THANKSGIVING
FOR LIFE AND RESURRECTION
Cora
Lily Murphy
OPENING
SENTENCES
Friends,
within the healing embrace of God's love we have gathered here to
thank God for the life of Cora Lily Murphy and to entrust her into
God's eternal care, knowing that God's good and loving purposes for
his people cannot be defeated by the power of sin and death.
We
are all children of God, and in the faith that God has given us, we
turn now to the Lord asking for his comfort and grace to be with us
all ― and to be especially present with Suzanne and Kelly and all
of their family and friends who were privileged to love Cora during
her all too brief time with us on this earth . . .
We
gather here as God’s people, conscious of others who have died and
of the frailty of our own existence on earth. We gather also to hear
God’s word of hope, and to anticipate the future as we remember
that our own lives, as well as Cora’s brief life, are always in
God’s loving hands.
PRAYER
Compassionate
and loving God, yours is the Beauty of childhood and yours is the
fullness of years. Comfort us in our sorrow, strengthen us with hope,
and breathe peace into our sorrowing hearts. Assure us that the love
we had for Cora was not in vain – indeed make it a part of the
store of goodness you are even now pouring out upon her in your
eternal kingdom.
Help
us to bless you for the gift you gave us in her, for the joy she gave
all who knew her, for the memories that will abide with us, and for
the assurance that she lives forever in the joy and peace of your
presence. Guide us through this time of sadness with the light of
your love and the strength of your compassion; through Jesus Christ
our Lord we pray. Amen.
HYMN
280 Amazing Grace, How Sweet the
Sound
SCRIPTURE
READINGS
Hear
these words from Holy Scriptures, words written by the Apostle Paul
as he considered the perils of human life and the sorrows that come
to it - and within these - the love of God as revealed through Christ
Jesus - who died on the cross that we might live - and rose from the
dead that we might have life eternal. I consider that the sufferings
of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to
be revealed to us. We know that in everything that God works for good
with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose.
What
then shall we say to this? If God is for us, who is against us? He
who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for us all, will he
not also give us all things with him? Who shall separate us from the
love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or
famine, or nakedness or peril, or sword? No - in all these things we
are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that
neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things
present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor
anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the
love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Friends,
the Apostle assures us that nothing can separate us from the love of
God. Knowing this – even in the midst of our sorrow today - we
thank God for the inheritance, the loving embrace that Cora, though
but a tender infant, has already received from God.
We
thank God, not for taking her from us - for it is not God's will that
anyone should perish - but rather for granting her a place with all
the saints - a place where, when our time on earth is ended - we may
join her and know the fullness of that which, in our life here, we
had only just begun to know.
I
would like now to share with you two other brief scripture readings
and then say a few words about how they relate to what we are doing
today.
The
first reading is taken from the 18thchapter
of Matthews Gospel:
At
that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the
greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" He called a child, whom he
put among them, and said, "Truly I tell you, unless you change
and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom
of heaven. Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me."
Take care that you do not despise one of these little ones; for, I
tell you, in heaven their angels continually see the face of my
Father in heaven. What do you think? If a shepherd has a hundred
sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the
ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went
astray? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices over it
more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not
the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones
should be lost.”
The
second reading is taken from the prophecy of Isaiah and speaks of the
time when the Kingdom of God is fully established upon the earth. In
it we hear the voice of God speaking of that time which is yet to
come:
"Behold,
I will create new heavens and a new earth" (says the Lord) "The
former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. But
be glad and rejoice forever in what I am creating, for I am about to
create Jerusalem as a joy and its people as a delight. I will rejoice
in Jerusalem and delight in my people; no more shall the sound of
weeping be heard in it, or the cry of distress. No more shall there
be in it an infant that lives but a few days, or an old person who
does not live out a lifetime; for one who dies at a hundred years
will be considered a youth, and one who falls short of a hundred will
be considered accursed. They shall build houses and dwell in them;
they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. For like the days of a
tree shall the days of my people be, and my chosen shall long enjoy
the work of their hands.”
This
is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
MEDITATION
During
these last several days, as we have lived with the untimely death of
baby Cora our hearts have been full of questions - chief amongst them
being "Why did this happen?" and/or "How did this
happen?" These questions have been not only in the hearts and on
the minds of Suzanne and Kelly and their families, but upon the lips
of many of you who are here this morning and they are always heard at
times like this.
We
are not here today to answer these questions - even if we could.
Rather we are here to mourn - to mourn and to commend Cora into God's
care, and to ask God to help us - and most especially to help Suzanne
and Kelly, their parents Gwen and John, Janet and Toby, grandfather
Gordon, siblings Andrew and Shawn along with their other family
members and close friends, through this tragedy.
In
the most beautiful of gardens, even those tended by skillful
botanists, there is occasionally a rose that buds, but never opens.
In every way this rose is like all the others, but something keeps it
from blooming. It fades away - or disappears - without having reached
maturity. What happens in nature's garden very sadly also happens
once in a while in the garden of God's human family. A baby is born ―
beautiful and precious, but fails to come to its rightful unfolding.
This child, like the bud that never fully opens, is gathered back
into God's heavenly garden of souls ― where all imperfections are
made perfect; all injustices made right; all mysteries are ultimately
explained; and all sorrows turned finally into happiness.
Today,
we mourn our own loss of such a child. We weep for Cora and
ourselves, just as Jesus himself wept at the death of his dear friend
Lazarus. Even if we knew the answers to the questions that rise so
naturally in our hearts and minds at times like this, there still
would be no adequate explanation for this loss. It is incredibly
painful. And I believe it is also painful to God, who created the
world intending it to be perfect. As Jesus himself said in our
earlier reading: "It is not the will of your Father that one of
these little ones should perish, should be lost."
