What Shall We Say To This?
Sermon
The Word Is Life
An Anthology Of Funeral Meditations
In both of these passages from his letter to the Romans, Paul begins with a question that is probably rattling around in most of our minds this week. What then are we to say? What then are we to say about these things? What in the world has gone wrong in the world that the life of such a young man as ____________ should come to such a tragic end? What shall we say? ____________ was a person with many fine qualities; Paul would even call them ''gifts of the Spirit.'' ____________ had the gifts of love, patience, kindness, and gentleness. His personality overflowed with generosity and compassion. He was a happy--go--lucky guy who loved nature, who couldn't stand to see others in pain, who would have done almost anything for anyone. Yet, his life came to an end surrounded by circumstances that are so confusing and so troubling to us. What shall we say?
Let's take all of our questions, all of our confusion, and all of our pain, and bring them to holy scripture this afternoon. Here we are likely to find at least some answers, less confusion, and some balm for the hurt we feel. Let's be just as honest as we can be about our questions and our pain.
I want you to think about that passage I read from Romans chapter 8 just a few moments ago. I'll tell you what, folks, as far as I'm concerned this is one of the most powerful passages that we can find in all of scripture. Paul really has a way with words. Here he says in a beautifully clear and
certain statement that the love and grace of God are more powerful than anything else in the whole universe.
Paul lists his own questions right along side our own. He gets right down to the basic questions of life and death. ''If God is for us, who is against us? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? If it is God who justifies, who is to condemn? Who or what shall separate us from the love of Christ?''
Paul suggests a list of possibilities. ''Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?'' He is clearly trying to list the most horrible things he can think of. What can come between us? What in all of existence has the potential of casting such a dark cloud over life that we are finally separated from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord?
We could add our own questions to his list, couldn't we? What seems to threaten to stand as a barrier between you and the love of Christ? Is it unemployment, bankruptcy, cancer, addiction, divorce, depression, guilt, the death of a loved one, especially by suicide? What's on your mind this afternoon as you think about that question: who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Go ahead. Add them to the list.
And then hear Paul's answer. No. Shall any of these things stop God from loving us? No. No. he says. In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. And then he adds to the list himself. ''For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.'' God says no to anything that would get in the way of his love and grace.
I don't know about you, but when bad things happen in life I tend to look for who's to blame. I suppose most of us do that. Remember that passage in John 11 (17--27) when Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha had died? Martha said to Jesus, ''Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.'' Who's to blame here? Is all of this somehow
God's fault? Had God abandoned ____________ to his feelings of despair? Who's to blame? Each of us is going to ask that question, if we haven't already. Was it my fault? Was it ____________ fault? Was it your fault? Who's to blame?
Now listen. God has a word to say about all of this blaming. It's the same word that he said before. To all of our blaming God says no. Pinning down the blame is the easy way out of this situation, and frankly, it only makes matters worse.
What would happen if we just got really honest and asked the hidden question here? What about suicide? We'd really rather not talk about it, would we? It would be easier to leave that question under the rug. But it won't go away by ignoring it. Let me offer three don'ts about how to deal with what has happened.
Don't make this a family secret. Don't try to hide the facts. Rather, put that energy into trying to understand what depression and despair are all about. Such feelings are widespread in our society, and much understanding is needed.
Secondly, don't carry the burden of guilt for ____________ action. No matter how sensitive you are to a person's feelings, no matter what precautions you might take, suicide is a choice that the person makes. That's what depression and despair can do.
Thirdly, don't brood over it. Don't brood over it. ____________ death is a tragic and unfortunate thing. So is death from leukemia or heart disease or a car accident or dying on a battlefield. Death is tragic and unwelcome, no matter what the cause.
Now, while I want you to hear a clear word of grace and forgiveness this afternoon, I also want it to be clear that the church in no way promotes suicide. Nor do we promote cancer or drunk driving or war. On the contrary, we want to do everything in our power to prevent these things, everything in our power to enhance the quality and the joy of life.
The point is this. It is not for us to stand in judgment. ''If it is God who justifies, who is to condemn?'' It is not for us to stand in judgment. It is for us to stand in grace. God says
no to all of our blaming and condemning. But God also has a powerful yes to say.
Let me refer to one more Bible passage, again from Paul. Paul had written a letter to his congregation in Corinth, promising to come and pay them a visit. But he had gotten tangled up with other problems and had to change his travel plans. This made the folks in Corinth mad and they accused Paul of being wishy washy. They even went to the extent of calling into question the gospel that he had preached. So Paul wrote back and tried to explain the situation, and he defends the gospel. In the first chapter of 2 Corinthians he says, ''As surely as God is faithful, our word to you has not been yes and no. For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we preached among you, was not yes and no; but in him it is always yes. For all the promises of God find their yes in him. That is why we utter the Amen through him, to the glory of God.''
