[Propertalk] Sermon for Proper 25B (Part 1 of 2)

[Joe Parrish]

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From: Judy <judy_boli at ecunet.org>
To: Propertalk <propertalk.topic at ecunet.org>
Sent: Sat, Oct 24, 2015 8:18 pm
Subject: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Proper 25B



Dear Friends,
 
This Sunday’s sermon is entitled “‘LIFE’ is Centered in ‘THE BIG IF!” or “The Great Unknown”  and deals with Halloween and a Christian understanding of death).  Here it is:
 
You know what holiday is coming up this coming Saturday?  Please allow me to be the first person to wish you and yours a Happy Halloween!  There’s an ancient Scottish group prayer called a litany.  It goes: “From ghosties and ghoulies and long-legged beasties and things that go bump in the night- good Lord deliver us!”  Did you hear the story about 5-year old Johnny?  He was in the kitchen as his mother made supper. She asked him to go into the pantry and get her a can of tomato soup, but he didn’t want to go in alone. “Hey mom!” he said.  “It’s dark in there and I’m scared.” She asked again, and he persisted. Finally she said, “It’s OK—Jesus will be in there with you.” Johnny walked hesitantly to the door and slowly opened it. He peeked inside, saw it was dark, and started to leave when all at once an idea came, and he said: “Jesus, if you’re in there, would you please hand me that can of tomato soup?”  Been there; done that!  We may not be afraid of a dark pantry, but we surely do know what it feels like to be afraid of the unknown- doctor’s reports, test results, financial problems, moving to a new location, and on…and on…and on- the great “IF” that’s at the center of life.  That’s one of the reasons Halloween is so popular.  It gives us a chance to poke fun at those ghosties and ghoulies that populate our nightmares.  Of all the things that go “bump in the night,” the one that scares us the most often- the biggest “IF” of all- is death.  Did you hear the story of the three friends standing around the casket of a co-worker?  The pastor was there and asked: “When you are in your casket and friends and family are mourning, what would you like to hear them say about you?”  The first person says, “I would like to hear them say that I was a great doctor of my time, and a great family man.”  The second person says, “I would like to hear that I was a wonderful wife and school teacher who made a huge difference in the next generation."  The last person replies, “I would like to hear them say, ‘Look! He's moving!’”  We have all sorts of ways to avoid thinking about death.  We seldom say someone died; instead we say that they “passed away.”  Undertakers make the departed look as if they are in the best of health- just asleep.  Often loved ones won’t talk about their impending death- everyone pretends all is fine.  In Hispanic culture, Halloween is celebrated as “The Day of the Dead,” so this morning, I’d like us to think about a hard subject: DEATH. Specifically, I’d like us to think about what the Bible and the church teach us about death and the implications for our own personal lives right now. 
FIRST- DEATH IS A BIRTH PROCESS.  The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15, and our society honors him on this day- which is fine- actually- it’s about time.  The church, however, also honors him on April 4, the day of his death.  Why?  Because all of the saints are honored on their death day, since that day is an even more important birthday- their birthday into heaven.  For us to remember- dying is a birth process.  It is our birth into the next stage of our life.  We’ve gone from being in the womb to being born into this training ground- Earth to being born into heaven.  Getting dead is frequently extremely unpleasant (as is any birth process), but being dead on the Earth is wonderful because it means we have been born into heaven. The nice thing is- we won’t have to wait.  When did Jesus say the penitent thief would see him?  (Yes, today.)
SECOND- WE WILL HAVE BODIES LIKE JESUS’ RESURRECTED BODY.  You know how people tend to wonder what kind of body we will have in heaven.  In fact, some people wonder if we will have a body at all, or if we will just be like ghosts.  If they read the Bible, they would know.  St. Paul reminds the Corinthian church that Jesus is the firstfruit (1st Corinthians 15: 23).  Who loves tomatoes?  You know that first tomato that you pick from the vine every summer- how wonderful it tastes!  When you bite into that tomato, you know it’s only the firstfruit- there are more to come.  Our heavenly body will be like Jesus’ resurrected body.
THIRD- YES, OUR DEAR ONES KNOW WHAT’S HAPPENING DOWN HERE. Do you recall how the author of the Hebrews reminds us that since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses (those who have died), let us run with patience the race that is set before us (Hebrews 12:1)?  It’s like we are in a huge stadium with those we love who have already made their transition cheering us on and encouraging us and praying for us.  Let me give you two examples.  Think back how hard Rev. Sims tried to get us to sing loudly to the glory of God.  He fussed and begged and pleaded and almost threatened to get our congregation to sing, with very mixed results.  Now that Rev. Stan’s in heaven with Jesus, look how well we sing!  It’s amazing, but we shouldn’t be surprised- he’s probably bringing our voices and worship to Jesus.  Now tell me- how can we not sing?  Another example: When I was a little girl, I loved Superman; in fact I loved him so much that I used to put a towel on my shoulders like a cape and try to fly off the kitchen table.  Well, Kathy Wilson Thompson has a daughter who visits us occasionally- Taylor (Carla’s niece and my honorary grand-daughter). When Taylor was six-years-old, she was also fascinated with flying- so fascinated with it that she tried flying off the second floor railing in her home and landed flat on her back.  9-1-1 was immediately called, everyone expected the worst; but Taylor emerged without even a scratch and without even losing consciousness.  Who do you think was praying for her at the very throne of God?  Sure, probably Lucille Wilson- her beloved grandmother (John Wilson’s wife; Carla’s mother) who had died about three years earlier.  So count on those prayers and don’t do anything in this life that would disappoint those you love in the next; because they can see you.




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