The Lord is our rock.

We are gathered here today…

As we are gathered to both remember and celebrate the life of Laura Mae Kreider, in many ways we are also here to honor the ways in which we saw God work in and through the life of Laura. Thank you both friends and family for gathering together as we remember Laura , not forgetting Lester, and for supporting the Kreider family.

We’re also here to honor the ways in which we saw God work in and through the life of Lester.

Today, we also gather as support for Laura Mae and the Kreider family.

Thank you both friends and family for gathering together as we remember Lester and as we gather to celebrate his impact on our lives and in the lives of his family and community.

As we are gathered to both, remember and celebrate the life of Laura Mae Kreider, in many ways, we are also here to honor how we saw God work in and through the life of Laura. Thank you both friends and family for gathering together as we remember Laura, not forgetting the recent loss of Lester, and for the ways you’ve committed to supporting the Kreider family.

Story

The reality about funerals…

Psalm 18:2

There is a reality about funerals and death that reminds us of the uncertainty of life, and the grief and mourning we encounter in our journey through living. Funerals, for followers of Jesus, also remind us to realign our eternal selves with who God is. It is an opportunity to look even more to God with praise and love, for his hope and help, and to recognize the ways that we can further anchor ourselves in God’s strength, salvation, and protection. We live in a world that is always shifting and changing. In such calamity, we look for that one rock or thing that won’t change.

Earlier, Chaplain Donna Mack Shenk read some of the scriptures chosen to honor Laura Mae Kreider. In those scriptures was , a verse that was dear to Laura Mae. This song from David, which is part of, has great history.

Hiding in the rocks…

In 1 Samuel, we find David had just slayed Goliath, the giant, an unremarkable feat. As David returns home, the Kingdom is dancing and singing. In their songs they jest David has killed tens of thousands, but King Saul only thousands. Getting word of this, King Saul is hurt, his hurt leads to jealously, and his jealously opens up his soul to evil and it says "an evil Spirit came forcefully on Saul." Saul was worried David would get his Kingdom, and so in that moment once Saul sees David, once a friend, now as an enemy. Saul tries to first spear David as he is playing his guitar. When that doesn't work, he sent David away to lead troops into battle. Yet, God protected him and his success only grew, as did the love of the people. T

Like an Ostrich, there are many times we wish we could keep our head hiding in the sand and rocks. One of my favorite stories of someone hiding in the rocks is Christopher Knight. It was about six years ago that Christopher Knight, known as 'The man in the woods' emerged from the woods in the state of Maine. In 1986, the Chernobyl nuclear disaster had just occurred, and Christopher Knight was working for a vehicle alarm company near Boston. He had no friends, and he was in shock from the change of society taking place under the presidency of Ronald Reagan. He tried to find answers and resolve by taking to the open road. When that didn't work, his frustration with people and the colliding realities of the world led him to run away into the woods for 27-years. After a long time of trying to find a place to call his home in the woods, he finally discovered a cluster of rock boulders, one with a hidden opening that led to a tiny, clearing. Once he found those rocks, he is quoted as saying, “I knew at once it was ideal. So I settled in.” For Chris became a hermit, hiding in the rocks, protected by the rocks in a world that felt like it was declining out of control. He made a home away from civilization, in his safe place of the Maine woods, for 27-years. In the uncertainty of life and the grief and mourning of this journey of life, Christopher Knight was found hiding in the rocks.

Then Saul tries to get David to marry his daughters, as long as he goes off and kills so many Philistines. David probably wise that Saul was trying to put him in harms way of his enemy, refuses such an offer. Saul’s tactics and fear of David continue, but David is able to get away and run into hiding.

…

The Lord had protected David through the many manipulations of evil. In his safety, David a musician by trade, sits down and writes a song of praise to God. in that song, found in , David cries out

In that song, David cries out “ I love you, Lord, my strength.

Earlier, Donna read some scriptures chosen to honor Laura Mae Kreider. In those scriptures was . This was a verse that was dear to Laura Mae Kreider. reads;

2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

I love you, LORD, my strength.

I love you, LORD, my strength.

2 The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;

my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,

2 The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;

my shield r and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

2 The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;

my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,

my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,

my shield r and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

3 I called to the LORD, who is worthy of praise,

and I have been saved from my enemies.

my shield r and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

3 I called to the LORD, who is worthy of praise,

and I have been saved from my enemies.

3 I called to the LORD, who is worthy of praise,

The New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), .

What a powerful confession from David. Though we may not all have a King trying his best to see to our end, we all have an enemy. Life, and those that live, share a common enemy, death. The King James adds an inscription to this song that it was from David becomes God had delivered David from his enemies and from Saul. David had more enemies than just Saul, David faced death in battle, in his service to Saul, and just as part of life. Death followed David, in the same way that it follows all of us.

“I love you, LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield r, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I called to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I have been saved from my enemies.”

and I have been saved from my enemies.

The New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), .

The New International Version of reads, “I love you, LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield r and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I called to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I have been saved from my enemies.”

I love you, LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield r and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I called to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I have been saved from my enemies.

