Funeral #1 (John 14:1-6)

Grace and peace to you from God our Father, from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and from the Holy Spirit, who gives us life, Amen.

We are gathered here today to celebrate the life of Leona Kobs. There are many things that could be said about the life of Leona. She grew up in Farmington, the 3rd oldest of 8 children. She lived in a farmhouse that had no electricity and that was heated with a wood cook stove and furnace. It also had a gas powered Maytag washer. She attended Oak Knoll Elementary School in Farmington and Osceola High School where she excelled at science, but hated algebra. She met her future husband Otto at a dance in Farmington. These dances were a highlight in Leona’s life, so much so that she sometimes didn’t get home from them until 1 am. And although her parents did not like Otto at first (Otto was 20 and Leona only 15), Leona and Otto eventually married and stayed together for ___ years until Otto passed away in 200__.

In that time together Leona and Otto raised 9 children. Her children remember her as a wonderful mom who maintained the Kobs’ household. She was a wonderful cook and could make homemade bread without using a recipe. Her nickname “Mumsy”, given to her by one of the children when it was realized that mommy wasn’t too becoming a term, especially around friends. As a woman who was responsible for the maintenance of the household, she sometimes had to motivate her children to get out of bed to help with the chores. Leona loved to laugh and there were good times whenever the family got together at holidays or special anniversaries. She also enjoyed looking out the window as she worked in the kitchen, as well as watching her favorite soap operas. And she especially enjoyed all of her grandchildren. I am sure that many of you might also have a special memory of Leona.

But today is not just about remembrances but it also about answering the question of what now? Leona has passed from this place, and we ask “Is she really in heaven?” Leona has passed from this place, and we ask, “What about us and what will our lives be like now?” Leona has passed from this place, and we ask, “what hope or assurance do we have in the days, weeks, and years to come” Our clue comes to us from the third reading today. In this reading Jesus is speaking to his disciples on the night before his death. They are also wondering what will become of them after Jesus is gone. So he gives them these words, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” And you might be thinking, “yea right, easy for you to say.” It is easy to be on the outside of death and to offer words of assurance without experiencing it first hand. It is easy to say “Don’t worry everything will be all right” when you are not the one going through it. And although the words may sound comforting, it doesn’t take away the pain, the grief, and the heartache that accompanies death. But this is Jesus talking. He is going to HIS death. He knows what he’s about and so offers these words of to his friends.

However, Jesus offers more than words of comfort to his friends. He also offers a promise. He tells his friends that indeed that there are many dwelling places in his father’s house. And more to the point, Jesus says that he will go ahead of them [and by extension ahead of us] to prepare that place within the house for them. Let me ask you: when you have guests coming over to your house, what do you do? I would imagine that there would be some dusting, some vacuuming, and some spiffing up of the house to get it in order. I would image that if the guests were staying for sometime there would be a room made up decorated with flowers or a special blanket. There would be towels laid out for the bath or shower. There would be extra food brought in, keeping in mind what the guests would prefer to eat. There would be extra places set out at the table. In short the welcome mat would be thrown out and the guests embraced when they arrived.

There is more to this promise. Jesus says that he himself will come back to take us to his fathers house. There is a reassurance in these words. Not only does he prepare our place, but he personally escorts us there. It is in this confidence that we can be certain that we will not face death alone. It is in this confidence that we know that Jesus will be walking alongside of us. It is in this confidence that we know our place, our abode, our dwelling is safely secure for us.

And yet there might still be doubt. Certainly Thomas had his doubts, “How can we know the way?” he asks. How can we be totally certain that these promises of Jesus will hold up? What is it that Jesus says? He says I am the way. He says I am the truth. He says I am the life. Jesus came to earth so that we may know whom God is. In his coming we discover that God loves each and every one of us. We are his creation. Jesus is the way in which we know who God is, not in some otherworldly way, but in a real and personal manner. Jesus is the truth in that he shows us the way to the father’s house. It is not by some mystical meditation that we get there. It is not by some self-help book that claims that we can get there without assistance. It is not by our own achievements, awards, or activities that we can get there. It is only by the grace of God, which comes to us each, and every day. Jesus is the life because he first gave his life for us. Jesus is the life because he rose from the dead. Jesus is the life because through his resurrection we have the promise of life. We have life now, a life that is abundant. Just ask the nine children that Leona raised about the abundant life she had and the lives they lived with their mother. And we have life eternally, a life that will be lived with the father in his house. These are the promises that we hold in our faith in the one who created us. These are the promises that were given to Leona in her baptism.

Death is a part of life. I realize that may sound like a cliché (which it is), but it is a reality that we do not always want to confront. However if we are forward looking people, then we ask the question, “what now?” We want to know that we can somehow have our days, our weeks, and our years planned out and know with a certainty of what is coming next. And we know that despite our plans, they do not always work out. There is always something that comes up to interrupt our best-laid plans. Death can be like that. And so we want to know what happens after death. We want some declaration that when our loved ones pass away that there is some hope for a life beyond the grave. Do not let your hearts be troubled. Jesus offers these words of comfort with the knowledge that there is also the promise given to us that there is indeed a place, an abode, and a dwelling place. This promise is not only for Leona but for all of us as well. And so in this time we do not have to ask the question “what now” but rather we can celebrate Leona’s life, knowing in faith and confidence that she is with her father in heaven. Amen