It is grace in which we stand. It is God's yes in which we stand. Let the good news of God's yes penetrate your ears and your hearts today and every day of your life. God says no to everything that would set up a barrier between you and his love, and God says yes to the forgiveness of sins, to salvation and new life.
God's yes is for you, it is for ____________, it is sure, it is certain, it is unquestionable. The yes of God's grace is sufficient for this day and for every day. Amen.
Let's take all of our questions, all of our confusion, and all of our pain, and bring them to holy scripture this afternoon. Here we are likely to find at least some answers, less confusion, and some balm for the hurt we feel. Let's be just as honest as we can be about our questions and our pain.
I want you to think about that passage I read from Romans chapter 8 just a few moments ago. I'll tell you what, folks, as far as I'm concerned this is one of the most powerful passages that we can find in all of scripture. Paul really has a way with words. Here he says in a beautifully clear and
certain statement that the love and grace of God are more powerful than anything else in the whole universe.
Paul lists his own questions right along side our own. He gets right down to the basic questions of life and death. ''If God is for us, who is against us? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? If it is God who justifies, who is to condemn? Who or what shall separate us from the love of Christ?''
Paul suggests a list of possibilities. ''Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?'' He is clearly trying to list the most horrible things he can think of. What can come between us? What in all of existence has the potential of casting such a dark cloud over life that we are finally separated from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord?
We could add our own questions to his list, couldn't we? What seems to threaten to stand as a barrier between you and the love of Christ? Is it unemployment, bankruptcy, cancer, addiction, divorce, depression, guilt, the death of a loved one, especially by suicide? What's on your mind this afternoon as you think about that question: who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Go ahead. Add them to the list.
And then hear Paul's answer. No. Shall any of these things stop God from loving us? No. No. he says. In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. And then he adds to the list himself. ''For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.'' God says no to anything that would get in the way of his love and grace.
I don't know about you, but when bad things happen in life I tend to look for who's to blame. I suppose most of us do that. Remember that passage in John 11 (17--27) when Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha had died? Martha said to Jesus, ''Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.'' Who's to blame here? Is all of this somehow
God's fault? Had God abandoned ____________ to his feelings of despair? Who's to blame? Each of us is going to ask that question, if we haven't already. Was it my fault? Was it ____________ fault? Was it your fault? Who's to blame?
Now listen. God has a word to say about all of this blaming. It's the same word that he said before. To all of our blaming God says no. Pinning down the blame is the easy way out of this situation, and frankly, it only makes matters worse.
What would happen if we just got really honest and asked the hidden question here? What about suicide? We'd really rather not talk about it, would we? It would be easier to leave that question under the rug. But it won't go away by ignoring it. Let me offer three don'ts about how to deal with what has happened.
Don't make this a family secret. Don't try to hide the facts. Rather, put that energy into trying to understand what depression and despair are all about. Such feelings are widespread in our society, and much understanding is needed.
Secondly, don't carry the burden of guilt for ____________ action. No matter how sensitive you are to a person's feelings, no matter what precautions you might take, suicide is a choice that the person makes. That's what depression and despair can do.
Thirdly, don't brood over it. Don't brood over it. ____________ death is a tragic and unfortunate thing. So is death from leukemia or heart disease or a car accident or dying on a battlefield. Death is tragic and unwelcome, no matter what the cause.
Now, while I want you to hear a clear word of grace and forgiveness this afternoon, I also want it to be clear that the church in no way promotes suicide. Nor do we promote cancer or drunk driving or war. On the contrary, we want to do everything in our power to prevent these things, everything in our power to enhance the quality and the joy of life.
The point is this. It is not for us to stand in judgment. ''If it is God who justifies, who is to condemn?'' It is not for us to stand in judgment. It is for us to stand in grace. God says
no to all of our blaming and condemning. But God also has a powerful yes to say.
Let me refer to one more Bible passage, again from Paul. Paul had written a letter to his congregation in Corinth, promising to come and pay them a visit. But he had gotten tangled up with other problems and had to change his travel plans. This made the folks in Corinth mad and they accused Paul of being wishy washy. They even went to the extent of calling into question the gospel that he had preached. So Paul wrote back and tried to explain the situation, and he defends the gospel. In the first chapter of 2 Corinthians he says, ''As surely as God is faithful, our word to you has not been yes and no. For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we preached among you, was not yes and no; but in him it is always yes. For all the promises of God find their yes in him. That is why we utter the Amen through him, to the glory of God.''
It is grace in which we stand. It is God's yes in which we stand. Let the good news of God's yes penetrate your ears and your hearts today and every day of your life. God says no to everything that would set up a barrier between you and his love, and God says yes to the forgiveness of sins, to salvation and new life.
God's yes is for you, it is for ____________, it is sure, it is certain, it is unquestionable. The yes of God's grace is sufficient for this day and for every day. Amen.