The New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), .

What a powerful confession from David. Though we may not all have a King trying his best to see to our end, we all have an enemy. Life, and those that live, share a common enemy, death. The King James adds an inscription to this song that it was from David becomes God had delivered David from his enemies and from Saul. David had more enemies than just Saul, David faced death in battle, in his service to Saul, and just as part of life. Death followed David, in the same way that it follows all of us.

In this space in which finally felt like freedom David writes this song “I love you, Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I have been saved from my enemies”, and later in this song found in David sings “The Lord was my stay, he brought me forth also into a large place; He delivered me, because he delighted in me.” He also confesses through song at the end of this passage in that God “shows unfailing love to his anointed.”

We learn what that unfailing love looks like throughout the life of Jesus. We learn it through the way he lived, the way he loved, the way he healed, but also through the way he died.

In , Paul tells us, that

The New International Version Chapter 15

But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.

Paul writes because of the love and death of Christ, “Christ has indeed raised from the dead…and so in Christ all will be made alive.” Let me say that again, “Christ has indeed raised from the dead…and so in Christ all will be made alive.”

Death, the common enemy in which is shared by all who live, has been defeated by Jesus. In that joy and hope, we sense the joy that David had has he collected his thoughts and sat down on his guitar and began to sing those lines from , “I love you, LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield r and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I called to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I have been saved from my enemies.”

Paul shares this same hope through his experiences, the same hope that David experienced, time and time again. In , Paul well aged in life tells his young friend...

The New International Version Chapter 1

but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel

The New International Version Chapter 21

“Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ u or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

We see Paul proclaiming that Jesus “destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light.” Our hopeful statement that echoes the joy found as part of David’s song in , “I love you, LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I called to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I have been saved from my enemies.”

It’s a hope that John, a follower of Jesus, explains like this through his prophetic image and revelation.

, “I love you, LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield r and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I called to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I have been saved from my enemies.”

The New International Version Chapter 21

“Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ u or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

John tells us God dwells with his people, and for those that will take him as their God, we have this hope that “He will wipe every year from their eyes.” A hope that proclaims “there will be no more death, or mourning, or crying, or pain, because the old order of things has passed away.”

The same hope we find from David, when he sings in , “I love you, LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I called to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I have been saved from my enemies.”

The Lord was her Rock

I love this verse from Psalms, in which Laura Mae Kreider held special. I love this proclamation that the Lord is my rock.

I love this verse from Psalms, in which Laura Mae Kreider held special. I love this proclamation that the Lord is my rock.

Rock’s in David’s time were the cutting edge of technology. Before we said, “this is the greatest invention since sliced bread,” they said “this is the greatest invention since the rock!”

Rocks were the most popular material to use in building houses and buildings, especially for those things of importance like castles, bridges, and places of worship.

Rocks were hurled as a weapon, and were a number one weapon of choice.

Rocks were used for writing. They made tablets out of hard stone, for messages that could never be erased.

Rocks were weights and a form of measuring.

Rocks were used to mark special spots and to leave memorials of someone or an encounter with God.

Rock’s also took on very symbolic meanings. Because of their durability, rocks represented strength and stability, of safety and protection, of sturdy and eternal.

Laura Mae Kreider lived out faith and a life that believed “The Lord was her rock, and her fortress, and her deliverer.”

3 I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I have been saved from my enemies.

, is a song from David that has a great history. In 1 Samuel, we find David had just slain Goliath, the giant, an unremarkable feat. As David returns home, the Kingdom is dancing and singing. In their songs, they jest David has killed tens of thousands, but King Saul only thousands. Getting the word of this, King Saul is hurt, his hurt leads to jealousy, and in his jealousy, he opens up his soul to evil, and it says "an evil Spirit came forcefully on Saul." Saul was worried that David would take over his Kingdom, and so in that fearful moment when Saul sees David, who was once a friend, we find Saul trying to spear David as he is playing his guitar. When that doesn't work, Saul sends David away to lead troops into battle. God protected David, and his success only grew, as did the people’s love for David. Frustrated, Saul tries to get David to marry his daughters, making a statement that he could marry into the family, as long as he goes off and kills so many Philistines. David probably realized that Saul was trying to lure him into harm’s way of the Philistines. So, David refuses this offer. Saul’s fearful tactics to kill David continue, but David is able to get away and run into hiding. As he runs into the wilderness, he finds an open clearing, protected by rocks and caves. David sits down, finding peace in the middle of life’s calamity, and picks up his guitar and writes to praise God for his strength, salvation, and protection.

It is in that song we get these words from ;

“I love you, LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I called to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I have been saved from my enemies.”

These words are a powerful confession from David about how he trusts in God for his strength, salvation, and protection.

