Funeral Sermon – Elaine Turner – 24 April 2017.

Family and friends of Elaine, grace and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen

The text for our meditation is written in the 2^nd Chapter of the Gospel according to St Luke: Verses 25-32, with the focus on the song of Simeon.

²⁵ Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. ²⁶ It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. ²⁷ Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, ²⁸ Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying,

²⁹ 

“Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace,

    according to your word;

³⁰ 

for my eyes have seen your salvation,

³¹ 

    which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,

³² 

a light for revelation to the Gentiles

    and for glory to your people Israel.”

I know a man about 20 years my junior. I first met his mother when his father died suddenly. At that time my relationship with her was pastoral. A couple of years later, this man’s mum came to visit him in Mackay and he invited Carol and I out to lunch to catch up with his mum. Over a very relaxed lunch, we chatted about many things, opinions were expressed, feelings were related and in general we had a good old fashion chin-wag.

The next day I bumped into the man and he said to me “I have known my mum for 40 years, and yesterday at lunch, when I sat back and listened to her I found out many things about her that I have never known.”

Through our very close 22-year friendship with Elaine, Carol and I had the privilege to gain a very comprehensive personal insight into Elaine the mother / grandmother, Elaine the business woman, Elaine the wife, Elaine the friend, Elaine the person, and most importantly Elaine the Christian.

To use an old saying, sometimes in families it is very difficult to ‘see the wood for the trees” – or simply “ we are unable to understand a situation clearly because we are too involved in it.”

I am not for a minute suggesting that there are any of Elaine’s family who did not have love and respect for her; no not at all! I do want you to know however, that right throughout the good times, the challenging times, the trials and tribulations, Elaine held an enduring and deep love for each and every member of her family, and wanted only the best for each and every one of them. This was the love of a mother, a grandmother, a friend – this was an enduring, patient love that was firmly imbedded in the Christian faith that she held so dear. Elaine was always sure that there were better things to come in this life on earth and eternally in heaven, and she wanted those things for her family and friends as well.

Elaine was born into time on 10^th February 1936. She was Baptised into the Christian Faith as an infant and confirmed as an adolescent teenager. She lived her life as a devout Christian, and died in Christ on 16^th April, in the year of our Lord 2017. (That was Easter Sunday the day our Saviour Jesus Christ rose from the dead).  In the Bible the Book of Revelation ^(14:13) tells us “‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” ‘Blessed indeed,’ says the Spirit, ‘that they may rest from their labours, for their deeds follow them!’”

 What of this Simeon I read about? Well Simeon was an old man who had faith in the promise of the Old Testament that a Saviour would come and rescue the world from sin and death. When he saw the infant Jesus was brought into into the Temple by His parents he knew this was the one he had be waiting his whole life to meet. This was Jesus Christ the Saviour of the world. So it is no surprise that Simeon took this little baby into his arms and prayed:

Now Lord, set your servant free,
in peace according to your word;
because my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared before the face of all peoples,
a light that reveals you to all nations
and brings glory to your people Israel.

Simeon was full of joy because he knew what Elaine and all Christians down through the centuries knew – That through this Saviour Jesus Christ we can depart this world in peace confident of a life in eternity free from sin, trouble, sickness and pain.

That’s a big deal, every day we give in to temptation, we sin; and because our human nature is weak we are, like Simeon, slaves to sin. That’s is why Easter is so important – Jesus died on a cross to take the punishment for us, for our sin; and three days later He rose from the dead so that in Him, we can have eternal life and eternal peace.

That is the beauty of this verse; it’s called “The Song of Simeon”, (or the Nunc Dimittis). God’s promise in His written Word, is that all who seek and find Jesus, like Simeon, will find freedom and peace here on earth and when we depart from it. There is salvation. There is life. There is new creation and hope for all mankind.

Elaine longed to be set free. Free from the sickness that had plagued her off and on for many years. Fee from worry and fear for herself and her family. She longed for that freedom which only Christ can give. I was recently struck by the fact that most of the pictures of Elaine I have seen and the stories she has told me was all about being outside, being active.  To be stuck in a bed, trapped in a body that isn’t working the way it is supposed to, must have been a great hardship for her to bear. How she must have longed to be free, and to be at rest and peace from all of the pain that plagued her!

Like Simeon, Elaine clung to her faith in her Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Just before Easter as she lay in bed, she knew the voice of her Saviour in the words of the Lord’s Prayer. We prayed it together. As we prayed I was reminded of Psalm 73 where the psalmist cried out so many years ago, “My heart and my flesh fail me, but you are the rock of my heart and my portion forever.”

We who remain grieve our loss, but we can have confidence that Jesus Christ, who died and rose again from the dead, will raise up all believers. Elaine has been set free, and we will see her again.

According to God’s Word, Elaine believed and was Baptised. With the Word, Elaine lived her life of faith in the Church. Through the Word of God, Elaine received Christ at Holy Communion. She received the very Body of Jesus born of Mary — the very Blood of Jesus shed on the cross; and for a thousand times and more, after the Lord’s Supper, she sang the ancient liturgy of the church. She sang the song of Simeon

♫ ♬ Lord, now let your servant depart in peace :

according to your word.

For my eyes have seen your salvation :

which you have prepared in the presence of all people;

a light to reveal you to the nations :

and the glory of your people Israel.

Glory to the Father, and the Son :

and the Holy Spirit;

As it was in the beginning, is now :

and will be for evermore.  Amen. ♫♫

 Be at peace, Elaine. Be at rest beautiful lady, and we look forward to the day where we are reunited with you again in heaven. In the name of Jesus. Amen.