“The God Who Knows Us”

Meditation on Psalm 139 for Audrey Stomberg’s Funeral

May 11, 2015

“O Lord, you have searched me and known me.
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
   you discern my thoughts from far away.
You search out my path and my lying down,
   and are acquainted with all my ways.
Even before a word is on my tongue,
   O Lord, you know it completely.
You hem me in, behind and before,
   and lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
   it is so high that I cannot attain it. 

Where can I go from your spirit?
   Or where can I flee from your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, you are there;
   if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.
If I take the wings of the morning
   and settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
even there your hand shall lead me,
   and your right hand shall hold me fast.
If I say, ‘Surely the darkness shall cover me,
   and the light around me become night’,
even the darkness is not dark to you;
   the night is as bright as the day,
   for darkness is as light to you.
For it was you who formed my inward parts;
   you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
   Wonderful are your works;
that I know very well.
   My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
   intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes beheld my unformed substance.
In your book were written
   all the days that were formed for me,
   when none of them as yet existed.
How weighty to me are your thoughts, O God!
   How vast is the sum of them!
I try to count them—they are more than the sand;
   I come to the end—I am still with you.……
Search me, O God, and know my heart;
   test me and know my thoughts.
See if there is any wicked way in me,
   and lead me in the way everlasting.”

***

     God was always with her--and Audrey knew it. When she and Lester lived in their house in Clara City, she saw the Lord in the sunlight that streamed in her living room window--and in the shadows when the sun dipped low in the sky at night. She sensed God with her when she cultivated flowers in her garden or nurtured her indoor, potted plants. She felt God’s comforting presence as the wind bent branches on the trees and rustled the leaves. She knew God’s goodness when the rain fell and the snow swirled from the sky or the birds burst into song. And she remembered God’s loving provision for her as she watched her feathered friends nibble seed from a tray on the great, big rock in her front yard.

     Audrey was proud of her rock! Do you know the story? When the city was digging up Audrey and Lester’s yard to install new sewers or storm drains, they encountered an enormous rock, too large and heavy for human hands to lift. It was in the way and slowing down progress. What should they do with this rock? Audrey heard about the rock, went out to look at the rock. She saw “treasure” and “opportunity” while others saw “nuisance” and “obstruction.” She worked out a deal; the rock stayed. Now she could look out her window and see yet another reminder from Creation of God’s everlasting presence and faithfulness.

    “Blessed be the Lord, my rock, my strength and my shield!” Audrey would say, quoting from the Psalms. “My heart trusts in him.” She was still reading from the Bible every day when she lived in her home. She often quoted Bible verses. I admired that! It truly was God’s living Word to her. She was always listening for His voice, and ready to share something the Spirit had whispered into her heart. She was an evangelist, ready to share her faith with friend, neighbor, and stranger.

       Audrey warmly welcomed me to Ebenezer when I arrived about 4 years ago. She invited me to her home and tried to fatten me up with cookies from the Clara City bakery or cake she had iced that morning. She took me on tours throughout their house, including downstairs where Lester kept his collection of toy tractors and she had oodles of fabric, thread, cotton batting for quilts, foam for stuffing pillows and many other sewing and weaving supplies. She shared stories as she showed me photos on the wall of her “3 boys” and their families. She gave great hugs and giggled when I came. She hugged me again when I left and sang out, “I love you!” while she waved goodbye.  

     Audrey attended worship at Ebenezer with Lester regularly, along with Friendship Circle--the church’s quilting group-- and Presbyterian Women --until about 3 years ago, when Lester grew increasingly weak and struggled to get around. Audrey had been raised in the faith at Trinity Lutheran church in Sacred Heart, but became a member of Ebenezer after marrying Lester in 1950 when she was only 17. Over the years, she taught Sunday school, was ordained as an elder, and served as clerk of session.

