Funeral for Bonnie Zurcher
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Prelude - Mike Wilson
Song - Alan Jackson - “I Want to Stroll Over Heaven With You”
Welcome, Scripture Reading, & Prayer - Rick
We would like to welcome you to this Celebration of Life Service for Bonnie Zurcher—as we celebrate her life and her Lord Jesus Christ.
One of my first memories of Bonnie is growing up in this church and as a kid in 4th, 5th, and 6th grade—she helped volunteer at a Wednesday night ministry called “Youth Alive.” one of her legacies is that she loved impacting kids and students, especially her own family in her kids and grandkids, and her spiritual church family.
so it is a great honor for me to be a part of this.
When I met with some of the family on Friday to plan the service, I asked what was one of Bonnie’s defining traits: and they all said stubborn. and in fact, their kids have inherited some of that stubbornness.
One dictionary defines stubborn as “having or showing a dogged determination not to change one’s attitude or position on something...” dogged determination....
and the family said this with love and laughter...
and sometimes we think stubborn can be negative, but I think there are some positives to that.
because if Bonnie were here today and telling me how she wants her funeral to go, she would want her funeral to be about God, about His Son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She would be stubborn about that we need to glorify Jesus.
so it is my prayer today to honor that—and be stubbornly focused on Jesus Christ and the Gospel, and to sense the presence of the Holy Spirit.
I want to read Psalm 23 today which draws our attention to God (in your bulletin).
A psalm of David.
1 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, 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 your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Let’s pray.
—thanking for her life
—praying for the family
—dedicating the service to God
—help us think about you, may you make our souls well in Jesus Christ
Congregational Singing: It is Well with My Soul and Because He Lives
Family Memories:
Robyn Grider - Niece
Lara Clouser - Granddaughter
Congregational Singing: In the Garden
Message: Pastor Rick Schwartz
We just sang “In the Garden...”
And In talking with the family about Bonnie, one of her favorite hobbies was gardening.
She had so many plants she invested in and gave away. She used the fruits of her labor to make all sorts of food, and she loved home grown tomatoes.
I want to use that image of the Garden and explore it in Scripture—because I think that will help us make sense of Bonnie’s life, death, and now eternity with Jesus and the hope we can all have.
The first place we see the image of the Garden show up in the Bible, is in the first 2 chapters of Genesis.
8 Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man (Adam) he had formed.
this of course is talking about Adam, and then Eve. God made all things by speaking. and God as a perfect gardener shaped and made Adam and then Eve.
And the first scene is this perfect paradise—where everything is great and there is no sin or evil in the world. God and man have the perfect relationship. Adam and Eve have the perfect relationships with each other and creation and themselves as well.
So Paradise is depicted as a garden—where we dwell with God and enjoy Him! we are taking walks with God in the Graden.
as part of that paradise—human beings are told to work the garden.
15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.
work is a part of paradise—it’s the image of gardening. (I believe there will be some type of work in heaven—the best work ever!)
our work that you and I do together—is a type of gardening—God made us to take the raw materials that He made and create, bring life, be creative, to glorify Him. gardening is an image of the work we do (whether we are in finance, business, teaching, medicine, hospitality, factory work, office work)
so right away—the garden is paradise with God and working.
That’s the image you and I were made to live—with God, enjoying Him forever—He designed us.
but it didn’t take long for that perfect image to break.
In Genesis 3, the serpent, Satan, tempts Adam and Eve. They eat from the tree that God told them not to...instead of trusting God they trusted Satan.
they sinned—they put themselves in the place of God.
and that introduced all kinds of consequences into the world.
because of that moment—
23 So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken.
24 After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.
b/c of that moment—there are so many consequences.
work is harder—we have thorns and thistles.
childbearing is harder.
relationships are broken—with God, others, and ourselves. marriage is harder.
and death now exists—physically and even spiritually where we can spend eternity away from God in hell.
We long for the day to get back to the Garden of Eden—paradise with God.
that’s what drives the rest of the Bible—which is our story—are we ever going to dwell with God in the garden again!?
as we keep going through the OT...
if you know the story of Israel—God called Abraham and Israel to be His chosen people—to be a light to the world.
