Sermonstudio

Sunday sermon after a member's death in church the previous Sunday

Jerry L. Schmalenberger

Last Sunday, Mrs. Dwight (Roberta) Keller drove to her church for worship, as was her custom. She had for years helped in the nursery, took part in the church school, and faithfully worshiped as a part of our family of God.

She died while seated in the pew last Sunday during the sermon.

The ushers carried her out on a cot. I slipped out while Dr. Frank Seilhamer was preaching and had the "commendation of the dying" for her - right behind this altar. We held her funeral Wednesday here, right where she died. Her pall--covered casket sat there in the aisle with the paschal candle light shining upon it. Because that death was a shock, a hurt, and yet such a beautiful thing, we who are a part of her family of God must talk about it today. There were some great lessons acted out right in this place last Sunday and I want to remind you of them.

Our worship here is more than words - there are grave implications in all we do around this altar. Roberta Keller's death in our midst was one of God's visual aids. Think of the words she said before she died:

In her confession ... "increase in us true knowledge of thee and of thy will, and true obedience to thy word, that by thy grace we may come to everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord."

I promised her in the absolution - "He (she) that believeth, and is baptized, shall be saved."

I stepped to the altar and read the Introit from the Psalm: "The sorrows of death compass me ... in my distress I called upon the Lord: and he heard my voice out of his temple: the Lord is my rock and my fortress."

I prayed in the collect, "Oh, Lord, we beseech thee favorably to hear the prayers of thy people that we, who are justly punished for our offenses, may be mercifully delivered by thy goodness...."

In the creed, she joined me in stating our belief about death: "I believe in the Holy Ghost; the Holy Christian Church, the communion of Saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting."

In the Peace - another member got up and went over to her and extended her hand in friendship, "The peace of the Lord be with you" - "And with you also!" - the last words she said.

Then came the sermon hymn. I had selected it because it talked about the ministry. But verse two said, "As laborers in thy vineyard, Lord, send them out to be content to bear thy burden of weary days for thee; to ask no other wages when thou shalt call them home, but to have shared the travail which make thy kingdom come."

And then she died - the last sound from her throat a hymn to her God. Certainly, in this context, this perspective, we see the preciousness of the things we do called worship. When we come together to worship and study, it's more than another service club - more than enjoying each other's fellowship. Certainly more than a good or bad anthem or sermon. We begin our relationship with God at this font. We deal with things eternal and not only life here but also beyond the grave. How can some say it is old fashioned? How can some cry "irrelevant"? How can any parent claim to let their children decide for themselves?

Certainly more important than home, nation, job, marriage partner, or income, not just a temporary fad or just a good feeling, we are far more than a nice organization that does kind things. We do more than have a moment of silence for the deceased. We handle here the equipment and tools of salvation.

On April 5, 1913, the Rev. Simon Peter Long baptized an infant at this very baptismal font by the name of Roberta Pittinger. Pastor Long pronounced this blessing: "Almighty God, the father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath begotten thee again of water and the Holy Ghost, and hath forgiven thee all thy sins, strengthen thee with his grace unto life everlasting." That prayer with that gift was answered last Sunday morning for Roberta Keller. That brings me to the second lesson.

We have a gift to give. What a beautiful thing it is that Mrs. William Lantz got up and went over to extend "the Peace" to Mrs. Keller, who was by herself. We never know what it may mean when we do an act of kindness like that. Let's promise ourselves right now we'll not wait until someone dies to do the nice things. Let's promise we'll put it off no longer, that we'll take the first step, that we'll make the first move, that we'll extend our hand, too, and give God's peace to all of the lonely, or stubborn, or comfortable, within our reach. It won't be necessary to send flowers when they die, because they'll know how we treated them when they lived.

The Contac commercial on television used to say: "Give your hand to a friend and give your heart to your love, but give your cold to Contac." We Christians put it: "Give your hand to a friend, give your heart to your love, and give your life to Jesus Christ."

There are always in our worship service some who will never be back. They die; we die; everyone dies. There are those who try this worship once and decide on that basis whether they'll ever return again. There are always opportunities for us to extend our hand in kind friendship. We always have the opportunity to encourage, to bless, to strengthen, and to give hope. The peace that comes to the saved and the peace which passes all understanding and the peace of being "in Christ" and the peace we sing about at Christmas and sense after Easter - we pray for and give thanks for - it is ours and we extend it! That's quite a gift we have to give! Indeed, we have a gift to give.

Life is uncertain and our task urgent. The Scripture tells us: "In the midst of life we are in death." I'm especially reminded of this when called sometimes five times in a single week to go to the dying or comfort the grieving. You aren't reminded that often as a congregation. Now, by Roberta Keller dying right in your midst, let it be a weighty reminder that life doesn't go on forever. We are not immune from accidents and poor health and all the other hazards of a sinful world. That great Psalm 90 begins: "Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations," and then continues, "... so teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom" (KJV).