      She had many gifts, in addition to teaching and administration, especially when it came to needle and thread, fabric and a sewing machine. Her quilts were not just blankets or bedspreads; they were beautiful family heirlooms. She took on complicated projects others wouldn’t dare attempt, sewing not only everyday clothing and items for household use, but also prom gowns, bridesmaid dresses, and wedding gowns! In addition to quilting and sewing, Audrey knitted, crocheted, embroidered and did hardanger, a form of intricate, Norwegian white needlework. Up until relatively recently, Audrey had made the personalized keepsake hankies embellished with hardanger that we gave to parents when their infants were baptized.

        What most impressed me when I first visited Audrey and Lester was watching them work at their loom in the spare bedroom. I discovered that they had taught themselves to weave after they had retired from farming and their children were all grown. Lester built the loom himself from a kit with modifications --later he made 2 more!--and they got busy making rugs, mostly to give away.

      Audrey was sad when they could no longer make it to church every Sunday. She missed her friends and the fellowship, but assured me that she could still worship God in her living room! They listened to services on the radio and TV and sang along with the good, old-fashioned hymns. She could worship God anywhere because God was always with her.

***

    The writer of Psalm 139 asks the Lord, “Where can I go from your spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence?” Then he answers his own question--nowhere. We can go nowhere in this world that the Spirit of the Lord won’t already be there ahead of us. God is everywhere. In this world and the world to come, in life and in death, the God who lovingly created us is always with us. And God isn’t just present--the Lord is our help, our guide, our rock and refuge in times of trouble. The psalmist writes, “If I take the wings of the morning and settle at the farthest limits of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me and your right hand shall hold me fast.”

     But you know, God’s everlasting presence with us would not bring us comfort and peace if we were not sure that the Lord loved us and truly knew us as we really are. Psalm 139 reassures us that no one else understands us quite like the Lord, who loves us, despite His intimate knowledge of our being. Our God knows and “searches” our hearts and discerns our every thought. The Lord knows every word we are going to say. The Lord is “acquainted” with all our “ways.”

      While the psalms provide a variety of images of our Lord, such as God as king, shepherd, father, and mother, God in Psalm 139 is, very appropriately when we consider Audrey’s passions, the “knitter” and the “weaver.” “For it was you who formed my inward parts,” the psalmist says. “you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was being made in secret,”---and now listen--“intricately woven in the depths of the earth.”    

***

     The knitting, weaving, sewing and Bible reading gradually slowed, then ceased for Audrey. Lester died a year ago last December. Though she seemed strong at first in his last days, her condition deteriorated until she was eventually moved to a special unit at the nursing home for patients with dementia. While she had moments of clarity and continued to tell stories mixed with fleeting memories, she no longer recognized friends, family or pastor. She retreated into herself, moving ever closer to her life in the world to come.

    One of my last visits with her was on a Thursday. I was preparing to leave town to see my family when I stopped by the nursing home. I found her fast asleep in a recliner in a common area not far from the nurses’ station. A woman holding a stuffed, yellow “Big Bird” upside down approached me when I sat next to Audrey. She smiled when I said, “Hello.” I leaned in close to Audrey, touched her hand and called her name. When she continued to sleep, I waited quietly, taking in my surroundings. I was disappointed that I didn’t get to speak with Audrey and remind her of God’s love--and how the church missed her. But I saw God in the warm sunlight streaming in through the window. I remembered the Lord’s faithful provision for me as I listened to birds chirping and nibbling at seed in a nearby cage. I sensed God’s presence amongst some of the Lord’s neediest children, who seemed at peace. And I began to pray aloud for Audrey and my new friend, who joined me in the “Amen.” 

***

    Friends, God will be with us always throughout our lives of faith -- as the Lord was for Audrey. We will continue to experience times of joy and sorrow. Times of confidence, but also times when we are anxious. We will have times when we feel spiritually “full” and “whole” but also times when we will feel broken, empty and maybe even lost, especially if we are mourning our loved ones. Our feelings will change, moment by moment. But the God who wonderfully made us and knew all our days when none of them yet existed will remain the same loving, gracious, merciful Lord our God has always been. Blessed be the Lord, our rock, strength and shield! My heart trusts in Him!

