Death's Silver Lining

Introductory Readings

We are here to celebrate the life and observe the passing of Edwina V. Scott, whom some of you knew as Scotty. We begin this morning with a reminder of Jesus’ promise of life seen in both the New Testament Gospel of John and the Old Testament Poem of Job.

Speaking to His friend Martha after the death of her brother, Jesus asked a poignant question.

John 11:25–26 NKJV

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

This same question had been asked and answered millennia earlier by Job.

Job 19:25–27 NKJV

25 For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth; 26 And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, That in my flesh I shall see God, 27 Whom I shall see for myself, And my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!

Somewhere deep in the recesses of each of our souls is an awareness that we were created by God to enjoy fellowship with God. As we develop that awareness it becomes the yearning that Job, and so many others before and since, experienced. Let us go to Him now in prayer.

Opening Prayer

Heavenly Father, you have place eternity in our hearts in such a way that death, though common, is still not natural. It is an event that rends the very fabric of our existence and the lives of those we have touched making every death a tragedy and every life too brief.

As we gather to observe such an unnatural thing, we ask that you would join with us. Gather us under Your wing. Send Your Holy Spirit to be our Comforter. Walk with us through this valley as we say goodbye to one who has left while endeavoring to strengthen those who remain.

Thank You for Your presence. Amen.

Old Testament Readings

In times of grief, we frequently turn our attention to the Psalms for the clarity and comfort found in their verses. I am told that Edwina had a fondness for the 23rd Psalm. Feel free to recite it along with me if you are comfortable doing so.

Psalm 23:1–6 NKJV

1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. 3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, 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 runs over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.

Decidedly less well known, but equally evocative is the 46th Psalm in which the psalmist confronts great upheaval.

Psalm 46:1–3 NKJV

1 God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 3 Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah

Selah means slow down and contemplate.

Psalm 46:7 NKJV

7 The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah

Slow down and contemplate.

Psalm 46:10–11 NKJV

10 Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! 11 The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah

Slow down and contemplate. It is in the times of our discomfort that we may experience God’s comfort.

New Testament Reading

The Apostle Paul, as he was writing to the church at Corinth, highlighted the foundational truth of Jesus’ resurrection relative to our hope in Him.

1 Corinthians 15:12–19 NKJV

12 Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. 14 And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. 15 Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise. 16 For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. 17 And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! 18 Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.

It is a hard truth, but truth none the less. If our faith doesn’t see us past the shores of this life, than it is insufficient. The Apostle did not stop there, he continued to say:

1 Corinthians 15:20–22 NKJV

20 But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.

Death is an experience that is common to us all, but resurrection certainly is not! The Apostle anticipated some push-back and so he continued.

1 Corinthians 15:35–45 NKJV

35 But someone will say, “How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?” 36 Foolish one, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies. 37 And what you sow, you do not sow that body that shall be, but mere grain—perhaps wheat or some other grain. 38 But God gives it a body as He pleases, and to each seed its own body. 39 All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of animals, another of fish, and another of birds. 40 There are also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. 41 There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory. 42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. 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. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. 45 And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.

It is a lot to wrap our head around, but in times of grief, it reminds us that this life is not all there is.

Euologies

Speaking of this life, I did not have the privilege of knowing Edwina, so I am grateful that a few family members would like to share their thoughts and experiences.

Reading of Bonnie’s Remarks by Jill

Family prayer Anastasia

Funeral Message

Introduction

I may be stepping out on a limb here, but someone who is described as “rich in kindness, love, and empathy” seems like the kind of person who could look at life’s clouds and see their silver linings. For those with enough perspective, life’s challenges present their own opportunities.

In the Gospel of Matthew, we find the text of Jesus’ famous “Sermon on the Mount” in chapters 5-7. He introduced this sermon with the so-called Beatitudes which we could understand as better attitudes for living a better life. These attitudes that Jesus wants us to cultivate are as contrary to our expectation and experience as everything that follows in the rest of the sermon.

Transition

One of those thoughts that tends to hit us a bit sideways meets us in moments of grief.

Illumination

Matthew 5:4 NKJV

4 Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted.

