Psalm 46:1 – God is
our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
a very present help in trouble.
2
Corinthians 4:13-18 - Since we have the same spirit of faith
according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also
believe, and so we also speak, 14 knowing
that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus
and bring us with you into his presence. 15 For it
is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it
may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.
16 So we do not lose
heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner
self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this
light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory
beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the
things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are
seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
Matthew
7:24-27 - “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them
will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And
the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house,
but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And
everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a
foolish man who built his house on the sand.27 And the
rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house,
and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”
Grace, mercy and
peace to you from God our Father through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. Our
texts for today are those just read, especially Woody’s confirmation verse,
“God is our refuge and strength.” Thus
far our text.
Dear friends in
Christ, especially Family and Friends.
74 years ago, Woody Medenwaldt knelt here at this rail, and the pastor
spoke these words, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in
times of trouble.” This verse is one
very near and dear to us Lutherans, it’s the words Martin Luther took and
turned into our beloved hymn, “A Mighty Fortress is our God,” a hymn we’ll sing a week from tomorrow at our church
Reformation Day service.
And there really
is no better time than now, today, here at the loss of a dear one to remember
these words of God, because today we really do need a refuge. Because today, more than any other day, we
feel tossed and terrorized by the pain and sorrow of this sinful world. We’ve watched as a beloved husband, father
and grandfather slowly succumbed to small strokes. We’ve watched as his memory has slowly gotten
worse, and as dementia set in. We knew
this day was coming, and we dreaded it and its consequences.
It’s the sin of
the world that brings these things about in our lives. Sin that infects us through and through, sin
that also infected Woody. We are guilty
of sin, and God clearly says in scripture that the one who sins must surely
die. Outwardly, our bodies waste
away. We all are slowly dying because of
sin. And so too are many of our loved
ones, and we understand that terrible reality clearly today.
And yet, in the
face of this, our scripture lessons make several promises to us. First – that even as our outer selves are
wasting away and dying, our innerself is being renewed daily. How?
In the waters of baptism, that wash away our sins, by connecting us to
the death and glorious resurrection of Jesus Christ. St. Paul tells us that the struggles we face
in our own health and in the health of loved ones is just a “Light momentary
affliction” when compared with the glorious promise of heaven with Jesus.
Furthermore, we
know that as we face the challenges and struggles of this world, that we are
safe and secure in the arms of our God.
And the very same thing could be said for Woody. Even as he had his first stroke, God was
caring for and providing for him through the hands of doctors, nurses and
family members who cared for him. Even
as his outward self was wasting away, God was his refuge from the terrors of
this sinful world, keeping him safe in the ark of the holy church. God was his strength, allowing him to face
each day.
And now, that
Woody is no longer with us here, he is forever in the arms of Christ. He is kept safe in the refuge of Heaven, in
God’s presence day and night. No longer
does Woody face sorrow or pain, no longer does he hunger or thirst, no longer
is his mind clouded, but it is forever more clear. No longer does he struggle, but he is
comforted by the God who created and sustained him throughout all his
days.
It is the same God
who wanted to be with you and with Woody forever. So much so that he took your sin, your shame,
and your guilt upon himself, and suffered and died on the cross that it might
be forgiven, and that we might hide in the shelter of his wings forever.
Dear friends. God is a Mighty Fortress. He has been a refuge and strength for Woody,
and even forevermore will continue to be.
He is a present help in times of trouble, a help that even death itself
cannot over come. In the name of Jesus. Amen.