      The Spirit that dwells within us will continue to draw us nearer to our Lord and stir a yearning in us to know God more. May we be like the psalmist who exclaims in wonder, “How weighty to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! I try to count them--they are more than the sand.” May we come to realize, also like the psalmist, the most important thing of all: “I come to the end--I am still with you.”

  

“For the Love of God is This”

Meditation on 1 John 5:1-6

May 10, 2015

Mother’s Day

^5:1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the parent loves the child. ² By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. ³ For the love of God is this, that we obey his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome, ⁴ for whatever is born of God conquers the world. And this is the victory that conquers the world, our faith. ⁵ Who is it that conquers the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? ⁶ This is the one who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ, not with the water only but with the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one that testifies, for the Spirit is the truth.”

***

     Since the birth of my first child more than 25 years ago, I have enjoyed Mother’s Day.  Not that I ever really have any “big” plans. I work on Mother’s Day, of course, because I am a pastor, so I am just happy if I am able to be with my husband and at least some of my children for some of the day and share a simple meal at home. Doesn’t need to be fancy! Mother’s Day for me usually means long distance phone calls or Facebook messages and emails. Josh is in the Air Force, stationed in California. Danny, Hiu-Fai and our grandchild, Sie Sie, live in Boston. My parents live in Florida.

    What I like best about Mother’s Day is that it provides us one more opportunity to remember God’s goodness to us! And to give God thanks! I am thankful for my mother, who is still living. So many people my age no longer have both parents living! And I am thankful for all the older women who have served as spiritual “mothers” for me over the years. I am especially grateful for the wonderful blessing of my children--and a grandchild now, too!

    It may surprise you, though, that in spite of my own personal joy on Mother’s Day, I have come to believe that celebrating motherhood in the church and lifting up only women who have children is unfair and unjust, and perhaps even cruel for some. For God, who opens and closes the womb, has not given every woman a family of her own. How do they feel on Mother’s Day? Other women are separated from their children--and children from their mothers--due to military service or other overseas jobs or mission work. How do they feel on Mother’s Day? And what about mothers who struggle with the tasks of mothering and feel like a failure, particularly if their children may have gotten in trouble at school or with the law? What about the many mothers who have lost a child to death? Or children whose mothers have recently passed away? How do they feel on Mother’s Day?

     Mother’s Day, for some, is not a day of joy, but instead is a reminder of pain and sorrow or disappointment, like pouring salt into an open wound. I wonder how many women have left a Sunday worship service on Mother’s Day with tears in their eyes, rather than being lifted up and inspired to serve God more?

     This year, my friends, I am determined that we be sensitive to the needs of all our sisters in the Lord. Our message today, stirred by a heart to serve God and build up the Body of Christ rather than tear down any of its members, is all about love.

   

***

    I was glad to encounter this passage in 1 John in our lectionary readings for today.  It’s full of the language of family relationships! But it is the perfect passage for today, when we might be distracted by thoughts of family gatherings or problems; it turns our eyes and our hearts back where they belong--to Jesus and our family of faith.

      The familial language doesn’t celebrate human beings or call attention to our accomplishments, failures, weaknesses or strengths. But this is language we can all understand--because we have all been born and raised in a family of some kind. This familial language is how we learn about relationships--Jesus with God, God with us through Jesus Christ, and caring relationships with one another, in obedience to God. For our love for God is revealed by our willingness to submit to what God requires of us. And what does He require? That we love one another.

     We use family language--“Father,” “Son,” and the “children of God”-- to talk about God, Jesus and ourselves all the time, without giving it much thought. We say that fellow believers are “brothers and sisters in Christ,” usually without being aware that when we talk this way, we are radically redefining the terms as we use them in our society. We learned this from Jesus. Our Lord taught us to pray to our “Heavenly Father.” He spoke in parables about the kindness and generosity of the Lord by using family language and relationships. In Matthew 7:9-11, Jesus asks, “…what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone?" Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him?”

