Luke 10:38-42
38 Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. 39 She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying. 40 But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.” 41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; 42 there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.” [1]
Bishop Hanson said recently; “At times like this it can be hard to trust the power of God’s life-giving promise in Christ. That is the work of the Holy Spirit for which we pray, ‘May it be so.’”
Alex, Chad and Sydney, you are here today, not alone, but with family, friends and fellow church members of your mother Sandy. Her sudden death has left so many of us in shock, disbelief, grief and sadness. As we go forward in our days, there may be times when we think of Sandy and begin to grieve again, have anger, sadness and even joy. Sandy was a devoted disciple of Christ. We all know how busy she was just in church. Sandy, like Christ took care of people, she was responsible for the pizza for confirmation, filled the candles, ironed banners and knitted prayer-shawls. Today we have prayer-shawl that Sandy knitted for others. Please, pass this one around and think of Sandy as you touch and smell it.
Like Martha in our text today Sandy has been busy in her life. Even in her last week Sandy was busy, busy in her fight to get well. Now, like Mary it is an opportunity for Sandy to relax and be with her Savior, our Savior. We do not believe that death is the end, but a beginning of a new chapter of our lives. Although it may be difficult at this time for many of us to see this, we know from the words of Jesus, that Mary and had chosen the right path in her faith, the one that now allows her to be with and attentive to the words of Jesus, which He said, “will not be taken from her.” Yes, now Sandy has that opportunity to be with Jesus, the one that sits at the right hand of His Father, our Father, God in heaven.
When we go throughout the coming days, there may be things that remind us of Sandy but these are opportunities to remember her in her life with Christ. In Sandy’s life, the Spirit was always present just like the Spirit is also present with us in the things we do. It may be difficult sometimes to feel this presence and we may have doubts. Today…. we may even have doubts, and doubts are normal, they can be a normal part of grieving and faith. It was Paul Tillich a famous theologian who said, “Doubt isn’t the opposite of faith, it is an element of faith.”
Hear these words of wisdom as given by the Celtic people.
Walking with Grief:
Do not hurry
as you walk with grief;
it does not help the journey.
Walk slowly,
pausing often:
do not hurry
as you walk with grief.
Be not disturbed
by memories that come unbidden.
Swiftly forgive;
and let Christ speak for you
unspoken words.
Unfinished conversation
will be resolved in Him.
Be not disturbed.
Be gentle with the one
who walks with grief.
If it is you,
be gentle with yourself.
Swiftly forgive;
walk slowly,
pausing often.
Take time, be gentle as you walk with grief.[2]
Jesus was gentle with both Mary and Martha when he visited their home and the same Jesus is still gentle with Sandy who suddenly took ill. But the illness doesn’t get the last word, Jesus does. Although we won’t see Sandy serving with single-minded determination here at church and with her family, we know she sits at the foot of Jesus and that… will not be taken from her. This is our hope, the hope in the resurrection.
We lift these words to you Oh Lord and ask that you help us to recall these words when we need them most.
And let all of God’s children say,
Amen
touching