Funeral sermon for Bob Kimberlain

A doorkeeper in the house of God

Psalm 84:10 Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.

The 84^th Psalm was written by one of the sons of Korah. We’re not given the author’s name in Scripture, but he is certainly proud to serve as a doorkeeper in the house of God. He writes in verse 10: “Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.”

To fulfill his duties as a doorkeeper, once a year, he makes a special trip from his home to the Temple in Jerusalem. He and his family, for two weeks a year will lead the worship in the Temple.

Taking turns, they serve as doorkeepers to the Temple day and night, singing praises in the morning and the evening, and especially on the Sabbath Day. They will serve with the priests when the burnt offerings are offered. Although they are not priests themselves, they are allowed to come closer to the service of God than any of the other tribes. They stand as witnesses as the work of the priests is carried out day by day. Even when they are not in service themselves, they live for this two week period in close proximity to the temple, possibly within the temple precincts themselves. Even as they rest, they hear their brothers continuing the work of the worship of God.

But it’s for two weeks only. The rest of the year, they live at home in the central hill country of Israel – away from the Temple and the worship of God. And back at home, or perhaps on his journey home from Jerusalem, this doorkeeper, this son of Korah, is inspired to write these words, recalling his time at the Temple and how one day serving the Lord in His house of worship is better than a thousand days elsewhere. His position as doorkeeper in the house of God was not so much a job, as a way of life.

Bob would have certainly fit in very well as one of the sons of Korah. For decades, Bob served as a faithful doorkeeper in this house of the Lord here at Epiphany. This is a job that he took very seriously. He made sure all the men who served as ushers knew the correct order to light the candles on the altar. They could never turn their back on the altar, for that is the symbol of God’s presence in the church. The men had to wear a suit coat and tie, and if they came to church without a tie, he had a few extras in the ushers’ desk.

It was that way at home, too. Bob was about putting God first by always serving those around him. He demonstrated a quiet leadership through his humble service. As a husband or father or usher, Bob taught those around him a respect for the Lord and his house of worship. Bob’s children remember him in the car with the motor running on more than one Sunday, waiting (not so patiently) for them to hurry up so they could get to church on time. And they certainly remember the time that they arrived at church as the church bells were ringing … so Bob turned the car around and went home. He felt walking in late to church, like not dressing properly for worship or turning your back on the altar was being disrespectful to the Lord.

I wonder if most of us here would benefit from more respect for the Lord and His house of worship. We can certainly dress comfortably in shorts and sandals for worship or arrive a few minutes after the church bells ring, but what is our motivation for doing so? Could it be that we have lost a little respect for God? In the back of our minds are we thinking “God should just be grateful I’m here today”?

Do we have a deep love for worship, like one of the sons of Korah? Or do we have a “take it or leave it” kind of attitude toward worship? Do we enjoy a week’s worth of sin and revelry more than a morning’s worth of praise and humility? Do we look forward to a weekend away more than we look forward to a Sabbath rest in worship? Does one day in church with Word and Sacrament have more meaning than a so-called fun week of sin?

Bob loved to worship the Lord. That’s why he was faithful in worship every Sunday. It deeply saddened Bob that he could no longer come to church. That’s why it was so important to bring church to him. Whether it was bringing my computer so he could see pictures of the new paintings or the new siding on the church’s exterior, or it was telling stories of the dartball team or the expansion of our school. But especially Bob wanted to hear God’s Word in our devotions together. His heart ached to confess his sins and pray, “Lord, have mercy; Christ, have mercy; Lord have mercy.” He desired to receive the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. He yearned to pray the Lord’s Prayer and speak the familiar words of the Song of Simeon.

Bob wasn’t faithful as a humble doorkeeper because he always put God first in his life. It’s the other way around. Bob was faithful because God always put Bob first. God already put Bob first and made him a priority in His ministry with Bob’s baptism as a child in Kentucky. Then God made it a priority to bless the marriage of Bob and Bev, as they spoke their vows of marital commitment to each other here at Epiphany on May 24, 1952. Then a year later to the day, Bob once again stood before this same altar to make his vow of commitment to the Lord in his adult confirmation. The Good Shepherd accepted Bob’s human promise of faithfulness to Him, because the Good Shepherd had already made an unbreakable divine promise of faithfulness to Bob: “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.”

Bob loved to worship in the house of the Lord because it is here where he could be reminded of everything his Savior had already accomplished for him. Though Bob was a great husband and father, still sin resided within his flesh. Jesus took on flesh and blood in order to save Bob from his sinful flesh. I’m sure as Bob drove truck for Kimberlain Trucking or Nestle, he broke a few laws or let a few curse words slip out. But Jesus kept all the laws of God that Bob had ever broken. Then He spoke a word of forgiveness to Bob, to you and to all those who cursed Him on the cross: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

We live in a culture that likes to minimize sins. We prefer to think of sin as a mistake or a failure or tiny slip-up. But God views our sins differently. Every sin is a slap in God’s face that deserves divine repercussion. Every sin is a transgression against God’s holy will that deserves divine justice. Every sin is a trespass against God’s perfect commandments and deserves divine punishment. There is a cost to all of our sin – all our sins of habit, all our sins of choice, all our sins of neglect or willful disobedience. There is a cost … and it is a hefty one!

Scripture is clear: “The wages of sin is death.”

We feel the weight and wages of those sins today. Our brother in Christ is dead because he was a sinner. Sure, he was a great husband, father and servant. But he was also a sinner. And the wages of sin is death.

“… But the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord!”

For every time Bob slapped God in the face with his sins, Jesus endured the punishment. For every sinful choice Bob had ever made, Jesus made the choice from eternity to be his Savior. For every time Bob acted in willful disobedience, Jesus was obedient to the will of His heavenly Father. Though Bob was born with sin he inherited from his parents, Jesus washed that sin away through His baptismal waters. Though Bob was weak, Christ provided him with His divine strength through His body and blood in the Lord’s Supper.

That’s the reason why Bob was so faithful as a doorkeepr in the house of the Lord. That’s why he was so respectful to his church. That’s why he loved worshiping so much. Because Bob appreciated all that his Savior had done for him. Bob could join with King David who wrote: “The LORD is my light and my salvation-- whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life-- of whom shall I be afraid? … One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.”

And that is where Bob is now dwelling – in the house of the Lord forever. Ever since Bob had his stroke and had to stay in the hospital or at Ridgewood, his great desire was to return home. Now he is home. Though Bob’s father died when he was very young, He has a heavenly Father who has always been there for Him – for life and for eternity. He doesn’t have to be stressed because his pants aren’t creased – he is now wearing the white robe of one of Christ’s saints. He doesn’t have to be irritated any longer by the constant rain and mud from his basic training in Kansas. For now he is dwelling in the new city of Jersualem where there is no sun or rain or freezing cold or scorching heat, only green pastures and quiet waters. He doesn’t have to request candles so he can write his love letters to Bev while in his green army tent. For now the Lamb who sits on the throne has spread His tent over Bob and all His saints.

Bob did not like being confined to one place doing one thing on a job. He liked to move around. But now the Lord has assigned Bob a place around the throne of the Lamb, there He is serving God day and night in His temple. The menu in heaven isn’t Nabisco crackers and cookies or even Racine Kringle. He is now seated at the banquet feast at the wedding supper of the Lamb.

Bob is now a doorkeeper to the eternal house of the Lord. It is where one day is like a thousand years and a thousand years are like a day. For Bob, serving the Lord was not a job, it was a way of life. Now it is his way for life eternal in Christ. Amen.

 

Obituary for Bob Kimberlain