     While Jesus uses family language to teach about God’s love and His close relationship with God, he also emphasizes the importance of this new family of believers, united in Him, over the worldly community, the foundation of which are biological families. Jesus does this partly by refusing to use family language for his own “blood” relatives. In Matthew 12:47-49, when someone says to Jesus, “Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside seeking to speak to You,” Jesus answers, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?"  And stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He says, “Behold My mother and My brothers!”  He also urges would-be followers to show their commitment to God and the call to discipleship by not returning home to bury their loved ones or even to say goodbye. Jesus says in Luke 9:62, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."

       In 1 John, we discover the word “born” used not to mean a physical birth, but a spiritual rebirth, much like in the gospel of John 3:3 when Jesus tells Nicodemus, who visits him secretly in the night, that unless one is born again one cannot see the kingdom of God. Being “born of God” in 1 John is made possible only by faith and making a public declaration of our love for God. If we are silent or “secret” believers, then we are not true believers! All who profess love for God are “born of God” and are “children of God.” But if we love God, then we must also believe in Jesus Christ, God’s Son, says 1 John 5:1, for “everyone who loves the parent loves the child.”

     The main point of this passage, friends, is not really that we must believe in Jesus Christ, for the writer of this letter knows that he is already talking to believers. The letter is meant for the Church! The main point of this passage, as is much of this epistle, is that when we love God and seek to obey his commandments, we will also love one another---for this IS his command. And brothers and sisters, we can do this--we can love one another--if we have faith. We can obey! First John 3 assures us that God’s “commandments are not burdensome.”

     This passage is encouragement to those who may feel beaten down by the world. Don’t let the disappointments and pain of this world steal your joy. Each of us, at one time or another becomes discouraged amidst our trials or suffering. That’s when we need one another the most! We need to hear words of kindness and hope. Sometimes, we just need someone to listen and say nothing--least of all something judgmental! Sometimes, we just may need a hug. We often need to be reminded of God’s unfailing love and new mercies every morning. We are forgiven! We are set free! We need others to pray with us and for us. For when we are discouraged, we are powerless to live as the Lord would have us live! The only way to conquer the world, friends, is to confess our doubts, fears and anxieties! Give them all to the Lord and receive His grace.

    Together, with faith, we will conquer the world. We will have victory because of our faith in Jesus Christ and the love of God-- our love for God--that will lead us to love one another.

Let us pray.

Holy One, how can we ever thank you enough for what you have done for us through your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ? Thank you for giving us our faith in Him, a faith that will conquer the world, a faith that cleanses us from all sin. Thank you for the hope and promise we have of new life in Your Son. Forgive us for becoming discouraged through our trials and our suffering and for when we may have neglected others who have been struggling. Teach us to pray for our brothers and sisters and reach out with your love to those who are hurting. And Lord, we pray a blessing on the women of our congregation and community this day. May they feel your loving presence with them and hear your voice. Stir all the women of our community to respond to your call in faith, without looking back from the plow. Help us all to obey your commands. May we all learn, by your Spirit and through your Word and prayer, to love one another--as you command us to do. In Christ we pray. Amen.

“A Life Led By the Spirit”

Meditation on Acts 8:26-40

April 3, 2015

     

“Then an angel of the Lord said to Philip, ‘Get up and go towards the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.’ (This is a wilderness road.) So he got up and went. Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of the Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning home; seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah. Then the Spirit said to Philip, ‘Go over to this chariot and join it.’ So Philip ran up to it and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ He replied, ‘How can I, unless someone guides me?’ And he invited Philip to get in and sit beside him. Now the passage of the scripture that he was reading was this: ‘Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter, and like a lamb silent before its shearer, so he does not open his mouth. In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth.’
      The eunuch asked Philip, ‘About whom, may I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?’ Then Philip began to speak, and starting with this scripture, he proclaimed to him the good news about Jesus. As they were going along the road, they came to some water; and the eunuch said, ‘Look, here is water! What is to prevent me from being baptized?’ He commanded the chariot to stop, and both of them, Philip and the eunuch, went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he was passing through the region, he proclaimed the good news to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.”