We all share a common enemy…

We all share a common enemy. Though we may not all have a demonized King trying his best to see to our end, we all share a common enemy. Life and those that live all share the common enemy of death. Because of the Philistines and Saul, death followed David, in the same way, that it follows all of us. As we age, it can feel as if death is looming over all of our thoughts, lives, and health with an unhealthy sense of fear and anxiety. David was on the run, with death looming over all his thoughts, lives, and health. However, finally, he is able to sit down and look to God and finds himself able to sing “I love you, Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I have been saved from my enemies.” Later in this same song, David sings, “The Lord was my stay, he brought me forth also into a large place; He delivered me because he delighted in me.” He also confesses through song at the end of this passage that God “shows unfailing love to his anointed.” Through the life of Jesus, God shows that unfailing love is more than just protection from our mortal enemies. God also shares that his unfailing love means the defeat of our common enemy, death.

The enemy of death has been defeated…

Paul, writing to the church in Corinth tells how the enemy of death has been defeated through the death and resurrection of Jesus. In , Paul says;

“Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam, all die, so in Christ, all will be made alive.”

Did you hear the hope Paul gives us as we Paul writes because of the love and death of Christ, as we face this reality about funerals and death that reminds us of the uncertainty of life, and the grief and mourning we encounter in our journey through living? Paul writes, “Christ has indeed raised from the dead…and so in Christ all will be made alive.” Let me say that again, “Christ has indeed raised from the dead…and so in Christ all will be made alive.”

Through Christ’s resurrection that we can echo David’s words.

It is because of this hope we have in the death of Jesus and through Christ’s resurrection that we can echo David’s words as he sat and strummed on his guitar, “I love you, LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I called to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I have been saved from my enemies.”

We know what that hope looks like through the prophetic revelation of John, the Apostle.

We know what that hope looks like through the prophetic revelation of John, the Apostle. In , John the Apostle, shares;

Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!”

John tells us God dwells with his people, and for those that will take him as their God, we have this hope that “He will wipe every tear from their eyes.” We have a hope that proclaims “there will be no more death, or mourning, or crying, or pain because the old order of things has passed away.” While we look forward to that eternal hope, we internally take hold of the hope that God says in John’s revelation, “I am making everything new.” God has made his home with his people; he is a rock we can depend on in a changing world, not because God stops things from changing, but because he is changing all things to be new. We embrace and take hold of a rock that protects us in the wilderness of change.

God is making all things new…

Laura Mae Kreider held very special. I love this verse from David in Psalms, in which Laura Mae Kreider held special;

“I love you, LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield r, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I called to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I have been saved from my enemies.”

Laura Mae Kreider lived a life and faith that believed God was her rock. She took hold of this hope that he was “making all things new.” She knew that her Messiah had “defeated the enemy of death,” and that “throughout this man, we have hope that we will live forever.

What is your rock?

At the beginning of my message, I told the story of Christopher Knight, a man who lived in the refuge of a pile of rocks in the woods of Maine for 27-years. Though Christopher ran into the woods to escape the scary times of the world of 1986, those rocks he called home would not have kept him safe from threats of that changing world. When David says, “The Lord is my rock,” he is using the imagery of the most cutting edge of technology they had in his day. Before we said, this invention is the greatest thing since sliced bread; they said: “This is the greatest thing since the rock.” In David’s time;

· Rocks were the most popular material to use in building houses and buildings, especially for those things of importance like castles, bridges, and places of worship.

· Rocks were hurled as a weapon and were a number one weapon of choice.

· Rocks were used for writing. They made tablets out of hard stone, for messages that could never be erased.

· Rocks were weights and a form of measuring.

· Rocks were used to mark special spots and to leave memorials of someone or an encounter with God.

· Rock’s also took on very symbolic meanings. Because of their durability, rocks represented strength and stability, of safety and protection, of sturdy and eternal.

When David said, “The Lord is my rock,” David wasn’t talking about something we hide inside to avoid the scary world around us. David wasn’t talking about a place we put hope, so we don’t have to face the realities of death. David is saying, the Lord was;

· God was the foundation on which he built his home.

· God’s protection was the only weapon or defense he needed.

· God’s promises were messages that never could be erased.

· God was the measurement of what was good, in a world where good and bad felt indistinguishable.

· Encounters with God were holy memorials to hold on to in rough times.

· God was a place to depend, as a changing world raged around him.

Laura Mae Kreider lived out faith and a life that believed “The Lord was her rock.” God was her rock on the farm growing up. God was her rock as she moved to Washington, DC, to be a nurse's aide. God was her rock as she raised her children as a stay-at-home mother. God was her rock as she and Lester faced new retired life at Landis Homes. God was her rock as she faced the death of her husband, Lester. God was her rock as she faced her death.

Yes, there is a reality about funerals and death that reminds us of the uncertainty of life, and the grief and mourning we encounter in our journey through living. However, funerals, for followers of Jesus, also remind us to realign our eternal selves with who God is. It is an opportunity to look even more to God with praise and love, for his hope and help, and to recognize the ways that we can further anchor ourselves in God’s strength, salvation, and protection.

· Do not leave here today, without knowing what it means to know “The Lord is my rock.”

· Do not run away from reality while holding on to Jesus as some safety blanket in a changing world, but living in a fake universe.

· Do trust, like in Laura Mae, in the Lord as your rock, in uncertainty.

· Do grow your capacity to trust that God is “making all things new.”