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The Twenty-Fourth Sunday After Pentecost
O God, whose blessed Son was manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil and make us children of God and heirs of eternal life: Grant us, we beseech thee, that, having this hope, we may purify ourselves even as he is pure; that, when he shall appear again with power and great glory, we may be made like unto him in his eternal and glorious kingdom; where with thee, O Father, and thee, O Holy Ghost, he liveth and reigneth ever, one God, world without end. Amen. (Proper 27)
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The Twenty-Fourth Sunday After Pentecost
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Scripture citation(s): Wisdom 3:1-9; I Thessalonians 4:13-18
A Sermon by
The Rev. Canon Carl Turner
on
Wisdom 3:1-9; I Thessalonians 4:13-18
✛
Encourage One Another
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We live in an age when many funeral customs have all but disappeared in many societies. Gone are the days of washing and preparing the body, gathering with the body and telling stories and even feasting. Many funerals do not even have the body present at all. I want to encourage you as members of Saint Thomas Church to think about this. I also want to encourage you to prepare for your own funerals and request that a Requiem mass is offered – the most natural way for the Christian Community to celebrate a person’s life, share in common sorrow but all in the midst of the hope of resurrection through our Lord Jesus Christ who has overcome death and the grave. As we heard in our first lesson, there are many in the world who see death as a disaster: “In the eyes of the foolish they seemed to have died, and their departure was thought to be a disaster, and their going from us to be their destruction.”
This is the attitude that we often meet when the subject of death is raised. There can be so much denial and so little said when, in fact, there is so much to celebrate.
But what does the writer go on to say?
“…but they are at peace. For though in the sight of others they were punished, their hope is full of immortality.”
And in our epistle reading Paul says this: “we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage [comfort] one another with these words.”
One of the precious things about priestly ministry is having access to people at times of great sadness and bereavement. Many a time I have braced myself at the door before meeting someone for the first time and wondering what kind of reception I would receive. As a Church of England priest I often took the funerals of people I had never even met when they were alive, but in almost every visit there was a real desire to talk about the person and to share their story.
In the prophecy of Isaiah there is a beautiful image of a person’s life journey described as a tapestry or carpet. As you know, when a carpet or tapestry is being woven, as it grows in size it is impossible to carry on without rolling it up and the roll becomes bigger and bigger but the pattern becomes obscured. It is only when the rug or tapestry is complete that the weaver cuts it off from the loom and unrolls it. Isaiah says: “like a weaver I have rolled up my life; he cuts me off from the loom.” (Isaiah 38:12) This process of being cut off from the loom in which the rug was made is a process of separation; it is necessary in order for the rug to be of any use. But the most beautiful thing of all is the unrolling of the carpet and the rich tapestry with its unique pattern is revealed.
Paul says, “Therefore encourage one another.”
Let us encourage one another with the words of the Lord himself that we heard in our Gospel reading today; “the hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.”
Of course, we are taught that with death also comes judgment. The beautiful carpet with its rich colors and pattern is spread out for all to see but it is also now possible to see the flaws that were created during its making. Just as death can seem sudden and harsh, so we can fear judgment and our own flaws being revealed. But, then again, that is human perception and not God’s wisdom. Perhaps judgment might be less of an ordeal and more a means of growth into the loving embrace of God. I have said many times that I do not believe that death is an end but a new beginning and that our souls journey towards God. For some, that journey will be hard – meeting God who is pure love and forgiveness may be too much for some to accept all at once – perhaps some will want to roll their tapestry up again for it will seem safer to do so. Michael Ramsey used to talk about purgatory not as a place of torment but a stage of the journey when the Christian soul comes to terms with the hurt and the harm that it has caused on earth, and the forgiveness of God, which is infinite. As I mentioned last week on All Saints’ Day, Philip Sheldrake once said, “Holiness is a process, a continual movement towards God.” (Explorations in Spirituality)
In the same vein, I love the late Cardinal Basil Hume’s definition of judgment. His definition is exactly what we proclaim today in this Requiem Mass – and remember, my friends, when we give Communion to the dying we call it viaticum – which means ‘food for the journey’. When the day comes for you and for me to make our own journey to God, I hope and pray that Basil Hume’s definition rings true for you and for me. He once told the story of a funeral at which an old priest began his homily “I want to talk to you about judgment.” Cardinal Hume said that you could feel the congregation’s dismay, but the priest continued; “Judgement,” he said, “is whispering into the ear of a merciful and compassionate God the story of my life which I had never been able to tell.” (To be a pilgrim.)