***

       We talk a lot about being “led by the Spirit” in our church. We pray that God will lead us, by His Spirit, and empower us to do His will. But do we really live a Spirit-led life? What does it mean to be led by the Spirit? How do we know if the Spirit is leading us or if we are just acting on our own desires, doing what seems right?

     The answer lies with our hearts. Are we living to please the Lord--or ourselves? Are we willing to live by faith, trusting in God to use us for His purposes and know what is best for us? Or do we walk in fear, unwilling to take risks or step out of our comfort zones?

     Philip is a great example to us of one who lived a Spirit-led life. This Philip in Acts is not one of the original 12 disciples. After Christ’s death and resurrection, he is appointed with Stephen and 5 others to do the work of a deacon--feeding and caring for the poor, orphans, and widows in the early Christian community. He soon earns a reputation as an evangelist when persecution scatters the Church. He goes to Samaria to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ. The crowds listen eagerly, and a magician named Simon becomes one of his converts.

    Today’s passage immediately follows Philip’s mission in Samaria. Now an angel appears to him and tells him to take a wilderness road. His response is immediate and without protest. Verse 27 says, “so he got up and went.” Philip keeps his eyes and his heart open to the Spirit’s leading and he encounters a eunuch, an official in the court of the queen of Ethiopia. Now, I have heard Bible teachers sometimes talk about how the man was probably not welcome in the temple of Jerusalem because he was an Ethiopian and dark-skinned. But others say the problem wasn’t his nationality or skin color. In fact, some Ethiopians were Jewish! The main obstacle to his acceptance would have been his sexuality, which was in violation of Jewish purity laws. Eunuchs were neutered males, castrated before puberty so they would be deemed “safe” to serve among women of the royal household. Deut. 23:1 prohibits anyone who has been sexually mutilated from admittance to the assembly of the Lord.

   But Philip has no idea who is in the chariot or that he is reading the prophet Isaiah when he responds to the Spirit’s urging. Again, there’s no reluctance or hesitation. He runs to the chariot and offers to help the man understand the scripture he is reading. The eunuch invites him to get in. Because the Spirit has arranged this encounter, the eunuch trusts this lone stranger who suddenly appears and offers to help him interpret the Bible. Philip is eager to share the gospel with this worldly man, whose dress and royal chariot must certainly reveal his prestigious position in the queen’s court, a job open only to a eunuch.

    So now you understand the significance of this man, after becoming a believer, asking Philip, a Jew, who would not normally be permitted to worship with him, “What is to prevent me from being baptized?”

     Of course the answer is, “Nothing at all,” though Philip doesn’t speak. Christianity is open to all people. God’s love, revealed in the sacrifice of His Only Son, is for the whole world. The passage ends with Philip baptizing the eunuch, who goes on his way rejoicing. And Philip continues to allow the Spirit to lead him. He proclaims the good news of Jesus Christ everywhere he goes.

***

    What can we learn from this passage about living the Spirit-led life?

     First, living by the Spirit requires faith and a desire to please the Lord. Philip never questions whether the angel is from the Lord or the Spirit is God. His immediate obedience shows his desire to submit to the Lord and please Him. Philip knows that God has a plan for his life and he accepts God’s plan. He wants the Lord to use him for His purposes, for the salvation of the world. He doesn’t run from his calling! We, too, must trust that the Lord will use us for His work.

      Second, prayer is necessary, but don’t stop there. Yes, we must seek the Lord, and be in conversation with Him every day. Remember, prayer involves our speaking AND listening for His voice. But life in the Spirit doesn’t just happen as a result of prayer.  We have to be intentional about seeking God’s will and doing it! We have to be willing to respond to the Spirit’s leading.

     Three, the Spirit-led life involves taking risks like Philip and having the courage to obey! Often God’s will is not what is on our calendars or something that is familiar and comfortable for us to do! It may involve something we have NEVER done before in a place we have never gone with people we have not yet even met.

