Funeral Worship Service  

for

Mrs. Eli Ross-Jensen

1921 - 1999

 

Prayer

 

            “It stinks; it really does”, she said.  That was Melody’s reaction to being told by her physician that her cancer had spread.  She was a divorced mother of five children.  She had struggled to hold her family together through all of the pain of her divorce, the subsequent financial strain, and the discipline problems that emerged in her children.  That she had managed it successfully only to be told the news, and confronting the possibility of her own death, made the situation almost more than she could bear.

            Melody’s question illustrates the impact death had on us, through its challenge to us sense of “Specialness”.  Through our childhood years, we are protected by our parents and nurtured on a diet of rhymes and stories in which happy endings seems to be the rule.  There are many in our society who still hold to a puritan tendency and view personal success as a mark of God’s favour. 

            There is a popular form of North American “Religion” that makes the “Golden Rule” its focus; its adherents can be found in Christian congregations.  These people feel that, if they deal gently with others, God should return the same favour, some how.

            Whatever the cause, many of us grow; into adulthood with a strong sense that God owes us “Special” protection from life’s pain, tragedy, suffering and even “death”.  Among all of the values that we hold sacred, there is one call JUSTICE.  Many of us find it hared to define justice, but it is something that we believe in deeply and are most aware of, in its absence. 

            If we don’t receive justice when we feel that we should, we seldom lose any time letting others know that we are the victims of discrimination. In my moment of anguish, the question still remained, “Why?”.  Helmut Thielhicke, a theologian, called this phenomena “The Silence of God”, for Jesus knew that.  He also died young; he also shouted into the void, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”

            Yes, Eli Ross-Jensen is gone to be with her Lord and Saviour.  She looked forward to this great day with great anticipation. But then ... How do you say “Good-bye” to a friend?  Friends are so hard to find, and then you hate to let them go.  For me, Eli was more than a parishioner; she was a friend.  It seemed we hit it off at our first visit. 

            Eli was a woman of strong convictions, a woman of strong discipline, tradition and strong will.  And that is why it is hard for me to say “Good bye”.  She was not a fair-weather friend, who was in for the good times and disappears when things got tough.  Eli took the good with the bad.  Even on her death bed, she praised God- from whom all blessings flow.

            Eli Ross-Jensen was a true Lutheran, because she was a true Christian, one who believed in the Saviour Jesus Christ, who died for her.  So how do you say “Good-bye” to such a friend?  Eli lived out what she believed, she was a true believer in Jesus Christ, yet the lingering thoughts remain, how do you say “Good-bye” to such a friend? 

            The answer to the question, is simply that you cannot.  I am not even going to try to do it.  I believe the answer is found in Psalm 121, “Unto the Hills” - a song for the pilgrims to Jerusalem.

            Who wants to die, when life is so good, with each passing moment we do all in our power to “preserve” this dying body.  We spend billions of dollars annually on food, to just stay alive.  We spend millions, if not billions, of dollars on cosmetics just to beautify this old and aging body of ours.  The thought of aging, and being old and wrinkled, and death terrify most of us.

            God has provided the cure for death in his only son, Christ Jesus.  Jesus said in John 11:25:               “I am the resurrection, and the life.  He that believes

                                     in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.”

and in John 3:15    “That whosoever believes in him (Jesus) should not

                                     perish but have eternal life.”

            For he/she that believes on the name of Jesus Christ had eternal life Now!  There is a “Miracle Cure” for death:  Faith in the Living God, a personal commitment to Jesus Christ.  That is the grounds for inheriting the kingdom of God.

            Death is a mystery in every culture, and the thought of it is not pleasant to all.  Long, long time ago, not terrible long ago, there was a young man who lived in a far, far away land, but not terribly far away.  This young man was faced with the same inevitable question of death and mortality.  This young man was very strong and courageous, but not terribly strong and courageous you know!  He killed a lion and a bear, and killed a 9’9” giant with a homemade sling.  He won many battled for his people.  But when the question of death came up this is what he said:

            In a way we are all pilgrims passing over this earth, this is not our permanent home.  we are just passing through to our home far and  above.  Yea, though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we shall fear no evil, for thou art with us.  He will not suffer our foot to be moved.  He who keeps us will not slumber nor sleep.

            Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross wrote:

 “Dying is something that we human beings do continuously,             not just at the end of our physical lives on this earth.  The stages of dying - apply to any significant change in a person’s  life, and change is a regular occurrence in human existence.  If you can face and understand your ultimate death, perhaps  you can learn to face and deal productively with each change that presents itself in your life.  And through a life time of such commitment, you can face your final end with peace and joy, knowing that you have lived your life well.”

            We know that salvation is only possible through Faith in the person of Jesus Christ.  The church stands today, as a constant reminder that God’s goodness and love extend beyond our imaging, and well past our poor grasp of time. 

            Were our salvation rested upon human faithfulness, we would have been lost long ago. We are not lost, because of God’s own faithfulness, and even as we give Eli Ross-Jensen over to the arms of the one who gave her to us, we do so with a sense of gratitude to God who gives us life abundantly.

            Now, what about us, the living?  Would this occasion change our life for better or would things such as our lives, return to its former living, when the dust settles?  This coffin in front of us all, with the remains of Eli Ross-Jensen is a firm reminder of our own mortality.  We are dust, and dust shall we return.  But that is not the end.  Jesus says in John 14:19                 “Because I live, you shall live also.”

            Eli lived a life of faith and trust.  She ran the race, finished the race and kept the faith.  She stayed faithful to her Baptismal Covenant.  Eli was ready to meet Her Creator and in the assurance of God’s grace she believed - and joins Giovanni Palestrina’s hymn of victory:

                        “The strife is over, the battle done

                        Now is the victor’s triumph

                        Now be the song of praise begun - Alleluia.”

            To Eli, death was a mere shadow, because the battle is already won - “Because I live (Jesus said), you shall live also.”

            Now, those of the living!  What is your story? 

            Are you at this moment sure of where you will spend eternity? 

            And are you ready?

 

            May the Peace of God which passes all understanding keep

your minds and hearts through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.