Meditation for the Funeral for Ina Raske

If you'd like to read Pastor Karen's meditation the full text is here.  If you'd like to hear her preach it, click on this audio link:
https://www.box.com/s/28nlnp3029lb5ymoq5v5

May 23, 2013

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     ⁴ And when a great multitude had gathered, and they had come to Jesus from every city, He spoke by a parable: 

     ⁵ “A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it. ⁶ Some fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture. ⁷ And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it. ⁸ But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold.” 

       When Jesus had said these things He cried, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

      ⁹ Then His disciples asked Him, saying, “What does this parable mean?”

       ¹⁰ And Jesus said, “To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is given in parables, that

‘Seeing they may not see,
And hearing they may not understand.

      ¹¹ “Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. ¹² Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. ¹³ But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away. ¹⁴ Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity. 

      ¹⁵ But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.   (Luke 8: 4-15)

***

       I met Ina when she and her daughter, Cathie, came to worship one Sunday afternoon in the chapel at RenVilla, the nursing home in Renville. Ina moved there in January from Granite after a stroke greatly weakened her.  She was a widow; her husband, Ralph, died in 2007, after they moved from Renville to Alexandria to be closer to their son Kevin, and daughter-in-law, Marilyn.

       When they lived in Renville, Ina had worked in the laundry at the nursing home for 36 years.  So in a way, moving into RenVilla in January was like coming home. Many folks knew her. Some were related or their kids had gone to school with hers. She had enjoyed her job and walked or rode her 3-wheeled bike to work each day, unless someone offered her a lift. She never had a driver’s license.

     As a little girl, she dreamed about having a career in music. She could play piano by ear. But it was only a dream, she wrote in a memory book for her granddaughter Shannon. She was content. Nothing was more important to her than her family and her faith.         

      Not ashamed of the gospel, she sought to bring her faith into every conversation in order to help someone else. She read her Bible daily. She was also a prayer warrior, glad to pray for anyone who requested it, and praying with her own children before meals and at bedtime when they were small.

      If she “still blew out candles” on her birthday, she told Shannon, she “would wish for peace and happiness for her family always,” and for her children, “God’s protection and wisdom to choose a good life.”

***

       At this time of year, especially, the parable of the sower is a vivid and dramatic illustration for us as farmers and home gardeners plant seeds and then watch and wait, praying for deep roots and abundant growth and fruit. 

      So many things can go wrong when one plants seeds! We can have too much rain.  Or not enough. It can be too hot. Or too cold!  And then there’s the never-ending battle with insects and weeds.

      What strikes me, when I consider this familiar passage in Luke, is how difficult it is to be a faithful Christian one’s whole life—given the example of the sower and all the things that can go wrong, things that may prevent the seed, the Word of God, from taking root in one’s heart. And how so often the seed lacks the right conditions to grow, mature, and bear good fruit—the evidence of one’s faith and devotion to Him.  

       Jesus says in Luke that some people hear the Word, but the devil steals it away, before it can take root in their hearts. Others hear the Word, and feel joy, but their faith is shallow and short-lived.  The hearer gives in to temptation and falls away. Still others hear the Word and believe!  But the seed doesn’t put down deep, strong roots. It cannot withstand the challenges and cares of this world. Or the would-be believers abandon their faith for the pursuit of riches and the pleasures of this world!

     Scripture teaches us not that we are saved by our good fruits or good works; rather, if we believe in Christ for our salvation, if we love Him with all of our being, then others will know our heart-felt faith by the good fruits we bear.  It is a warning to those who might be tempted to get too comfortable in this world and feel that they have “arrived” at their salvation in Jesus Christ, and there is nothing more “to do.” We must seek to strengthen and live out our faith wholeheartedly every day—searching the Word for His Will and to be nurtured, fed, and led, by the Holy Spirit through prayer.

      If we were to look for an example of one upon whom the seeds of faith had fallen at an early age, sprouted, put down deep roots and grew to maturity, we needn’t look any further than Ina, our faithful sister in the Lord.  She was the “good ground,” as Jesus describes—someone who hears the Word of God with a noble and good heart, keeps His Word, and bears fruit with patience.

       Let me share part of a letter that Ina wrote in her granddaughter’s memory book.  While it is written for Shannon, I think you will find that her message is meaningful to us all.  And whenever you are tempted to get too comfortable in this world or be distracted by its cares or pleasures, think of Ina, the prayer warrior, who sought to bring her faith into every conversation in order to help someone else.

         Ina writes,

         “When I was a little girl, I never realized how poor we were.  My mother always had a big garden, (and) canned for the winter.  My house was cold, but so were a lot of houses.  There was no medicine for tonsillitis, but we survived. I loved getting hand me downs. After things got better, after the depression, we went to war.  We were used to going without so we didn’t mind no cars, gas, coffee, (or) meat… and sharing our home with someone who did not have a room to live in.  Your concerns are different, but if you have faith in God, who understands all our problems, I know you, too, will survive.  Wait on the Lord and He will give you strength to fly like that eagle. God bless you!”

Let us pray.

   Lord God, thank you for your Word, the seed of faith you have given us today.  With your Spirit’s help, nourishment and protection, may the seed put down deep roots, grow, mature and bear good fruit in all of us.  Forgive us if we have been too comfortable, at times, with this world.  Remind us to nurture and feed our faith by reading your Word and through prayer.  Give us such passion for the gospel that we seek to bring our faith into every conversation to help someone else.  Thank you for the example of Ina and so many other Christians with good and noble hearts; who keep your Word; demonstrate patience, perseverance, and contentment in all things; and bear good fruit.  In Christ we pray. Amen.