Funeral sermon for Lynn Christopolis

Belonging to the Lord

Romans 14:7-9 For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. ⁸ If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. ⁹ For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.

A number of years ago, the magazine Psychology Today had a fascinating article about the function of the human brain. Our diagnostic equipment is now so good that we can actually map the human brain. As we do, we can see what area of the brain becomes active when a person is facing a certain situation. For instance, one area of the brain becomes active when the person is facing danger. Another area of the brain becomes active when the person sits down to a favorite meal.

Researchers decided to try an experiment. They placed someone in a situation where the person had to face loneliness. Their diagnostic equipment lit up. What it told them was a bit jarring. It told them that the area of the brain that becomes active when facing loneliness is the same area of the brain that becomes active when facing physical pain.

Think about that for a moment. According to this experiment, our emotional makeup is such that we process loneliness the same way we process physical pain.

Then again, maybe we don’t need researchers to tell us what we already know. Loneliness hurts. Loneliness brings real pain.

But by God’s grace, Lynn never had to face real loneliness. She had a small family, but they were always around. In fact, her parents and grandparents were her next door neighbors for her entire life. She lived with her parents, then when she was married, she lived with Jim and her children. Eventually, Lynn, Jim and their children moved in with her parents.

There was always a sense of belonging with Lynn and her family. Whether it was playing video games with Keith or trying to teach Tara to cook or doing anything with Mercedez. But there was always togetherness and mutual bonding and belonging with Jim and Lynn. They did everything together – bowling, softball, baseball, cards, dartball. They were a wonderful team – Lynn driving, Jim cooking, Lynn being Jim’s rock and Jim being Lynn’s foundation.

But above all, Lynn and Jim had their Savior, Jesus Christ, as the rock and the foundation of their Christian faith. They are fellow citizens and members of Gods’ household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone (Ephesians 2:19-20).

But it wasn’t always this way. Lynn didn’t always remain close to her Savior. Her sin got in the way … just as it does with all of us. Scripture is clear: “Your iniquities [sins] have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear” (Isaiah 59:2). It is our inborn sin that we inherited from our parents that drove us into the devil’s arms. It is our habitual sins that cause us to wander away from our Good Shepherd seeking greener pastures and sweeter waters. It is our accidental sins that cause us to drift further and further away from our God of perfection. It is our defiant sins that cause us to thumb our nose at God, daring Him to strike us down.

Let’s face it, it is living in a sinful world that caused Lynn to have a stroke and it is living in an imperfect world that caused her to die so young. Again, Scripture is clear: “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). Since we are all infected with the deadly disease of sin, all of us will die.

“But the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 3:23). Though we will all die because of our sin, we have been given the gift of eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ as our eternal Savior. Though sin has separated us from our God, God has blotted out our transgressions through the blood of His Son shed on the cross. Though we have a lifetime of sin built up, our sins have been erased and God remembers our sins no more (Isaiah 43:25).

Lynn always had very strong ties with her family. But it was when she was baptized as an infant at St. Sebastian’s, that God made a promise to her that she now belonged in the family of God. God brought her into His family of faith here at Epiphany when Lynn and Jim were married before the Lord’s altar in 1974. This was their church home ever since. God kept them strong in the faith all those years – through thick and thin, stroke or miscarriage or death in the family. Whether they were sitting in one of the back pews or out in our Friendship Room, they were here, worshiping, praying, hearing God’s Word and receiving Christ’s Sacrament. Every Sunday they could look at the stained glass window and be reminded that their Shepherd had laid down His life for them. He loved them enough to die for them. He loved them enough to make them His precious lambs that He would protect at all times.

Jesus wanted Lynn to know that she belonged, that she was a part of His family, His flock and that she was never alone. Jesus knows what it is like to be alone. He knows this from His own turn at living in this fallen world. More than anyone else, He knows what agony it is to feel isolated, abandoned, and alone. He was isolated by the religious leaders who hated Him. He was abandoned by His disciples who loved Him. And He was forsaken by His heavenly Father so that He died alone.

He did all this for Lynn. He did it all for you. Jesus doesn’t just feel our pain. He has done something about it. At the cross, Jesus’ blood washed our sins away. He removed the wall of sin that separated us from God. His perfect sacrifice of Himself reconciled us with our heavenly Father.

That means we will never be alone again.

That’s why the apostle Paul could write with such confidence: “For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.”

When Lynn was alive, she belonged to the Lord. Now that Lynn is alive in heaven, she belongs to the Lord. He is the Lord of both the dead and the living. The only differences for Lynn are the time and location.

Lynn lived her entire life on Braun Road. But now she will live an entire eternal lifetime along the golden paved road down the center of heaven. She always lived in Mt. Pleasant, but now her new address is the new city of Jerusalem the Golden. She grew up as a farm girl, surrounded by fields of hay and corn. Now she is surrounded by the green pastures and quiet waters of paradise. She always had her family nearby. Now she is together with all God’s saints around the throne of the Lamb. She is waiting for the rest of her Christian family to join her. She was always quiet and shy, but now she is lifting up her hands and voice along with countless saints and angels in praise of her Triune God. She had to live with her stroke for the past 20 years, but now she is with her Lord where there is no more sin or suffering or tears or pain.

Sadly, for many, the pain of loneliness is real. But it is no match for Jesus. In life and in death, Lynn was never alone. Jesus was always with her. And now He has taken Lynn to always be with Him. For she belongs to the Lord. Amen.

 

Obituary for Lynn Christopolis