We Weep For Our Children
Sermon
Life Everlasting
The Essential Book of Funeral Resources
Object:
For a young man at Christmas
We Weep For Our Children
Psalm 13; Isaiah 40:27-31; John 8:12
(Sing "What A Friend We Have In Jesus.")
It's a wonderful world
to be born
into if
you don't mind
a touch of hell
now
and
then
These words from a poem I once heard continue to turn over and over in my mind. They reflect an image of a world which appears both refreshing and exciting and at the same time draining and devastating.
These last couple days have been very draining and devastating for everyone. We were all making plans for Christmas and holiday break from school, plans which included Michael -- but, now, in a very different way!
The songs on the radio and television wish everyone "Happy Holidays" and "We Wish You A Merry Christmas." But, we are not happy or merry today. A sharp grief has cut deep into our hearts. This "wonderful world" that we long to enjoy has become a hellish nightmare, and with Rachel of old we weep for our children and our children's children.
Michael wept, too. It is so hard to truly understand how a person can take their own life. Michael's experience must have been so painful that his final solution seemed reasonable -- to him, not to us. We had so much more to give him; and we wanted him to give us so much more of himself. His final solution will never seem reasonable to us.
In talking with many of you, I have heard over and over how you would have gladly wrapped your love around Michael to protect him and encourage him and help him deal with his struggles. And this you did. But, Michael couldn't see the coming of the dawn, because he kept turning back toward the night. And we are sad for him. We are sad for us.
Dick Cavett, popular talk show host and television personality of earlier years, told about his struggle with depression throughout his life. He even considered suicide while he was at the height of his career. Cavett described the depression he went through in this way: "You're in a permanent state of dismal, worthless, black despair that will not end no matter what anybody tells you."
Many people, at many different times, find themselves in the darkness of depression. Many people find a way to the light. Many do not. A few years ago, I ran across a statistic reporting that 50,000 Americans in one year would commit suicide. That is about 137 people daily. The other day, Michael added himself to that number. And we will miss him!
With the psalmist we cry out, "How long must I bear pain in my soul, and have sorrow in my heart all the day? Consider and answer me, O Lord my God."
God has answered the darkness of the night with the light of Jesus. Jesus said, "I am the light of the world; whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
The star that shone in the night sky above Bethlehem on that first Christmas points to Jesus, the true light of the world. Jesus shines in the darkness as the very love of God for us and with us.
The story is told about a little boy who was walking through the woods with his father. Suddenly the boy stopped, because he had noticed an anthill in the pathway. Something had squashed the anthill, and all the ants were racing about furiously. The little boy knelt down and looked closely at all the confusion. He said to his father, "I wish there was someway we could help them." The father thought for a moment and replied, "I guess the only way we can help them is to become one of them."
That is exactly what Jesus did for us. He became one of us: "and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us." This is Saint John's way of telling the Christmas story. Jesus left his heavenly home with the Father and became flesh, was born in Bethlehem, grew up, was tempted, cared for the sick and the oppressed, played with children, told stories of treasures and pearls and mustard seeds and wayward sons, suffered and was crucified, died, and was buried. The story of Jesus, however, does not end in the grave. When the true light shines in the darkness, the darkness does not overcome it. The darkness cannot overcome it -- not even the darkness of death. Jesus rose from the grave with power. Christmas is a joy because Easter is a reality.
In the book of Revelation, Jesus says, "Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living one; I was dead, and see, I am alive forevermore; and I have the keys of Death and Hades" (Revelation 17b-18). Yes, it is a wonderful world to be born into if you don't mind a touch of hell now and then. But, a touch of hell can have no power over us as long as Jesus holds the keys of death and hell -- and we hold on to Jesus, the light of life.
In an issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry, Dr. Jeff Koenig, a psychiatrist at Duke University, reports on a study he did with veterans. He was seeking to find the relationship between faith and coping with life's setbacks. He writes, "We concluded that for men who are under a lot of stress, especially with life-threatening illnesses, religion enabled them to cope."
Another researcher who works at the National Institute for Mental Health states, "There is something meaningful about having a personal relationship with the creator of the universe. If you know someone who is big or powerful, it adds to your own sense of meaning. To be able to call upon the creator of the universe...!"
We just sang "What A Friend We Have In Jesus." His amazing grace is that he calls us friends, warts and all. He chooses to walk with us down the darkened roads of our lives; but, when he walks with us, there is light, for he is the light. He chases the shadows away, because his love holds on to us. I like the prayer sentence that goes, "There is nothing that can happen to me today, Lord Jesus, that you and I can't handle together." That is the confidence and the hope that children of the light can have.
We entrust Michael's life to Jesus. That is all we can do for Michael now. We must set aside all judgments, all bitterness, all questions. We can only entrust Michael to Jesus' care. Tammy, when you put that cross on Michael's chest, you provided a symbol for us that can help us deal with this tragedy. The cross reminds us of Jesus. Jesus died for us all and rose from the grave ahead of us. He has the power to hold us in his hands throughout all time and for all eternity. Jesus is the light who can forgive the darkness of our sins and guard us from the darkness of evil. We entrust Michael to the light of Jesus' powerful love.
Now, the only question left for us is to determine how we will walk through the rest of our days on earth. Will it be in the light of Jesus' love for us? Or will we chase after the darkness? Let us daily turn to Jesus as our friend and walk in the light! Let us ever walk with Jesus. Amen.