Suppose today was your last on this earth (and it might be). What would your last actions be? What would your last words contain? Would you have been peeved because of a church council decision or because you have been slighted by the pastor or the church was cold or you were critical because of something in the bulletin or something that was omitted from the bulletin? Would your last words be some kind of gossip during the processional hymn or prelude? Life is too short to hate and be critical. Life is too uncertain to drift away from the church which is God's family or to be angry with each other. Don't hang up your faith in silly little incidental matters which really aren't important to salvation anyway. Jesus urges us to be ready anytime with a hymn of praise on our lips and in communion with his disciples. Matthew recorded Jesus as saying, "So be prepared, for you don't know what day your Lord is coming. Just as a man can prevent trouble from thieves by keeping watch for them, so can you avoid trouble by always being ready for my unannounced return."

It is a wise provision that you don't know when it comes: "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour."

Foreknowledge is withheld, but the memory is given. This way life is happier, activities more intense, plans are bigger and better than if we knew. But uncertainty ought to urge readiness and readiness for death should increase the joy of life. Life is uncertain and our task urgent!

Let's remind ourselves what we believe about the death of a Christian. We say it in our Creed (she said it, too): "The forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting." Everyone must die because we are all sinners and the Old Testament tells us: "The soul that sins shall die." But we have a life after this earthly life is over and a new spiritual body promised to us and a resurrection like Jesus Christ. Paul writes: "The fact is that Christ did actually rise from the dead, and has become the first of millions who will come back to life again some day" (1 Corinthians 15:20, TLB). The Living Bible puts it like this: "Everyone dies because all of us are related to Adam, being members of his sinful race and wherever there is sin, death results. But all who are related to Christ will rise again" (1 Corinthians 15:22). For us who have the power to become the sons of God, death is just a process - we go through the valley of death to life beyond.

For those we leave behind, it is a sad experience, but not so for the one who dies. We Christians get together on the morning of the first day of the week because of what Jesus Christ did on that day. Easter - we pack our churches and we sing, "Hallelujah, he is risen" and "Jesus Christ is risen today." Saint Paul promises us that Jesus' resurrection was the first one and we have one, too. Paul puts it, "How we thank God for all this! It is he who makes us victorious through Jesus Christ, our Lord!" (1 Corinthians 15:57, TLB). So, last Sunday, while we gathered to celebrate the Good News - that everyone of us has an Easter, too - Roberta Keller died. We could very well sing today, "Hallelujah, she is risen," or "Roberta Keller is risen today, Hallelujah."

Paul wrote to a little group in Corinth that doubted the resurrection this blunt statement: "For if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ must still be dead. And if he is still dead, then all our preaching is useless and your trust in God is empty, worthless, hopeless ... and you are very foolish to keep on trusting God to save you." He added: "And if being a Christian is of value to us only now in this life, we are the most miserable of creatures" (1 Corinthians 15: 13--14, 17, 19, TLB).

Yet one more lesson from Mrs. Keller's death here in God's house - we are the communion of the saints. That means the family or fellowship of the saved. Through our baptism we received that priceless gift of complete forgiveness and were adopted by God as his own children. We have the benefits of what Jesus did on that cross. We wear crosses, hang one over the altar, rotate one on our steeple, put them on our lapels, get blessed by their sign. All this to remind us of how important it is and that we have its benefits.

Don't mumble it - don't say it with a half yawn on your face - don't let your mind drift when we get to that part of the Creed: "The Holy Christian church, the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting."

It took an unusual birth in Bethlehem, a rugged childhood in Nazareth, three long years of Pharisees' and Sadducees' criticism, the betrayal of a partner, the denial of a close friend, the ridicule of the religious, the distrust of his own family, the cruelty of the mock trial, the sweating of blood, and nails driven through his hands. It took agony of thirst, excruciating pains of crucifixion, and the blasting wide open the doors of the tomb. God invested a lot of himself in that plan - that also we might say it every first day of the week: "The communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting." Don't mumble those words.

We are the communion (fellowship) of saints. We are the saved who have had the sacrifice. In this faith we have (and give) comfort. So each time we come together and worship and commune, we join with all those baptized who have died before us and all those baptized in the world worshiping today and all the unborn saints yet to be his. Mrs. Keller worships with us today and so do all the rest who have died in the faith - a great partnership, a communion, and an indestructible family - God's own people - the saints. Psalm 116 puts it: "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints" (RSV).

In the preface before communion we say, "Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of Heaven, we laud and magnify his glorious name, evermore praising thee...."

One saint's death - Roberta Keller - baptized April 5, 1913, by the Rev. Simon Peter Long here where she died, has reminded us in a dramatic way:

5. We are the communion of saints.
4. We believe in the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting.
3. Life is uncertain and our task urgent.
2. We have a gift to give.
1. Our worship has grave implications.


Paul sums it up for us: "So, my dear brothers, since future victory is sure, be strong and steady, always abounding in the Lord's work, for you know nothing you do for the Lord is ever wasted as it would be if there were no resurrection" (1 Corinthians 15:58, TLB).

The last hymn we sang last Sunday was "Come Down, O Love Divine." After praying for the comfort of Mrs. Keller's family, we closed our service by singing:

Come down, O Love divine, Seek thou this soul of mine
And visit it with thine own ardor glowing;
O Comforter, draw near, within my heart appear
And kindle it, thy holy flame bestowing.



(Reprinted from "Through The Valley Of The Shadow," CSS Publishing Company, Inc., (c) 1976.)