Cora's Service 10.28.11

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 18^thchapter 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.