Monday, March 3, 2008
It's Official!
Well, finally got orders and further instructions! After school in Ft. Jackson, SC, I will be going on to Ft. Hood, TX, where I will be part of the 1st Cavalry Division. I am excited that things are moving and shaking!
Lloyd Sittler Funeral Sermon
What can be said about a man like Lloyd Sittler? Some one like me, who knew Lloyd only for the last few years of his life cannot do this man justice or give him the honor he deserves.
This was a man who as a young man would see a plane in the sky and say, "Someday, that will be me." This was a man who did not shy away from adventure or back down from a challenge:
• a man who, in 1940, rode across the country to California to go to school.
• a man who would elope with the woman he loved;
• a man whose hands built B-25 bombers, a man who those who flew those planes would trust with their lives;
• a man who fulfilled his dream of flying and experienced WWII, the Korean War, and Vietnam
This was a man who traveled around the world with experiences others only dream of:
• a man who took his family to Japan and Turkey
• a man who stood in the shadows of the statues on Easter Island in wonder;
• a man who would drive to Alaska--twice!
• a man who taught his children the meaning of words like character, honor, faith, and love.
So I ask again, can someone who knew Lloyd only in the last years of his life adequately describe him?--probably not. But there are a few things about Lloyd I do know. When I met Lloyd, his life had changed
• he stayed home more and more, yet when he and Mildred came to church, he was always ready with a firm handshake, a big smile, and a hug for my girls.
In his last months, Lloyd didn't speak much, yet he was always ready with a smile, and eager to hold someone's hand.
The man that held the lives of hundreds of airmen in his hands now found his life in the hands of those who would provide care for him. Is there dishonor or shame in that? Not at all. It was simply a change in roles, a shift in responsibilities. Yet these things frustrated Lloyd to no end--he felt somehow diminished, yet Lloyd also discovered, perhaps only through his experiences, the truth of Paul's words to the church at Rome, "that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God... in all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Scripture reminds us that this body is but a shell--that it is perishable. But through faith in Jesus Christ, we have victory over death--and this perishable body must put on imperishability.
Friends, Lloyd was a man of character and honor. He lived his life well, serving his country, his fellow man, and his wife and family well. And Lloyd found it a great honor to have served his Lord, Jesus Christ. Today we honor this man with our words and praise, and I believe that he has received an even greater honor. The honor I speak of is not found in our words or actions, but solely in our faith. The honor I speak of is the welcoming embrace of Jesus Christ and hearing those coveted words--"Well done, good and faithful servant."
Let us honor Lloyd today with our words and remembrances and honor Christ with our lives, so that through faith, we can point to Lloyd's victory today and echo his words, "Someday, that will be me."
This was a man who as a young man would see a plane in the sky and say, "Someday, that will be me." This was a man who did not shy away from adventure or back down from a challenge:
• a man who, in 1940, rode across the country to California to go to school.
• a man who would elope with the woman he loved;
• a man whose hands built B-25 bombers, a man who those who flew those planes would trust with their lives;
• a man who fulfilled his dream of flying and experienced WWII, the Korean War, and Vietnam
This was a man who traveled around the world with experiences others only dream of:
• a man who took his family to Japan and Turkey
• a man who stood in the shadows of the statues on Easter Island in wonder;
• a man who would drive to Alaska--twice!
• a man who taught his children the meaning of words like character, honor, faith, and love.
So I ask again, can someone who knew Lloyd only in the last years of his life adequately describe him?--probably not. But there are a few things about Lloyd I do know. When I met Lloyd, his life had changed
• he stayed home more and more, yet when he and Mildred came to church, he was always ready with a firm handshake, a big smile, and a hug for my girls.
In his last months, Lloyd didn't speak much, yet he was always ready with a smile, and eager to hold someone's hand.
The man that held the lives of hundreds of airmen in his hands now found his life in the hands of those who would provide care for him. Is there dishonor or shame in that? Not at all. It was simply a change in roles, a shift in responsibilities. Yet these things frustrated Lloyd to no end--he felt somehow diminished, yet Lloyd also discovered, perhaps only through his experiences, the truth of Paul's words to the church at Rome, "that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God... in all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Scripture reminds us that this body is but a shell--that it is perishable. But through faith in Jesus Christ, we have victory over death--and this perishable body must put on imperishability.
Friends, Lloyd was a man of character and honor. He lived his life well, serving his country, his fellow man, and his wife and family well. And Lloyd found it a great honor to have served his Lord, Jesus Christ. Today we honor this man with our words and praise, and I believe that he has received an even greater honor. The honor I speak of is not found in our words or actions, but solely in our faith. The honor I speak of is the welcoming embrace of Jesus Christ and hearing those coveted words--"Well done, good and faithful servant."
Let us honor Lloyd today with our words and remembrances and honor Christ with our lives, so that through faith, we can point to Lloyd's victory today and echo his words, "Someday, that will be me."