We Weep For Our Children
Psalm 13; Isaiah 40:27-31; John 8:12
(Sing "What A Friend We Have In Jesus.")
It's a wonderful world
to be born
into if
you don't mind
a touch of hell
now
and
then
These words from a poem I once heard continue to turn over and over in my mind. They reflect an image of a world which appears both refreshing and exciting and at the same time draining and devastating.
These last couple days have been very draining and devastating for everyone. We were all making plans for Christmas and holiday break from school, plans which included Michael -- but, now, in a very different way!
The songs on the radio and television wish everyone "Happy Holidays" and "We Wish You A Merry Christmas." But, we are not happy or merry today. A sharp grief has cut deep into our hearts. This "wonderful world" that we long to enjoy has become a hellish nightmare, and with Rachel of old we weep for our children and our children's children.
Michael wept, too. It is so hard to truly understand how a person can take their own life. Michael's experience must have been so painful that his final solution seemed reasonable -- to him, not to us. We had so much more to give him; and we wanted him to give us so much more of himself. His final solution will never seem reasonable to us.
In talking with many of you, I have heard over and over how you would have gladly wrapped your love around Michael to protect him and encourage him and help him deal with his struggles. And this you did. But, Michael couldn't see the coming of the dawn, because he kept turning back toward the night. And we are sad for him. We are sad for us.
Dick Cavett, popular talk show host and television personality of earlier years, told about his struggle with depression throughout his life. He even considered suicide while he was at the height of his career. Cavett described the depression he went through in this way: "You're in a permanent state of dismal, worthless, black despair that will not end no matter what anybody tells you."
Many people, at many different times, find themselves in the darkness of depression. Many people find a way to the light. Many do not. A few years ago, I ran across a statistic reporting that 50,000 Americans in one year would commit suicide. That is about 137 people daily. The other day, Michael added himself to that number. And we will miss him!
With the psalmist we cry out, "How long must I bear pain in my soul, and have sorrow in my heart all the day? Consider and answer me, O Lord my God."
God has answered the darkness of the night with the light of Jesus. Jesus said, "I am the light of the world; whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
The star that shone in the night sky above Bethlehem on that first Christmas points to Jesus, the true light of the world. Jesus shines in the darkness as the very love of God for us and with us.
The story is told about a little boy who was walking through the woods with his father. Suddenly the boy stopped, because he had noticed an anthill in the pathway. Something had squashed the anthill, and all the ants were racing about furiously. The little boy knelt down and looked closely at all the confusion. He said to his father, "I wish there was someway we could help them." The father thought for a moment and replied, "I guess the only way we can help them is to become one of them."
That is exactly what Jesus did for us. He became one of us: "and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us." This is Saint John's way of telling the Christmas story. Jesus left his heavenly home with the Father and became flesh, was born in Bethlehem, grew up, was tempted, cared for the sick and the oppressed, played with children, told stories of treasures and pearls and mustard seeds and wayward sons, suffered and was crucified, died, and was buried. The story of Jesus, however, does not end in the grave. When the true light shines in the darkness, the darkness does not overcome it. The darkness cannot overcome it -- not even the darkness of death. Jesus rose from the grave with power. Christmas is a joy because Easter is a reality.
In the book of Revelation, Jesus says, "Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living one; I was dead, and see, I am alive forevermore; and I have the keys of Death and Hades" (Revelation 17b-18). Yes, it is a wonderful world to be born into if you don't mind a touch of hell now and then. But, a touch of hell can have no power over us as long as Jesus holds the keys of death and hell -- and we hold on to Jesus, the light of life.
In an issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry, Dr. Jeff Koenig, a psychiatrist at Duke University, reports on a study he did with veterans. He was seeking to find the relationship between faith and coping with life's setbacks. He writes, "We concluded that for men who are under a lot of stress, especially with life-threatening illnesses, religion enabled them to cope."
Another researcher who works at the National Institute for Mental Health states, "There is something meaningful about having a personal relationship with the creator of the universe. If you know someone who is big or powerful, it adds to your own sense of meaning. To be able to call upon the creator of the universe...!"
We just sang "What A Friend We Have In Jesus." His amazing grace is that he calls us friends, warts and all. He chooses to walk with us down the darkened roads of our lives; but, when he walks with us, there is light, for he is the light. He chases the shadows away, because his love holds on to us. I like the prayer sentence that goes, "There is nothing that can happen to me today, Lord Jesus, that you and I can't handle together." That is the confidence and the hope that children of the light can have.
We entrust Michael's life to Jesus. That is all we can do for Michael now. We must set aside all judgments, all bitterness, all questions. We can only entrust Michael to Jesus' care. Tammy, when you put that cross on Michael's chest, you provided a symbol for us that can help us deal with this tragedy. The cross reminds us of Jesus. Jesus died for us all and rose from the grave ahead of us. He has the power to hold us in his hands throughout all time and for all eternity. Jesus is the light who can forgive the darkness of our sins and guard us from the darkness of evil. We entrust Michael to the light of Jesus' powerful love.
Now, the only question left for us is to determine how we will walk through the rest of our days on earth. Will it be in the light of Jesus' love for us? Or will we chase after the darkness? Let us daily turn to Jesus as our friend and walk in the light! Let us ever walk with Jesus. Amen.
