Sermon for Lyn Hellwig

Scripture Readings

New Revised Standard Version: Updated Edition John 14

14 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And you know the way to the place where I am going.”

New Revised Standard Version: Updated Edition 1 John

1 We declare to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—2 this life was revealed, and we have seen it and testify to it and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us—3 what we have seen and heard we also declare to you so that you also may have fellowship with us, and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

God Is Light

5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with him while we are walking in darkness, we lie and do not do what is true; 7 but if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

The Wrong Question

Around here this week, we have all been seemingly asking the same question.

Why?

Why did we have to lose a friend so dearly beloved to us?

Why is it that Lyn has passed, when so many others get better?

Why wasn’t God listening to my prayers for healing?

Why does this hurt so much?

Perhaps a better pastor could stand up here and give you a better answer to the why questions.

I know that I have been asking those questions myself.

But you know, I actually think that why is the wrong question to be asking.

Firstly, we might never know the answer to why.

And in my experience, in the rare occasions when we get answers to those why questions, they often leave us unsatisfied.

So if I might be so bold, I think I have some better questions to ask.

Better Questions

Who is a better question than why

Who Lyn Was

Being the new guy here, I only met Lyn two or three times before she started treatments.

But man alive, did I ever get to know her through the people who loved her best.

So many people this week have told me that they didn’t know what to do, because in these situations Lyn was the one who they typically confided in!

So many people have told me that Lyn was a silent prayer warrior, keeping the needs of others on her heart at all hours of the day.

So many folks have told me that they’re trying to carry a cheerful attitude, because Lyn wouldn’t want us to be sad at her passing.

Lyn was a deep lover of people.

She was I’m told the unofficial mayor of Forrest Hills after all.

She loved all people, but of course she loved her family.

She was the keeper of the stories.

Her son Tyler told me that she would frequently tell him stories about himself that he had no memory of.

And in a beautiful tribute to her, I am told that in so many cases, and in so many ways, Lyn helped other people to find the light.

Anyone who walked in darkness, anyone who couldn’t find their way, anyone who seemed lost, Lyn would help, and nurture, and love back toward the light.

And in fact, I think I know who Lyn was because of who Lyn knew.

Who Lyn Knew

Lyn had a deep and abiding faith in Jesus Christ.

A little behind the scenes: sometimes pastors say this because people came to church every Sunday.

And church is great!

But a deep and abiding faith in Jesus makes itself known in a person’s life, and sure as we’re standing here I can see it in Lyn’s.

Jesus loved everybody he came across, and so did Lyn.

Jesus was the keeper of the story, and so was Lyn.

Jesus told us not to let our hearts be troubled, but to be overwhelmed with joy. I think Lyn borrowed from that playbook!

Jesus himself walked in the light, and Lyn knew how to follow in his footsteps.

Jesus was, is, and always will be the source of life.

And because of her deep love and abiding faith in Christ, Lyn knows that life even now, even in this very moment.

A friend of Lyn’s was kind enough to share with me a text that Lyn had sent to her just a short while ago.

“The cross is a beautiful reminder of what I know everyday. God and I speak often throughout the day and night and I thank him always for I know he is always there. I enjoy riding shotgun while he takes the wheel because only he knows the path he has laid for me. I just follow and do his will even when I’m not sure.”

And then the next line is about getting a cucumber mask, so I kind of tuned out…

But the truth is, Lyn very clearly knew Jesus.

And knowing him was central to who she was.

Where is a better question than why

Lyn knew the way

I love that Jesus makes this assumption of both his disciples and us.

You know the way to the place where I am going!

Lyn knew this too.

Lyn spent 29 years working here at Beulah Preschool to show others the way.

Lyn poured out countless energy and effort to make sure little ones knew in their very being the way.

Lyn helped people find the light because she knew the way.

One of the lines in the Presbyterian Liturgy for funerals that I love is that “We gather in the sure and certain hope of the resurrection.”

We gather in sure and certain hope that Lyn knew the way to Jesus.

We gather in the sure and certain hope that Lyn right this second rests in the arms of her savior Jesus, free of pain, and suffering, but rather filled with joy and awe and wonder.

And we gather in the sure and certain hope that through Jesus Christ we have not seen the last of Lyn.

We will meet together again in the Kingdom.

We will share more stories.

We will laugh harder than we’ve ever laughed before.

And we will bask in the glorious light of Christ.

When is a better question than why

We don’t know when that glorious reunion will come to pass for us.

But we do know that there will be plenty of whens in this journey of life.

There will be times when it gets dark, where we have a hard time seeing the light.

There will be times when we get lonely, and we miss our dear sister and friend.

And there will be times when we get stuck asking why, unable to understand the story in front of us.

I believe firmly that God has given us a gift for each of those whens in our lives.

When times get dark- we have our stories.

Take a moment and look around the room right now.

I have a sinking suspicion that everyone in here has an incredible story about Lyn’s impact in their lives.

Stories about inspiration.

Stories that will make you cry.

Stories about struggle and triumph.

Stories that will make you laugh.

And even a few of those I bet are stories that the pastor shouldn’t tell in church!

But that’s ok.

Because our stories are a gift.

I encourage you today brothers and sisters: When times get dark, share a story with someone.

Keep Lyn’s memory going by sharing the stories.

Keep folks laughing with stories that might defy logic.

Keep the stories going.

Because they are a gift.

When times get lonely- we have each other.

Again, look around the room.

We were pretty sure this would be a standing room only crowd…

Each of us gathered in this room right now, we all have something in common.

We all knew and were impacted by Lyn.

That means for those moments when you miss our dear sister, we have each other to lean on.

Call up close friends who knew Lyn well.

Share some of those stories.

And then when you’ve heard the stories, take some of that beautiful legacy and go make new stories!

The kind that Lyn will love to hear about in that great heavenly reunion.

When “why” sneaks up on us- we have our God

Why is a bit of a sneaky question, and it will probably find us all again.

That’s ok.

Because we have the gift of the God that Lyn knew so well.

We have a God who invites our prayers, both the neat and tidy and pious ones and the angry and frustrated and mournful ones.

We have a God who listens to the cry of the afflicted, who takes very seriously the needs and concerns of his people.

We have a God who wanted to show us the light, to help us walk in it, rather than getting lost in the cul-de-sac of why.

Lyn knew that God in Jesus Christ so very well.

It dripped off the story of her life.

I pray that we would all come to know that God in Christ as well.

In the sure and certain hope of resurrection:

We can be sure and certain that Lyn is with her savior this very day.

We can be sure and certain that we will one day meet with her again in the heavenly banquet hall.

We can be sure and certain that we will laugh together while we’re there.

And we can be sure and certain that Jesus Christ himself, light of the world, will walk with us until we get there.

Thanks be to God.