Elsie Kane’s Memorial Sermon
“Singing with the Saints”
I
want to tell you about one of the most enjoyable times I had in ministry and I
have Elsie Kane to thank for it.
Everyone
who knew Elsie knew how much she loved music.
She sang hymns on Sunday morning with gusto. Singing with church choirs was a
delight. Playing piano and singing the
great hymns of the church, along with good old gospel favorites, filled her
heart with joy. Some people are
described as having “a song in their heart.”
That was Elsie.
For
years she and Pastor Vern Trahms and some other people led a monthly hymn sing
at Baptist Village (now Lifestream). One
day Elsie came to Connie Kanzler and I and asked if we would take over that
ministry opportunity. Pastor and Esther
felt like it was time to step aside and maybe let someone a little younger have
the chance to participate.
Elsie
did not want to see the hymn sing simply fade away. She loved the people who came each
month. She saw how encouraged the
residents were by having the opportunity to sing songs of praise and
thanksgiving to the Lord. She also knew
how much the residents looked forward to having people to sing and visit
with. Elsie was determined to see the
singing at Baptist Village continue.
So
Elsie asked Connie and I to take over.
And, frankly, how do you say “no” to Elsie. If there is a way to do so I never discovered
the secret. Connie and I began making
our monthly visits and Elsie was right there with us – greeting the residents,
passing out a liberal amount of hugs, singing with all the power her tiny lungs
could generate, and just generally letting the light of her faith in and love
for Jesus shine brightly for us all to see.
For
nearly 10 years Connie and I made the monthly trek over to Baptist Village. We enjoyed singing the great hymns of the
church with the residents. We also
learned some new songs, ones not in our Lutheran Hymnals. We made a great friend in Chaplain Craig
Avrill, who helped Connie navigate her way some unfamiliar tunes.
And during
those ten years something kind of bittersweet happened. Connie and I also made some good friends
during that time. But then we would miss
a friendly face. We’d ask Chaplain Craig
about these friends of ours. And he
would say something like, “They’re not here anymore. They’ve gone home to be with the Lord.”
All
of those friends of ours, no longer with us, resting in the arms of Jesus. And on July 5, our dear and wonderful friend,
Elsie Kane joined them.
The
blessed good news that both comforts and thrills us this day is that Elsie is
still singing praises to the Lord. Now,
in this service we’ve been lifting up our voices in praise to God. But Elsie has it so much better – she is
singing praises in the presence of God.
How amazing is that!
We
know that there is singing in heaven because the apostle John, in the book of
Revelation, give us glimpses of such singing.
He describes one such scene in chapter five.
John
paints a picture of a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center
of a throne. We know that this is our
Lord Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. And the singing starts – first from what are
described as the four living creatures and 24 elders. Then they are joined by countless numbers of
angels, who sing with full throated power.
And then John writes: Then I heard
every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and
all that is in them, singing: “To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be
praise and honor and glory and power forever and ever!” The four living
creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshipped.
Elsie couldn’t
possibly be happier than she is right now.
Singing in a heavenly choir.
Singing praises in the presence of God.
In the
10 years that I knew Elsie she had one lasting hope – to go to heaven and be
with Jesus. She sang with real feeling
the great hymn of the church, “I’m but a stranger here – heaven is my home.”
It
wasn’t that she was dissatisfied with what she had here in this life. She loved her family very much. She prayed over you all every single
day. She loved all of her many friends. She loved her church family. For most of her 96 years Elsie lived a full
life.
But
her hope was heaven. And Jesus, the Lamb
of God, made heaven possible for Elsie.
What
are we saying when we call Jesus, the Lamb of God?
When
Israel sat down to eat the Passover meal, they sacrificed a lamb and smeared
the blood from that lamb over their doorposts.
The shedding of that blood saved Israel from death. Jesus is the sacrificial lamb who blood saves
all who believe from death – eternal death.
Jesus is the lamb of the daily offering, mentioned in Exodus, chapter
29. He is the perfect sin offering
through which you and I receive forgiveness for all our sins.
In
heaven the saints sing of the Lamb of God, and
with Your blood you purchased men for God.
A few
weeks ago Connie Kanzler gave me an unexpected but wonderful gift.
I
wonder if you all remember S & H Green Stamps? My Mom was an avid collector
of Green Stamps. I remember how she
carefully watched the cashier put the Green Stamps in her grocery bags. And when we got home, nothing got put away until
her Green Stamps went into her books.
Connie was going through some stuff of her mother’s and found a whole
collection of S & H Green Stamp books.
What a find! I hadn’t seen these stamps and books for decades!
Those
of you who collected Green Stamps – do you remember where you went to use the
stamps? The Redemption Center! You redeemed or purchased goods or products by
virtue of having the stamps. My sister’s
first bicycle was redeemed, you might say, by Green Stamps.
We
could do nothing to save ourselves. No
amount of our own blood, sweat or sacrifice could ever make us right and holy
before God our Father.
But
Jesus, the sacrificial Lamb of God, shed His blood on the cross. He truly is the Lamb without blemish or
defect, as the apostle Peter wrote. Only
Jesus could make an offering acceptable to God the Father. Our Lamb redeemed us by His blood. He lifted our sins and the sins of the whole
world upon His shoulders and carried them away in death. And through His death, we have life – power
to live our new life in Christ now and eternal life in heaven.
Once
upon a time, Elsie used to sit right here with us and sing songs like:
My
hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
Nothing
in my hand I bring, simply to Thy cross I cling
Lamb
of God pure and holy, Upon the cross didst suffer
Lamb
of God who takes away the sin of the world, have mercy on us
But now she sings a new
song, one sung by every creature in heaven and earth and under the earth and on
the sea and all that is in them – in other words, all creation sings:
To
Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
Be
praise and honor and glory and power for ever and ever!
So
God be praised! He has kept His promise and has given Elsie her heart’s
desire. God’s promise is that whoever
believes in Jesus will not perish but have eternal life. And we who are still living life daily with
our Savior by faith, look to that day – the Last Day, Resurrection Day – when
we will be reunited with family members and friends and all those who died
trusting Jesus for life eternal.
We’ll
be raised to new life and Elsie will be there.
Her mind will be sharp and clear.
Nothing will bother her. Nothing
will infirm her. We’ll see her and
certainly get a hug or two from her.
Family
and friends, follow Elsie’s example.
Receive Jesus’ gracious invitation to trust in Him for forgiveness of
sins, peace for your heart and a new eternal address in heaven. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will
be saved. That’s God promise to you. Trust in Jesus and have the certainty that no
matter what challenge or problem or disappointment you face in this life, there
is absolutely nothing that can separate you from the love of Jesus
Do
this and then look forward to that day when you are singing with the
saints. Elsie will be there waiting for
us to join our voices with her to give praise and honor and glory to Jesus,
that Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Oh, what a day that will be! Amen.
