Ellen Jean Ward - Funeral Sermon
It is something to be cherished, something special when someone is willing to invite you in, welcome you, and love you no matter what. In a world where practically everything, even people feel transient, a person who is always there, is a great relief comfort, and even a kind of salvation. I know Ellen has been this kind of person to many of you and even though I only ever knew her in the hardest times, her willingness and joyfulness in greeting this absolute stranger spoke to her immense love.
When looking at Ellen’s history, and her life, this love becomes even more astounding. We often think that an easy life and abundance produce joy and love, but I don’t think this is true. Ellen at the least is an exception. Here is this woman who didn’t have a lot, who didn’t have the easiest life, and yet for all of this stuff that could have made her jaded, she was the opposite. She didn’t seem to judge people on this stuff, but rather on what layed before her. For her we were human beings deserving of love, deserving to be cherished.
It is important to remember these things, of course, because it is important to remember and hold onto love for Ellen. But we also need to remember these things because we need to know what is really important. What has meant the world to us and what has helped and inspired us. All of this other stuff, it will come and go, but love and embrace it can last. It also helps us to remember what we can be for others. We might think, oh I’ve been through too much, or I can’t do that, or I don’t want to be pushed around, or any number of the excuses we make, but we can all live into this kind of love and everyone around us needs it, even when we don’t realize it. We just need to enter in with humility and love, recognizing the other person as someone who is in the least as equally deserving as we are. It doesn’t mean it is easy, but what is needed and good is often not easy.
The other reason that remembering this aspect of Ellen is really important to me, is because her life points me to something even more foundation, even more lasting, even more loving. You can probably guess because I am up here that this is Jesus - God and in a similar way his church. I have to admit, I haven’t always been deserving of love. I have fought against him and rejected God more times then I can remember. I have acted and spoken in ways that weren’t always loving. Yet, with all of this God loved me anyways. In times when I felt lost and alone and like everything was falling apart around me, he was the one consistent. Even when I didn’t realize it, it was his presence and love that got me through.
His love does not stop short though. It dwells in the mud with us. It goes through the accidents, the addiction, the loss, anything and everything. We were reminded at the start of this service, that nothing can separate us from the love of God, not any powers, not life or death, not anything. Just that sheer consistant loving presence is already such a gift.
Did you ever notice this thing about Ellen’s love? She may not have had power to fix your problems, or even sometimes do much of anything about them, yet somehow her love did something. It had influence, power and effectiveness. I think God works through all our love to make it far more than we are ourselves. This gives us even more reason to live into this love.
God’s love is even more affective though. He actually does have the power. We already know he cares enough to come to us. He suffered beside us and even died, to show us His love. But he also wanted to show us how affective his love is. So death was not the end. Jesus was raised to new life and with him it seemed like the world was changed at least in ways.
As we were willing to rest and trust in Ellen’s love, we need to be willing to rest and trust in Jesus’. We can’t be chasing after every other thing or else we will spend our whole lives running after something we never get, but if we move with trust we will be surprised at how God provides for us. You know how to give good things, so won’t your Father in heaven also give you good things when you ask?
We have to humbly watch and love, because God will show up, not always in the way we ask or hope, but he will. Even now, we can trust Ellen to his loving arms. I know she had faith until the end and I know how much this all meant to her. Only a few days before she died I had the gift to be with as she committed herself to Christ and joyous agreed to follow him. She has shown us a love, a faith, a humility, now we have the choice to learn from her example. AMEN