And,
as promised to us by God through the prophet Isaiah, there will come
a time when there is a new heaven and a new earth ― a time when
never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days,
or an old man who does not live out his years - a time so glorious in
its presence that a person who dies at a hundred will be thought a
mere youth; and they who fail to reach a hundred will be considered
accursed. But this, sadly, is not yet that time. Rather this is the
time when heaven remains beyond us – and we on earth below; the
time when the joy of eternal life is experienced only in its fullness
when our mortal bodies perish, much as a flower can come forth only
after a seed or bulb is planted in the earth and loses its form.
In
Matthew’s Gospel Jesus spoke of angels above ― angels who watch
over the little ones of this earth. He spoke of them when he told his
disciples to be careful, and not to think less of little children
simply because they are little children ― because in heaven, he
said, their angels continually see the face of God. There is a
special place in the heart of God and amongst the angels for the
little ones of this world just as there is a special place in our
hearts today for Cora.
And
so we weep at what has happened.
And
so too – does God weep along with us.
What
can be said that might ease the pain or assuage the grief we all feel
today? There isn't much we can say
that will help. We can express our
sympathy and sorrow. We can offer our words of love, of our care and
concern. We can and will pray for God to comfort us. But other than
that we don't know what
to say about these things.
Suzanne
and Kelly, maybe it is because people don't know what to say that
they sometimes say things, which, I believe, are not helpful.
Some
people may say that Cora's death at this time was God's will. I know
you don't believe that.
The
God we worship, the God who watches over us, does not will the death
of babies or the pain of their parents. Many, many things happen in
this world which are not the will of God. That is part of the price
of the freedom God has given us.
Some
people may say to you that God wanted Cora in heaven with him. While
I am confident God has welcomed Cora into his kingdom, I am sure God
did not want her to die to keep him company.
Some
people may try to comfort you by saying to you that you are still
young enough to have another child or that you still have three. All
those things are true, but no other child can ever replace Cora. She
was her own person.
The
empty place her death has left in your heart will not be filled
simply because you might have another child, or because Rory, Kyan,
and Crosby ― precious and loved by you as they are, remain with
you. Nor should it be. Every child, like Cora, is unique and
precious.
I’m
sure that people who say things like these are well-intentioned and
say them from a sincere desire to comfort you. They want to say
something that will help. We bless them for it ―- but we know that
we are faced with a mystery ―the mystery of life - and of death -
for which there are no easy answers.
So
"What" then, "are we to say to these things?"
It
is not a complete or final answer, but what St. Paul provides,
provisionally, at least, is this:
"If
God is for us, who can against us? He who did not withhold his own
Son, but gave him up
for
all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else?"It
is important to know that God is for you, that God did not do this to
you. God did not will Cora's death or your pain. But God is with you
in the midst of it all and will help you through it. God is for you.
What’s more, God gave up his own son for us all.
Kelly
and Suzanne, I believe God shares your pain ― God also had a child,
a son who died, on a cross, for us. And because Jesus rose to new
life we can be confident that Cora has new life also. Today ― in
our grief ― we believe there is another angel in heaven. Cling to
that hope ― that promise from God ― and allow your tears to help
wash away the pain in the days and months to come.
PRAYER
OF THANKSGIVING
Gracious
and Loving God, whose Son Jesus took little children into his
arms
and blessed them; we thank you that you gave Cora to us, even for a
brief
time; and we thank you that you caused our hearts to love her.
We
praise and bless you for the assurance that you have received her to
yourself,
and that you will keep her now and always.
It
was your love that gave us life, O God, and your care never fails.
Yours
is the beauty that was in infant Cora, and yours also the light that
shines
in
the face of older age.
For
all whom you have given to be dear to us, we thank you, and
especially
for
Cora Lily, who now lives with you.
Into
your love we commend her, remembering the words of Jesus,
Let
the children come to me, for of such is the kingdom of heaven.
None
of us, O Lord, is wise enough to understand or know why this
happened;
but
we are human enough to grieve with Kelly and Suzanne, Gwen and John,
Janet
and Toby, and all their relatives and close friends, and to express
our
care and concern for them.
In
these moments together we return to you the potential of Cora’s
infant life,
which
for us will not be.
Even
as we do so, help us recommit to you the potential in our own lives,
which
― through your presence and power ― may yet be realized to your
glory.
Hear
us, we ask, as we commune with you now in a time of silence ―
these
and other thoughts we have.
Unto
your eternal love and care, O God, we commend Cora Lily,
grateful
for your promises of eternal and abundant life.
O
God, whose compassion never fails; we commend to you those who mourn,
especially
Suzanne and Kelly.
We
remember too all the other close family members who have been denied
the joy of seeing Cora blossom and grow in our midst.
Grant
unto them, and to all of us who weep today, your strength - and
uphold them with your living hope.
May
the words of Jesus, which revealed his love for little children,
speak
peace to their troubled hearts.
Enable
them to know that Cora is with you, safe in your eternal care,
blessed
beyond our imagining.
And
reassure them that in your own good time they will see her again.
Hold
us all in your keeping, and make tender and true the love we have
for
each other.
With
your peace, O God, uphold us, and in your love keep us,
this
day and forevermore. Amen.
HYMN 404 Precious Lord, Take My Hand
BENEDICTION
Now
may the Lord bless you and keep you,
the
Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you,
the
Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace,
this
day and unto life eternal. Amen.