They were slaves in Egypt. God sent Moses and the 10 plagues to get them out of slavery...and he took them through the desert—until they came to the Promised Land.
which is presented as a land flowing with milk and honey—basically a new garden. a new paradise where God would dwell with his people. God wanted to dwell with His people...
eventually the people of Israel get there to the New Garden, the Promised Land
—but it’s different now.
if we are going to dwell with God, we have to go to a temple, and a priest has to help us, and have to offer animal sacrifices for our sins. blood must be spilled to pay for our sins—because God takes sin seriously. He is a holy perfect God who loves us.
so even on the temple they build are images of palm trees and open flowers (along with cherubim) etched in gold throughout the temple—reminding us of the Garden.
so we can now dwell with God but it’s different—not quite the same as the original Garden of Eden.
we still long for that day when we can walk with God in the Garden in Paradise...
fast forward to the NT...and we see that theme of the Garden show up again with Jesus Christ in 2 ways:
#1—we learn that Jesus’ mission—why he came was to be that sacrifice for our sins. He was the Son of God sent on a mission to rescue us from our sin, to restore us to God, to be forgiven. to deal with our sin problem.
and so right before he goes to the cross to pay for our sins… we see Jesus in a Garden—the Garden of Gethsemane...
39 Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him.
40 On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.”
41 He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed,
42 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”
43 An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him.
44 And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.
Jesus is in a Garden—-surrendering to His Father’s will.
He was suffering because on the cross—Jesus who never sinned—He was perfect, took on our sin in our place. blood must be shed for the forgiveness of sins...and God loved you and I so much He sent His only Son into the world to pay for our sins. It’s amazing!!
God did this while we were His enemies...
so if you are here and wondering—does anyone love me? God does—because He sent His Son to pay for our sins...
thankfully in this garden—Jesus—the 2nd Adam, unlike the 1st Adam and Eve, didn’t fail or sin. He made a radical decision to be faithful to the end—and reverse the curse and our sin.
When Jesus died and was buried—John 19:41
41 At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid.
and then 3 days later—Jesus rose bodily from the grave..
and he meets a woman named Mary Magdalene in a garden
11 Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb
12 and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.
13 They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?” “They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.”
14 At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.
15 He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”
16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).
so this is good news! the resurrection scene plays out in a garden.
Jesus’ resurrection proves that sin is paid for...death is defeated...you and I can have a relationship with God now and for eternity—which changes everything....
it’s personal—Jesus calls out Mary—it’s like He’s calling you today… “Deryll, Tim, Lara...”
These Gardens show the storyline of the Bible...
and this is good news for us...
you see—if you want to dwell with God now and forever in paradise—-you want to deal with your sin before the maker of the Universe the Bible...you have to understand—you don’t work for it.
You can’t do more good than bad to outweigh it. It’s not possible!
instead you have to do what I call the ABC’s
Admit you are a sinner...admit you have fallen short of God’s glorious standard—made a mess of your life. this is often the hardest part...am I really that bad? I am not as bad as so and so...but the Bible says even are desires—our hearts—are wicked. we are selfish...we put ourselves in the place of God. so admit it before God. Admit you need help. admit your sin has offended God and that you deserve death and eternity away from Him.
B - Believe—Believe Jesus Christ lived the life you failed to live...believe he died the death you deserve on the cross for our sins. believe He rose from the grave. Believe He did it all for you—purely out of his grace and mercy. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this not from yourselves it is the gift of God...not by works so no man may boast. (Eph. 2:8)
C - Confess - Confess now that Jesus is your King and Lord. You and I are no longer calling the shots...but He is. I surrender everything to Him. Luke 9:23
23 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.
It’s like we have to allow Jesus to be the perfect gardener in our life—pulling out the weeds in our heart, and planting something new, centered on Him. It’s painful but healing!
so...
Admit
Believe
Confess...
and the Bible says if you give your life to Jesus...you are made new. it’s like you are born again. You have new life. You are forgiven. You know God forever! You get brothers and sisters in Jesus—a new family. You have gone from darkness to light.
and when you die—death will not be the end—you will be with Jesus
43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (a garden)
Jesus said that while on the cross to one of those crucified beside him.
and one day—Jesus is going to come back and make all things new.
the final image of heaven — is a Garden and a City—a Garden City—the New Jerusalem, the new Heaven and earth
1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb
2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.
