Celebration Service Heather

Heather Henderson

A marriage is a fine idea in itself, but it is not the core of what it has meant for my wife Jenny and I, and as we have heard from John, and from Chris and David and Stephen and Joanna, what we have heard is they shared a marriage, not based on being married together, but on a commitment to each other, expressed in love, expressed in companionship, and expressed lately in John caring for Heather deeply, and sacrificially.If you are single today, you may really want to be married, or to be in relationship. the huge takeaway I have from my knowledge of the past few years in John’s life, is that it is love for someone that far surpasses any ideal relationship.Possible Psalms for comfort:Matt 26:13 - the lady who anoints Jesus feet and head. For you will always have the poor with you but you will not always me.

So what possibly can I add to the story of this lovely lady’s life that hasn’t already been said.

We have been all privileged in some way to be able to have shared in Heather’s life.

But I would certainly feel that it would be remiss of me to not especially mention John, not only in his grief at being parted with his wife of 61 years, but for the beautiful care that he has shown.

I have conducted I think 5 wedding ceremonies, the earliest of which is only about 10 years ago. It may be that things can happen in the first 10 years of a marriage that will severely test it.

When I said my own vows to my wife Jenny - I promise before God and our friends here to endeavour to love you as Christ loved the church. To be a true friend and devoted husband, true to you in sickness and in health, in joy and in sorrow, in prosperity and in adversity. And forsaking others, I will keep myself to you and to you only, until the Lord shall come, or if death should separate us.

My vow I said with my whole heart, and its ramifications still are a deep challenge. But John, I am also deeply challenged by the way in which you have remained steadfast in your covenant with Heather, and that sentence “To be a devoted husband, true to you in sickness and in health, in joy and in sorrow, in prosperity and in adversity” - that sentence I have not seen more graphically presented than in the way that you have cared for your wife so specially for the last 10 years probably, but most specifically for the last 5.

Can you read along with me - I want to refer back to the life of Jesus for a moment:

(NLT)

Jesus Washes His Disciples’ Feet

Before the Passover celebration, Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and return to his Father. He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now he loved them to the very end. 2 It was time for supper, and the devil had already prompted Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. 4 So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, 5 and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.

6 When Jesus came to Simon Peter, Peter said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”

7 Jesus replied, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you will.”

I love this story from Jesus’ life. It was truly a turning moment in the whole history of the world. There is a world-famous historian - Edwin Judge - an Australian, actually, who has said that no rabbi or teacher from the Roman, Greek or Hebrew tradition would EVER do such a thing.

We now think of humility as a trait to be admired in our politicians or sportstars, especially in Australia. We only admire it now because of this incident in the life of Jesus. He completely broke the mold of leadership forever. As a Jewish teacher he should never have lifted a finger to any menial task, let alone this as one of the most menial.

So why am I mentioning Jesus in his humility and service?

As a Jewish teacher he should never have lifted a finger to any menial task, let alone this as one of the most menial.

Because John, I want to publicly honour you as someone who has really followed in the footsteps of Jesus in the way that you have cared for your wife over these last years. I have heard that every day, you have washed your wife’s feet, and tended her with such a tender heart and complete care that she remained free of pressure sores right up until the end.

tell you that this was such a beautiful thing. It is something that draws you into the same company as your Saviour Jesus. The Bible speaks about how when He comes we will be like him, because we will see him as he is.

Secondly, I want to acknowledge that John and Heather together were a team. 61 years together is a testimony to the covenant of marriage. I want to encourage everyone here to take this to heart. There is an African proverb that I really like : If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go with a friend. Haven’t we seen Mr and Mrs John Henderson go far together! Not just from Fletcher St Miranda to Kawungan, but through the lives of so many friends, and such a beautiful family. You have indeed gone very far together.

I like how the Bible book of Ecclesiastes puts it in Chapter 4:

“Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken”

John, I like this even more than the African Proverb because it takes us even further. You two have been strong together, but of course a Christian Marriage has three strands. God has been a part of your lives for more than 6 decades, and that is an amazing heritage. A Cord of three strands is not quickly broken. we have seen that God has seen fit to break one strand off this cord of three strands. But John, be comforted that Heather now has a companion that even you can’t match. Your hand is now not holding Heather’s, but hers is now firmly in her Lord Jesus’ hands. And she is experiencing the fulfilment of everything that she had been looking forward to for nearly all of her 86 years.

But it is your hand John, that is now empty, and although you have family and friends around you, there will be time where the grief of that emptiness will be tough.

And of course, what is true for John is also true in a lesser way for all of us, as we contemplate life without Heather. How do we cope with the emptiness of death?

Let me close with a tiny verse that has helped me understand God and understand myself over the past few years. My prayer is that it will help you, too.

(NIV)

15 For this is what the high and exalted One says—

he who lives forever, whose name is holy:

“I live in a high and holy place,

but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit,

to revive the spirit of the lowly

and to revive the heart of the contrite.

God is revealing his heart to us in this verse, and his location. Our normal view of God is sitting on his glorious throne. Read through Revelation and you will see him there in his terrifying power. But here is the truth: He is not ONLY on that throne. His other location on this morning is right here, with us. He is with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit.

I didn’t understand this at all until I spent significant amounts of time in Africa. I would see communities with people in lowly spirits. And as we would gather, pray and sing together, I would see this transformation take place. These African people would not turn away from their grief.

We have so many distractions and things to amuse ourselves, that at the slightest hint of disappointment or pain, we turn away from the pain and towards anything that will help us forget the pain. I would ask you not to do that this morning, even if you are tempted to do so. Rather, explore that grief and its implications.

Isaiah promises to us, that even if we enter that grief alone, as we experience that grief or even the fire as it is sometimes called in the Bible - the time of testing - that one more will be added into our group. In young men were thrown alive into a fire for disobeying the King. But as they watched the three became four.

It was a miracle of God’s presence then, and it will be a miracle again this morning. Jesus is right here with us. And he isn’t the God who is harsh and demanding. It is the God who we learned of when we looked at John’s example.

It is the Jesus who wants to gently wash our feet, to attend to our grief, with him weeping alongside our weeping. Sometimes weeping when we don’t even have the tears to weep.

I can tell you, this is one of the great mysteries of the world. You can have a life of continuous success, and yet if you haven’t experienced Jesus weeping alongside you, you will have missed the point of life completely. It is him that we are built for, but he comes to us, not in our high times, but when we are lowly and contrite. When we are walking through the valley of the shadow of death.

We are walking there now, and I know, more certainly than I know that my wife Jenny is sitting there, that Jesus is drawing close to us, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.

And that will allow us to experience both the tears of grief and the laughter of joy. We can celebrate together Heather’s life, and we can celebrate that Jesus is here to celebrate with us, and to tuck us under His protective arms and to whisper his peace and love to our hearts if we will just let him in. And once there, as John and Heather will testify, as I can testify, like those African brothers and sisters can - He will never let you go alone again, but will join hands with you until he presents you before His Fathers presence with exceeding Joy.

Let us close together with a prayer from the Bible:

(NIV)

Doxology

24 To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—25 to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.