I’m going to begin with a confession. I was, to quote St. Paul, “one untimely born.” I was not a part of this community when Jim was in his prime. I did not know him in the way most of you did. I will confess to feeling some intimidation about standing before you today.
Sunday didn’t help. After worship on Sunday, there were a number of us gathered in the hallway chatting. Many of you were talking about how Jim was your Sunday School teacher. You were sharing memories of his long-time association with our congregation, telling tales of times long past. I was not here for any of that. I did not know him that way.
But let me tell you what I do know. My first point is this, and it has to do with those conversations in the hallway on Sunday. Many of us go through life wondering if we’ve mattered. Have we made a difference? Did we do our part to make the world a better place? All of us, at some point in our life, wrestle with those sorts of existential questions. I’ve no doubt Jim did too at one point or another.
But for him, there is an answer and it’s right here before us. Did he matter? Did he make a difference? The proof is here in this room. What a legacy he’s left. How many Christians did he nurture throughout his life? How many faith journeys did he guide? From his children to so many of the stalwarts of this community, he had an impact on so many lives. What a gift he’s given the world.
I know for my part, as pastor, I owe him a debt. Here I am, the shepherd of this flock, benefiting from the teachings he’s instilled in so many of you who are here today. I am grateful for the impact Jim Schlag has had on your lives. He was a special man and will be missed.
That’s the first thing I know. For the second, I’m going to repeat much of what I’ve been saying in my sermons of late. I’ve been driving home the idea that God loves us. Period. End of story. It’s such an elementary thing, a core teaching of the Church that Jim undoubtedly drove home himself. And yet, it is so often so hard to believe.
Especially in times like this and circumstances like this. Alzheimer's is such a terrible disease; you watch the one you love slowly fade away and forget even the most precious things of their life. They forget the spouse they loved. The children they raised. In what sort of world could such a thing exist? It’s easy to question whether God loves any of us if he allows this to happen to us.
But we do not have the full picture. There is so much of this life that is beyond our understanding. What we do have however is what God has said to us, lessons echoed to us in our Scripture readings today. How God will erase the sting of death from this world. How he will wipe away our tears and take away our sorrow. He will replace death with life and bring us all to our own glorious resurrection.
To bring all that about, God set in motion a plan at the beginning of the ages. A plan involving a Chosen people from whom came a Messiah. A Messiah who taught and showed us just how much God truly cares for us. How much he loves us. A Messiah who died on a cross and then rose again on the third day for our sake.
This whole plan, every bit of it, was so that God could be with the ones he loves. It was so God could be with Jim, his beloved child. All of it, for him...and for us.
It may be hard to imagine that we are truly the greatest desire of God’s heart. We’re what he wants the most. But it is true. God wants nothing but joy and happiness, hope and salvation for us. That’s what this is all about. And now it’s come true for Jim. The promise has been fulfilled and they are together at last. And Jim is his whole self again, his mind and body restored to what they meant to be. His healing has arrived.
For those of us who grieve, that seems unfair. He has everything we could have wished for him, but he is not with us. But there’s still more to this promise. The same love God showed to Jim he shows to us, to you and to me. And God wants us to be happy and joyful. He loves us with all the passion he can muster and he wishes to wipe away our tears, including the ones on our faces as we speak. So there will come a day when all death is put asunder, when tears are dried, and all grief will pass away. A day of joy and wonder. And on that day, we will see Jim again.
This I know, because this is what God has promised to us all. It is our hope on this day. Our faith. God loves each of us beyond comprehension. And he shall bring all of us to himself and there we shall live. All of us, you, me, and Jim, in the glory and the joy of God’s eternal kingdom. Amen.
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