Percy Jordan’s Funeral Sermon
Funeral Sermon - Percy Jordan
“The Kingdom of God is like a mustard seed. Even though it is the smallest of seeds, when planted it becomes one of the largest garden trees, where birds come and perch in it’s branches” only a few chapters later Jesus will say, “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can tell this mount to move, and it will move”.
In these two parables, these two stories, we get this vision of how something so little, like a mustard seed, can become something so great when it is connected to God, to Jesus and His Kingdom. This is ultimately a message to what God can do with us. If we are willing to have even a little faith in Jesus, that will cause us to step out with courage, to make that faith tangible with word and action; Jesus in all of his graciousness uses our little faith and makes it more powerful through working ahead, beside and behind us. We join God in building a different world. The Kingdom of heaven is any place where God in Jesus is known and recognized as King over everything - since God is love, power and justice His Kingdom is a place of peace, of connection, of purpose and a full lasting life. If we know and recognize God’s Kingdom even a little, it's like planting a tiny seed, and then tend to it, God’s kingdom can grow like a tree and become something strong and mighty that takes care of others.
This image reminds me of Percy. He was not a small man, but we don’t have to be small for something to feel that way. For one, many of you don’t know about Percy’s faith. You probably don’t know how and why he believed in Jesus and what this meant for his life. Yet, you can see that his faith did lead him, that faith did give him strength. He put that faith into action and showed himself to be faithful to God. Something seemingly small, led to a great and mighty work as he worked in this church for the benefit of all those involved. He was not alone in this work, not by a long shot. In the early years, when Rev. Stackhouse led this great upside-down ship, Stackhouse led the charge going door to door and from there built a great team that literally helped to build this church and build up the people, youth, and children in it. They had a little pocket of God’s Kingdom here, that they had met in Jesus Christ. Then the family grew as they invited hundreds of brothers and sisters to meet their great Father in heaven and their brother Jesus Christ. In this simple example we can see a small mustard seed of faith, of God’s Kingdom went a long way.
Percy also had some tough times in his life. Growing up, things weren’t always the best, yet from that, he stepped out in faith, made connections, and built up his family and this one. What might have felt like small beginnings enduring the depression, through faith and hard work led to something more grand as God worked with him.
When listening to Percy’s story what stood out to me the most was his diligence and capacity to work, to put his faith into action. God needs both the people who think, speak, and pray for God’s Kingdom and the people who step out, work, and build up God’s Kingdom. Jesus Himself taught, but he also worked and both reflected God to others. Jesus said, “No one has greater love than this, to lay one’s life down for a friend”. To understand that we need to both hear that and see it. The words are true and have great meaning, but they mean even more when we experience their truth.
Here we are today, in a new season of that mustard seed faith and kingdom. Percy is in a new season as he now rests in the heart of Jesus Christ - waiting for the full realization of His resurrection. We are in a new season as we mourn our loss. The church is in a new season as we are being renewed into far more than a mustard seed, as we entering into a season of both planting and harvesting. What season are you in? Can you find that mustard seed faith in yourself? Can you plant it, water and tend it? Have you grown enough that you might be able to spread more seeds, or call other birds to perch?
No matter where you are in your faith journey, know that this season of mourning is just a season. Though we may always miss Percy or other loved ones, this mourning does not need to last. As a mustard seed must be buried and die there in the ground so that it then might be transformed into something far greater, so is our destiny with Jesus. We might die with him, whether that be physical or spiritual, but that death is just the beginning. Think about the stark difference between a seed and the plant that eventually comes out. That is the grandness of what God can do with even the little faith we can give. That is the grandness of what God can do with our life and our death. Jesus Christ our God became flesh and died, but was raised to a new and world changing life, so that we too could be like him in our death and new life. Let us always remember that God is making old things new and even in the desert where nothing seems to grow, he makes a spring flow. AMEN