Ruth Rine Funeral Sermon
As I listen to the words of scripture read to us today, I hear in them a definite progression of ideas. First, the passage from Isaiah reminds us of the fleeting nature of the life that we live--that life is but a vapor, a fragile and delicate thing which passes all too quickly and inevitably. We shared together the reading of the 23rd Psalm--a passage that reminds us that throughout this fragile and fleeting life, God is with us--even in times of pain and sorrow, and that God's provision and gentle care remains. The passage from Revelation describes to us the future that awaits--a glorious gathering of people from every nation, tribe, and tongue to give praise to God in the New Creation "for the old has passed away and all is made new." Finally, Christ comes close to us, as we hear again the words spoken to those closest to him in his last days before he gave himself for us on the cross.
These passages present to us a reassurance of the ebb and flow of life, and God's presence, provision, and care within it. I believe that Ruth was well aware of these words and ideas. She had a firm grasp on the realities of that a life of faith provides, and tried to share those ideas through her actions as a wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother.
Ruth cared for her family deeply and found great joy in caring for them and providing for them. Even in the last week of her life, she thought more of them than of herself, concerned that they had not eaten--I'm sure that if she had been able, she would have had something waiting for everyone who came to visit, even if it was only something as simple as her cookies.
But those last days are only a glimpse of who Ruth was--she lived life to the fullest. She loved to dance, to play golf, to go to Las Vegas, and to follow Nebraska football. Even then, it seemed, she knew how fleeting life was, and celebrated each moment, cherishing those closest to her. She was a servant to her family and to others, sharing whatever she had, whether it was a hot meal or simply the knowledge of how to sew and cross-stitch.
Ruth's understanding of God and her relationship with Christ helped her to know the value of these moments spent with those near and dear, and while she would have rejoiced that her family was together, she would ask that today would be a celebration--a time of rejoicing that she has awakened in heaven.
Ruth knew well that life was more than simply surviving. Life needs purpose and meaning. Life is not always fair, or fun, or even pleasant. Yet, life can have meaning beyond day-to-day existence. Ruth found that meaning in Jesus Christ, and wanted you to know that truth, sharing her faith through the care she provided, and through her embrace of the good things in life.
Some of you may know that Ruth was well aware that her time among us was coming to a close. After this past Christmas, she began speaking more of joining her husband--how she missed him and longed to be with him again. Imagine her joy today as they dance together to the sounds of Glenn Miller and Tommy Dorsey, while the smell of Grandpa's catfish cooking wafts across heaven tonight.
Rejoice! For Ruth knew the joy that awaited her--not just a reunion with her husband, but the embrace of Jesus Christ her Lord, thanking her for the care she gave to her family and her daily witness to others throughout her life of faith. Imagine her joy as she hears those words, "Welcome home--well done, good and faithful servant."
These passages present to us a reassurance of the ebb and flow of life, and God's presence, provision, and care within it. I believe that Ruth was well aware of these words and ideas. She had a firm grasp on the realities of that a life of faith provides, and tried to share those ideas through her actions as a wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother.
Ruth cared for her family deeply and found great joy in caring for them and providing for them. Even in the last week of her life, she thought more of them than of herself, concerned that they had not eaten--I'm sure that if she had been able, she would have had something waiting for everyone who came to visit, even if it was only something as simple as her cookies.
But those last days are only a glimpse of who Ruth was--she lived life to the fullest. She loved to dance, to play golf, to go to Las Vegas, and to follow Nebraska football. Even then, it seemed, she knew how fleeting life was, and celebrated each moment, cherishing those closest to her. She was a servant to her family and to others, sharing whatever she had, whether it was a hot meal or simply the knowledge of how to sew and cross-stitch.
Ruth's understanding of God and her relationship with Christ helped her to know the value of these moments spent with those near and dear, and while she would have rejoiced that her family was together, she would ask that today would be a celebration--a time of rejoicing that she has awakened in heaven.
Ruth knew well that life was more than simply surviving. Life needs purpose and meaning. Life is not always fair, or fun, or even pleasant. Yet, life can have meaning beyond day-to-day existence. Ruth found that meaning in Jesus Christ, and wanted you to know that truth, sharing her faith through the care she provided, and through her embrace of the good things in life.
Some of you may know that Ruth was well aware that her time among us was coming to a close. After this past Christmas, she began speaking more of joining her husband--how she missed him and longed to be with him again. Imagine her joy today as they dance together to the sounds of Glenn Miller and Tommy Dorsey, while the smell of Grandpa's catfish cooking wafts across heaven tonight.
Rejoice! For Ruth knew the joy that awaited her--not just a reunion with her husband, but the embrace of Jesus Christ her Lord, thanking her for the care she gave to her family and her daily witness to others throughout her life of faith. Imagine her joy as she hears those words, "Welcome home--well done, good and faithful servant."
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