    And four, the Spirit-led life involves bringing the good news of Jesus Christ to the world, usually through relationships, one person at a time. Notice how active the Spirit was in Philip’s life as He sought to stir others to trust in the Lord, one by one. We aren’t living a Spirit-led life if we never study God’s Word or share our faith.

    What are some of the rewards of life in the Spirit? We have the peace of knowing that we are never alone! The Spirit that guides us lives inside us. We can always trust the Spirit to lead and empower us to do God’s will. And what a joy and privilege it is to see how the Spirit changes hearts and lives as we seek to draw others closer to Him.

Let us pray.

Loving God, we thank you for your Spirit that lives within us. Thank you that we can trust in you always to guide and empower us to do your will. Give us courage to take risks, Lord, like Philip, and go places we have never been and talk to strangers about your Word and our faith. Forgive us for becoming too comfortable, at times, in our own communities, not venturing far from our families, friends and neighborhoods. Stir us to move out of our comfort zones to meet and befriend new people. Fill us with a passion to help build your Kingdom, bearing witness to your Spirit changing hearts and lives, one by one. In Christ we pray. Amen.

Meditation for the Funeral Service for Merna Aalderks

May 2, 2015

      ‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, “What will we eat?” or “What will we drink?” or “What will we wear?” For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ‘So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today. (Matthew 6:25-34)

***

     I was out of town visiting my family when I learned that Merna had fallen and broken her hip. Sadness washed over me. My first thought was, “She was doing so well!” The previous Sunday, family and friends had visited her at Renvilla to celebrate her 85^th birthday. She felt strong enough to attend our communion service that afternoon in the nursing home chapel. It was a good day.

      Now she needed surgery, but she was too fragile. And Merna, who had suffered with Parkinson’s disease for years, had expressed the desire to go home to be with the Lord. She was ready.

      Since my return flight would not be for another 3 or 4 days, I worried that I might not make it back in time to say goodbye. I wanted to be there to comfort and support the family during her last days and moments with them. I shouldn’t have worried. I should have just trusted the Lord--that He had a plan. There would be time for all of our goodbyes. I was able to visit and pray with her and her family on several occasions. Once, I saw her smile and kick her feet under the covers when I whispered something silly in her ear. And I could tell she knew who I was. With two family members nearby, Merna died gently and peacefully in her sleep early Tuesday morning.

      She had lived at Meadows, the senior apartments, since about a year after her husband, Dick, of 54 years passed away in 2002. More recently, she had moved to Renvilla where she could receive more direct nursing care. She was only able to attend worship services a few times at Ebenezer since I have been the pastor here. Each time, it was for a youth program at Christmas or Easter, when two of her great-grandchildren, Trent and Katelyn, had speaking parts. That she came to church at all, with all her health challenges and difficulty getting around, was a testimony to her faith, and her great love for her family and her sisters and brothers in the Lord.

      If Merna had been well enough to talk to me on the phone after her fall, she would have encouraged me not to worry about her or rush back. She would have said, “Spend time with your parents!” She would have asked me how my Dad was feeling because she knew he had been ill. And she would have said, as she often did, “Get some rest and take care of yourself. We don’t want you getting sick!” This was Merna--having grace and concern for others.

       I never left Merna’s room without feeling loved and appreciated, though I had visited her to make sure she felt loved and valued by God and her church. Merna’s family visited almost every day, but I knew she was still lonesome, at times, homesick for her farm and family, especially in the late afternoon, as the sun went down. I was happy to hear that Merna found comfort in my sermons, which Melvin Bakker brought to her in hard copy each week. I was even pleased to hear that if Merna were feeling especially emotional or agitated, her son, Rick, would read her one of my messages. Sure enough, she would fall asleep. J

     Merna feared she would become a burden as her health grew more fragile. She didn’t want people to fuss over her or put themselves out to help her. It wasn’t pride; she just felt that she should be the one caring for and helping others. That was her calling in life.

