Loretta Come Home

Funeral for Loretta Cluts

John 11:1-44

1 Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. … So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.”

4 When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” 5 Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days.

Later he told his disciples, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.”

17 On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days…,  When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.

21 “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”

23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”

24 Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; 26 and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

27 “Yes, Lord,” she told him, “I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.” …

32 When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

33 When Jesus saw her weeping, …he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.

35 Jesus wept…

 [He], …, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. 39 “Take away the stone,” he said.

“But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”

40 Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?”

41 So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”

43 When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.

Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”

A time of contrasts

1. So frail but ever so strong
1. She was tiny and seemingly weak
2. She fought to the bitter end displaying her strength of heart
2. So proper and prim and yet the stories and jokes would make you blush
1. Loretta always dressed and looked nice, she appeared very proper and prim
2. But let her start telling her jokes and stories, especially the ones she didn’t tell the pastor; and look out
3. A Cluts that was anything but klutzy
1. She introduced herself to me a the perfect klutz,
2. But she had a grace and elegance of character
4. Such a strange nick name but ever loved
1. Bob love her dearly as seen in the love letter he wrote as part of a Bible class assignment
2. Yet his pet name for her left much to be desired
5. So light hearted and carefree and yet someone who kept track of whose turn to call and how many cards she received
1. She seemed rarely to have a concern in the world
2. Was competitive when it came to whose turn to call who and how many cards she would receive
6. Someone who could make us laugh and yet today we cry
1. For most of us the first thought that comes to mind when thinking of Loretta is one of laughter and humor
2. But today our thought of her lead many of us to tears
7. Someone who recognized her sinfulness and yet rejoiced that she was saved by grace
1. She was more than a little stubborn and she had a devilish streak, like the time she parked the car in the middle of the train track and asked Lola if any trains were coming.
2. However she would be the first to admit that she was not saved by her actions, but by the amazing grace of Her Lord and Ours Jesus Christ.

                                                               i.      He years of service in the Guild or one the finance committee the thousands of bulletins she folded will not gain her one second in heaven.

                                                             ii.      She trusted with all her heart in the sacrificial death and glorious resurrection of Jesus to redeem her from sin death and the devil.

So today we come here caught between two emotions, joyful remembrances and profound grief.  Each of these are appropriate and necessary.  As it says in Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

1 There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under heaven: 

 a time to be born and a time to die, …

a time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance,

All of these seeming contrasts fit well into a text that Loretta like so much she had it printed on the inside cover of her Bible: the story of Jesus raising Lazarus. 

It is in this scene from the life of Jesus that we find the example of how to respond at a believer’s death. 

            First there is grief.  Mary and Martha and Yes even Jesus wept.

We who knew and loved Loretta will grieve.  We grieve the loss of her companionship, her smile the stories and shaking her finger at us.  We will miss her hugs and laughter and we will miss the love she gave to all those who knew her

            Then the words of assurance, I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.”

·        I baptize you in the name of the father and the Son and the Holy Spirit

·        Take and Eat this is my body take and drink this is my blood

·        If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection (Rom 6)

·        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.

            Next is the confession of faith,  “I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.”

·        Loretta confessed her faith each time she came to the table.  She confessed her faith when we prayed last week at the hospital.  She confessed her faith one final time when she answered the call to come home on Wednesday morning.

            And finally the reward of that faith, “Lazarus, come out!”

·        Loretta has now received her crown of life.  She has joined Walter, Bob and Douglas as a member of the Church eternal.

·        She has been set free from the marks of this world, suffering pain and sorrow.

·        Jesus has said to her, “Loretta, Come Home!”

For those of us still on our pilgrimage, who walk as yet by faith, we will grieve and we will celebrate, we who share here faith will look forward to the day when we too will hear the voice of Jesus calling and come to our heavenly home.  There to be greeted by A big hug from Loretta and at story or joke about St. Peter.