5.5.24a 7.27.2026 Sermon for Funeral of Mayanne Lentz Psalm 116.15, Romans 8.9-11
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Entice: When A Godly person like Mayanne Lentz passes, family, friends, neighbors, and fellow Church members all share in the grief.
Yet because of our mutual faith,
our sorrow is tempered by joy,
our grief with celebration.
This is not a new reaction. In fact, many of the Psalmists engage with this variable economy of emotions saying things like what we read in,
15 Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.
Which honestly sounds great—unless you’re talking about your Mom, grandmother, or friend.
Engage: A curious sort might ask
“Why is the death of a Saint precious to the Lord?”
“Why is the death of a Saint precious to the Lord?”
It certainly seems like a tragedy here and now. Even when it is a long, well-lived life that has drawn to a close, any celebration is tempered by very real pain. Yes, the pain is real and piercing, even in circumstances like these when we well know that Mayanne lived a long, fruitful, faithful, admirable life.
Expand: The questions posed in the OT often find answers not in our curious speculation, but in NT affirmations.
In this case I think a valid and comforting answer can be found in Romans 8.9-11
9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
The answer is simple, profound, and comforting in this difficult time.
Explore:
The death of His Saints is precious to the Lord because they are His.
The death of His Saints is precious to the Lord because they are His.
Expand: Paul gives us, those Saints who remain, several reasons that the departure of God’s saints is precious. First,
Body of Sermon:
1 We are Redeemed.
1 We are Redeemed.
Because we are redeemed, we are
1.1 Filled with God’s Spirit.
1.1 Filled with God’s Spirit.
Because we are filled with God’s Spirit we
1.2 Belong to Him.
1.2 Belong to Him.
The next reason…
2 We are made Righteous.
2 We are made Righteous.
Mayanne was a good woman. More importantly she was a child of God. She did not depend on her own good life she depended on her life in Jesus. So…
2.1 Regardless of the decline, death, and decay of the flesh.
2.1 Regardless of the decline, death, and decay of the flesh.
her Spirit was alive to God.
2.2 The Sprit quickens us to righteous life in Christ.
2.2 The Sprit quickens us to righteous life in Christ.
Finally,
3 We are Resurrected.
3 We are Resurrected.
Like every Child of God, Mayanne’s renewed, resurrected life began when she rose from her baptism to “walk in the newness of life.”
3.1 Our new life was anticipated in the rising of Jesus.
3.1 Our new life was anticipated in the rising of Jesus.
3.2 By His Spirit we participate in His rising.
3.2 By His Spirit we participate in His rising.
Shut Down
So, amid our mixed feelings of pain, the sense of separation, and celebration we rejoice that one of God’s precious Saints, one of His beloved Children has been welcomed into His presence. Our momentary tears can soon give way to joyful reflection and empowering memories. Memories that help us to continue living a life like that we have seen in Mayanne.
It is very alluring to make this moment more cathartic and emotional than it is. Grief is a real end to our earthly sojourn with Mayanne Lentz. But those who belong to the Father are precious both in life and in death. We weep now for a moment. We will laugh and remember with joy. And one day we too will be welcomed into our eternal rest, with those blessed to be in the Father’s eternal presence.
