God doesn't promise us a rose garden. But God will always be present as the master gardener.
There are times when life sets us to weeping, as well as times to laugh. There are times when we shall deeply mourn, just as there are times for us to dance. Friends, if we are to live all of our lives, if we are to endure the complete journey of good times and not so good times, we must acknowledge that the future, our future and the world's, belongs to God.
__________ was a person who, because of her faith, her love of God, her connection to the church, showed us by example what it means to "dance through life." Dancing through life, __________ immigrated with __________ to Canada, then to the United States. Dancing through life, __________ showed us how to live all of life. Yes, there were the times to weep and mourn. However, there were the times of gardening and laughter, like when she brought Scottish bluebells to America, so a part of the motherland could be experienced outside her back door.
There were moments of fun, like making shortbread for the first time in the United States. Her mother never told her when to take it out of the oven. __________ waited until it looked brown enough. That was too late, for by then it became like the stones in Scottish fences stretching across the heather-covered moors. Then the icing on the cake. What's known by the Scots as Royal Icing. __________ made some. It's naturally crusty, you know. Yet, in her attempt at it on her first Christmas here in the United States, she found that a knife could not penetrate its crustiness.
Yes, times to weep and times to laugh, times to mourn and times to dance. And dance she did with the __________ Chapter of the Royal Scottish Country-Dance Society. When her friend __________'s husband became ill many years ago, he made __________ promise that she would keep the dance group dancing. And __________, along with __________, danced. They danced as chairpersons of the Scottish Ball. They danced through life, uplifted by faith in God, a God who now is available to you, __________, and to each of you here today in this difficult season and time under heaven.
__________ danced from Scotland to Canada, then to America. She danced in Australia and New Zealand. She danced through the Panama Canal. She danced with God throughout her life, God, the Lord of the dance. And __________ danced these recent months through radiation and chemotherapy, through it all. __________ lived the wise, old Scotsman's advice: "I hope that you will live all of your life." Bad times as well as good. Her life was tempered and tested and it was full and complete. Today, we may miss __________, we may mourn, and we may weep, but with God we, like __________ can dance through life, through every season and matter under heaven. We have a faith and we have a God who is Lord of the dance.
To you, __________, and to each of you who have come here with tears in your eyes and sorrow in your hearts, as the song tells us:
Dance then wherever you may be.
I am the Lord of the dance, said he.
And I'll lead you wherever you may be,
And I'll lead you in the dance, said he.
We know __________ is dancing in the kingdom of God with __________ and __________ and many others. We, too, can dance in that kingdom. God is as present with you now as __________ is present with God. God shall give you strength, render you comfort, offer you hope, and bless you, __________, and each of you with new life. That promise is certain and sure in Christ. For Christ is the Lord of the dance, and Christ himself has said, "You have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice. And no one will take your joy from you" (John 16:22). Praise be to our God and the Lord of the dance. Amen.
Life-giving, life-sustaining God, who has been our dwelling place for all seasons of life and its living. We gather this day for we know your presence is here in our midst. We come to have your Spirit reach down and lift from us our pain, anguish, and sorrow. We are open, O holy parent, to be touched by your comfort, to be uplifted with your strength, and to be made well in our sorrow and whole in our brokenness.
We remember this day, your servant and our sister in Christ, __________. How special she was, to each and all of us. All that she gave and shared with us was but a reflection of your glory and an example of your will and presence in our midst. Therefore, as we pray, O God, our praise and joy for her specialness and life, we pray for all who truly, deeply, loved her. We pray for her husband, __________, her brother, __________, and for other relatives -- nieces and nephews and family members near and far -- in this nation and abroad in the Scottish homeland. May your mantle of love, O God, comfort all who seek healing from sorrow. May your arms of supportive care sustain each of us as we continue our journey and dance through life. Help us to face our tomorrows unafraid with the courage of the Christ, the power of our prayerful faith, and the spirit of the resurrection of eternal life. Open us to the promise of life eternal, which awaits all of us who acknowledge you in our servant living. May your guidance, O God, and your blessed presence take us from here back into the living of our days, that we may live for others like your true servant and our loved one, __________, so lived for you and for us.
Let us pray. O God of heather-covered moors, and of Alabaster cities -- O God of life and conqueror of death -- we turn to you with many prayers of thanksgiving, grateful for the life of __________. We praise you for who she was and all that she gave in service to you and to us, and although we feel the emptiness of her departure, although she now has made her crossing from this life through the valley of death's shadow, we are thankful that she now is free of anguish and pain. We are thankful she is enjoined in the communion of saints in your true homeland. We thank you, O God, for your Word of life, for your faith that shall sustain us, and for all our memories of __________ that shall continue to live in us. And we are thankful for the resurrection of Christ, which has opened the way to all of us for everlasting life. To you, O God, we give our thanks, always praying the prayer of Jesus as one: Our Father ... Amen.