      A couple of years ago, we featured Merna in our church newsletter in a column called, “Member Spotlight.” Interviewing her for the article, I asked her about her service to the church. She said that she liked to work with the women in the kitchen in the church basement. She quipped, “I wonder sometimes how they get along without me!” She remembered Easter pageants, Mission Fests, and making Kool-Aid and cookies for kids during the 2 weeklong Bible school every summer. She recalled “picnics of all kinds.” “Always a picnic,” she said. “Always something to eat.”

      I asked her about hobbies. “Hobbies?!” she said. “Who had time for hobbies?! I worked.”

     In addition to milking cows; caring for Dick, Phyllis, Ellen, David, Rick and Jean; and helping to care for chickens and pigs, this tiny lady hauled grain. If you asked how she lost the tip of her finger, she would have shared with you a story. She was loading the grain trailer with her son, Rick, one day and didn’t get her hand away quickly enough when the door slammed down. On the car ride to the hospital she was more concerned about the wellbeing of her driver--her daughter-in-law Cathie--than her hand. Cathie says Merna kept asking her the whole way to the hospital, “How are you doing?”

     When asked about her favorite memories, Merna talked about the church’s 100^th anniversary celebration in 2006. “We went all out,” she said. “Tables set up outside. Sophie Abbas and Laurel Dikken played the organ.”  We talked about her many years of involvement with “Ladies Aid,” now “Presbyterian Women.” She had served as president of Ladies Aid, she said with a twinkle in her eye. Others remember her gifts of hospitality and encouragement. Alice Beekman, who joined the church after she married Lawrence in December 1958, recalls how welcoming Merna was to her, how she picked her up and drove her to her first Ladies Aid meeting, probably in January 1959. And how one time, when she was helping to serve dessert with Ladies Aid, Alice forgot to bring the ice cream. Merna put her arm around her and told her not to worry about it, that everything would be OK. She was right, of course!

      If you visited Merna’s kitchen while she was living on the farm, she would offer you a delicious, home-cooked meal or a snack, such as freshly popped popcorn or her favorite, Rice Krispie Treats. You probably saw her many photos and read the many newspaper clippings that she posted on her refrigerator. Stories to make you smile or chuckle. Words that rang true for her. Her daughter, Jean, gave me one of these little clippings, yellowed with age, that she had saved from Merna’s collection. This is a letter to Ann Landers from a reader in Gary, Indiana.

     “Dear Ann: My grandmother didn’t go to school but she was very wise. Before she died 60 years ago, she handed me a slip of paper with ‘all the advice you’ll ever need to have a good life.’ Here’s what she wrote: “Wash what is dirty. Water what is dry. Heal what is wounded. Warm what is cold. Guide what goes off the road. Love people who are least lovable because they need it the most.”

    When I read this passage in Matthew chapter 6, I think of Merna. She would want us who are gathered to worship the Lord and honor her life to hear this passage. Friends, the Lord is telling us that he doesn’t want us to worry about anything. He is commanding us not to worry! God will provide for all our needs.

      Jesus says, “You see all these birds flying overhead? They don’t work at all. They don’t sow; they don’t reap. Yet, God feeds them! You are so much more valuable to the Lord than the birds! And now, do you see the lilies in the field? They don’t work, either. They don’t toil; they don’t spin. And look how beautiful they are! God takes care of them, too. Even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed as fine as these! But you, even you who have so little faith! You are so much more valuable to the Lord than lilies! God WILL take care of you!”

     Merna would want everyone to leave today’s service knowing God’s love for them. And that you are valuable to Him, no matter your age, or what you can or cannot do. What is important is believing on the Lord Jesus Christ, that His grace is sufficient for all your sins, and seeking to live by God’s Word and walk in Christ’s loving ways. Brothers and sisters, be kind to one another! Encourage one another! Have grace for one another. Forgive one another! Reach out to help people in need, even those who may be hard to love. This is what it means to, “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.” And God WILL take care of you!”