Donna Landsman Funeral

I wan to welcome all of you, on behalf of the family, to the celebration of Life of Donna Landsman. My name is Josh Hayden and I am the pastor here at Living Rock church. When Donna and I met, and in the many different conversations we had when she was able to attend here and when I called her at the nursing home, I always left with joy. She was such a joy to talk to. She was always encouraging to me and many other people around here. Another thing I always knew about Donna was that she loved Jesus. And that is where I believe the joy that she had came from. Her love for God was evident from the love for others and the joy she had in life. Which is why I think it is so fitting that she picked the two scriptures to read at her funeral. It summarizes the Gospel so well and her life lived out. Both are a little lengthy but every word is worth hearing.

English Standard Version Chapter 4

7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.

13 By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 19 We love because he first loved us. 20 If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21 And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.

The second text she chose was from Romans 12 and it is very similar to our first reading.

English Standard Version Chapter 12

9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. 17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

If you didn’t catch the theme in those tow verses, it is this: Love. God loved you so much, and now that love should be seen in your life to others. This was Donna’s pursuit in life and she did it so well. Not perfect, but really well.

A couple memories that I think are worth mentioning that I heard about with Brenda and Lou when planning the service was a phrase that seemed to echo throughout her whole life: Don’t be late for dinner! Which makes sense because she loved to cook and wanted the best for anyone she was cooking for. She wanted them to taste the delicious meal that showed them she loved them.

Another thing that Brenda shared with me was that when she fell and it was not going well she just kept saying, I just want peace. You have that now Donna. Eternal peace. And what is so comical and yet so Donna is that she was following this list of scripture along with holy week. And she passed away on a Saturday, not on easter because that was Jesus’ day and she didn’t want to make it about her. It was also Brenda’s birthday and she didn’t want to get in the way of that either! She was a selfless, loving, Jesus fearing person. The scripture that was what she read on that Saturday before passing away was Psalm 23. What are the odds, right? To read this right before meeting your good shepherd. To read this right before you get to walk with the one who has walked you through every valley? To read this right before you get to be in his presence forever, had to be amazing. So I want to read this, and then I will close with one more thought and pray.

English Standard Version Psalm 23

1  The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2  He makes me lie down in green pastures.

He leads me beside still waters.

3  He restores my soul.

He leads me in paths of righteousness

for his name’s sake.

4  Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil,

for you are with me;

your rod and your staff,

they comfort me.

5  You prepare a table before me

in the presence of my enemies;

you anoint my head with oil;

my cup overflows.

6  Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

all the days of my life,

and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD

forever.

The line that really stuck out to me regarding Donna was “You prepare a table before me” So many years she prepared the table and now Jesus has prepared a table for her next to him. And she has peace there. What I think she would ask all of us here if she was here would be are you going to be late for dinner?? Are you coming to dinner with the Lord? Is he your shepherd? Is he the one that you have been following so that when you come to the end of your life, you are seated next to him and feasting at his table? Donna would love to see you there if you hav’nt, and more importantly, Jesus wants you there as well.