Sideways on the Surface

Even at first glance, this thought strikes us as odd. Gathered here today, mourning the death of someone we knew and loved, we do not feel like we are experiencing a blessing.

As sideways as that strikes us, it gets a little a little stranger when we dig below the surface.

Stranger Below the Surface

I’m a big fan of defining words. I find it useful for ensuring and increasing my understanding of even basic ideas. I’d like to quickly review a few words from this verse.

Blessed

The word blessed here carries the idea of being enlarged, literally expanded and growing as a person, hence blessed or benefitted; it also denotes, ultimately, happiness.

Mourn

The meaning of blessed strikes us sideways and makes us question if Jesus was talking about the same thing we are when we use the word mourn. It turns out that the word for mourn used here means to lament, grieve, or mourn, especially for the dead.

Mourn means pretty much what we expect it to, it just doesn’t seem to harmonize well with the idea of blessed.

Comforted

There is one more word to look at here: comforted. The word carries the idea of calling to one’s side. It’s a bit foreign to us, but think of it this way: our grief calls others to our side and their arrival at our side is a source of strength, companionship, and encouragement.

More specifically, in the context of Jesus’ words here and in other places, it is God the Holy Spirit who comes to our side as our Comforter.

Conclusion

The promise of comfort reconciles the discord between blessing and mourning. In our mourning, we are enlarged and enriched by God’s presence and comfort. In a very real sense, it is in our discomfort that we may experience God’s comfort. And that is a blessing; the proverbial silver lining in the clouds of grief that linger above us.

The only remaining question to answer is, to whom is Jesus speaking? The Apostle Matthew, who recorded the Sermon on the Mount answers that question in the very first verse of chapter 5.

Matthew 5:1 NKJV

1 And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him.

The promise of blessing and comfort was given to those who were, and those who are, Jesus’ followers; those who come to Him of their own choosing. If you receive Jesus as Savior and Lord, the promise is to you. Those who reject Jesus and Savior and Lord would not welcome His promise and He would never force His presence upon them.

Invitation

Earlier, we heard the Psalmist use the term selah: pause and consider. I would invite you to join me in a moment of silence and prayer to consider the blessing of God’s presence and comfort in this time of our grief. After a moment, I will conclude our time with a prayer.

Pause for a 30 count of silence.

Closing Prayer

Dear Lord of us all, we give you thanks for the life of the one you have taken from us, for what she has meant to her family and friends.

We give you thanks for your love toward us and for the salvation that you freely offer us through the death of Your own Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ.

We give you thanks for the help that is ours, the hope that is for all who have accepted your salvation, our Comforter, our constant Companion, your Holy Spirit.

We give you thanks for the love that You continue to shine upon us who sit so long in darkness and in the shadow of death.

Blessed are we, the people who know the joyful experience of Your presence and Your comfort. Amen.

Benediction

Our Heavenly Father loves us more than we can ever understand. He understands the pain of separation that death brings, and He takes no pleasure in it. As we leave this place, we need to hear and heed the instruction He gave through the prophet Ezekiel.

Ezekiel 18:32 NKJV

32 For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,” says the Lord God. “Therefore turn and live!”

Committal Reading

As we come to this moment, we revisit the Apostle Paul’s words in First Corinthians 15.

1 Corinthians 15:35–38 NKJV

But someone will say, “How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?” Foolish one, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies. And what you sow, you do not sow that body that shall be, but mere grain—perhaps wheat or some other grain. But God gives it a body as He pleases, and to each seed its own body.

1 Corinthians 15:42–45 NKJV

So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.

Commital Prayer

Let us pray.

Dear Lord of us all, we give you thanks for the life of the one you have taken from us, for what she has meant to her family and friends.

“We give you thanks that it has pleased You, in your all-wise providence, to take out of this world unto Yourself the soul of our deceased friend, we therefore commit her to You, earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust.

We give you thanks for the love that You continue to shine upon us who sit so long in darkness and in the shadow of death.

Blessed are we, the people who know the joyful experience of Your presence and Your comfort. Amen.

Benediction

Numbers 6:24–26 NKJV

“The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.” ’