God’s story is from one garden at Eden—to the final garden at the end.
I want to give you a chance to respond: (non-believers_
A
B
C
for those who already know Jesus and knew Bonnie—what changes is God calling you to make today? none of us know the day God will call us home? How can we leave a legacy everyday for Jesus?
CMA - Christian Motorcycles Association since 1999 - raised money for Run for the Son - a cause to fund biker evangelism in the United States and around the world. Website “Over the past 37 years Run for the Son has played an important role in 39.4 million salvations in 194 countries around the globe.
Mission trips to Haiti...
Congregational Singing: When We All Get to Heaven
Benediction: Pastor Rick Schwartz
Please stand with me for the benediction.
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die;
26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
Let’s pray.
You are welcome to join us at the cemetery at MRE for the burial and committal.
and you are invited to a meal at the South Adams Senior Center here in Berne, just east of Lehman Park by the pool—address is on the back of your bulletin at the bottom.
At this time, I want to invite the funeral director forward. He and I will lead the casket out, followed by the family...while we are leaving, we ask that you remain where you are. Once we have left the sanctuary, you are dismissed.
Postlude: Mike Wilson
Committal Service -
As we get ready to lay Bonnie’s body to rest, a few reminders:
Death is an enemy. We were not originally created to die, but to be with God for eternity—in His life giving presence, but because Adam and Eve sinned, one of the consequences they introduced was death into the world. So we are reminded of that today. If death feels unnatural and like an enemy that’s why. It’s ok to grieve and cry out to God because of this.
We are reminded that thankfully—Bonnie’s hope, Savior, and Lord is Jesus Christ.
But death is not the end of the story. Since Jesus Christ came, lived, died on the cross, and rose on our behalf, death can be dealt with because Jesus dealt with sin and thus dealt with death. And that is good news! Jesus took the death penalty for our sin on our behalf if we believe and trust in Him.
and because of that Scripture says that to be absent from the body is to be present with Christ. The Apostle Paul said in Philippians that he desired to “depart” (die) and be with Christ. so we are confident with a certain hope—that Bonnie is with Jesus Christ now. Her body is here—but she is not really here—her soul is with Jesus Christ.
and #3 - we are reminded that Bonnie is experiencing gain and joy in Christ. Paul said it like this in Philippians. Philippians 1:21-23
21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
22 If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know!
23 I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far;
Bonnie has experienced gain in Christ.
1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.
2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.
4. We are also reminded today that one day, if Jesus is our Lord and Savior, we will see Bonnie again. Today, is more like a see you later, rather than a final goodbye. When we die or Jesus comes back first, we will join Bonnie in heaven with Jesus face to face and all Christians around the throne of God. so Scripture says we do not grieve like those who have no hope.
5. We are also reminded today that one day—when Jesus returns and sets up his eternal kingdom—the new heaven and new earth—all Christians will get a new, physical resurrection body like Jesus’ resurrection body. We will touch, taste, and experience life in a new resurrection body that will never decay, get old or tired, get cancer or disease. We have this hope because Jesus died and rose from the grave
20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
42 So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable;
43 it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power;
44 it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.
54 goes on to say....“Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
55 “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”
56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Let’s pray:
Father, we thank you for the time that you gave Bonnie on this earth, and the tremendous blessing and leader she was to her family, and the legacy she left. We thank you for her. At the same time, we also miss her, and grieve.
So I pray that you would comfort this dear family and friends who miss and love Bonnie. Walk with them day by day, Embrace them; wrap your arms around them.
But we are reminded we have tremendous hope—b/c of Jesus, Bonnie lives, and we will one day see her again.
So Father, we commit Bonnie’s body to the ground, ashes to ashes, dust to dust, knowing that Bonnie is not here, she is with you, and one day you will raise and give her a new resurrection body when you renew all of creation. Thank you again Father for the tremendous hope we have in Christ. In Jesus’ name—Amen
Turn it over the funeral home. Please take all the time you need out here today.
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