Forever Part of the Fold

St. Michael’s Episcopal Church, Gainesville FL
March 25, 2011

Funeral Sermon for Robert Bret Henley
Isaiah 61:1-3
Psalm 23
Revelation 7:9-17
John 10:11-16

Forever Part of the Fold

There’s always a mix of emotions involved when it comes to a Christian funeral.

Sometimes people think that somehow they lack faith if they feel sad that someone they love has died.

Sometimes people think that they lack faith if they ask why? Why did this happen? Why couldn’t Bret have recovered? Why couldn’t Bret have recovered and lived on for decades?

Of course, there is nothing wrong with feeling sad or asking these difficult questions. We are suffering a very real loss. Tears have been shed all week. Tears will be shed during this service and tears will be shed in the days and weeks to come.

The devastating fact is that we will not see Bret again in this life.

We mourn the very real loss of Bret who has left behind parents who never wanted to outlive their child.

We mourn the loss of this man who was fortunate enough to find true and abiding love with Erica.

We mourn the very real loss of Bret, who has died too young, leaving behind a brokenhearted wife who hoped for many more years of happy life together

I had the painful privilege of seeing the power of their shared love in the hospital as Bret’s life drew to a close. Erica tended to him so lovingly, hugging and kissing him, whispering in his ear.

I could see the pain but also the determination in Erica’s face when she knew the time had come – when she made one last sacrifice and respected Bret’s wish not to be kept alive by machines.

We can’t know everything Bret was thinking or feeling in his last days, but we can take comfort that he knew he was loved very deeply.

We mourn the very real loss of Bret, this man who gave generously of himself to others as teacher and coach and mentor.

We mourn the very real loss of Bret, this man who loved playing the harmonica, who loved sports, who loved getting out on a boat, who loved taking a cruise, this man who enjoyed the occasional trip to Vegas.

So, we’re here in part to mourn the very real loss of Bret –t he man his mother-in-law described as “everything good.”

We’re also here to show our love and support for Erica and for the rest of Bret’s family.

But, the most important reason we’re here is to celebrate. We’re here to celebrate the life of this man.

And we’re here to celebrate because as Christians we are convinced that Bret’s life didn’t end earlier this week in the Intensive Care Unit at Shands Hospital.

We’re here to celebrate because as Christians we believe, we trust – we know - that God takes death and turns it into life. That’s what God did when Jesus hung lifeless on the cross and all hope seemed to be lost. And yet three days later the resurrected Christ revealed to his shocked followers and eventually to the world that love wins and death had been defeated once and for all.

In the passage from the Gospel of John I read a few minutes ago, Jesus describes himself as the “Good Shepherd.”

Throughout the Bible there is lots of sheep and shepherd imagery – which makes sense since the Bible was written by and for people who probably saw sheep and shepherds just about every day.

Throughout the Bible shepherding the people is a common and obvious metaphor for leadership. And the people who lack leadership are described as lost sheep.

And even those of us who’ve never seen a shepherd in person, can relate to the imagery can’t we? We’ve all felt a little bit like lost sheep at least sometimes, haven’t we? We’ve all looked for a shepherd to lead us - and to take care of us – to make sure we’ll be OK

Often we invest those hopes in political leaders. And the truth is no political leader, no matter how wise or brave or compassionate, can be the Good Shepherd.

There’s only one Good Shepherd and he’s Jesus.

Jesus is the Good Shepherd because he is wiling to die for us - his sheep.

Jesus is the Good Shepherd because he never abandons us in our time of need. In the hospital room with Bret and Erica and their family I could feel God’s grace being poured out. I could feel everyone present receiving the strength they needed in the face of such sadness, in the midst of this ordeal.

I could feel the love of Christ reflected in the love shared between Bret and Erica.

Jesus is the Good Shepherd because there is nothing we can do to be expelled from his fold. Once we are part of his flock we are part of his flock forever.

And we become part of the flock of the Good Shepherd in the water of Baptism. Bret became part of the flock of the Good Shepherd when he was baptized right here at St. Michael’s – or actually right over there at St. Michael’s.

The Church teaches that it’s in the water of Baptism that we are fully initiated into the Body of Christ.

The Church teaches that the bond which God establishes with us in baptism is indissoluble. The bond between God and us can never be dissolved, can never be broken.

No matter what we do or don’t do, no matter how far we stray, no matter how much we disappoint ourselves or disappoint others, no matter how much we mess up, we always remain part of the flock.

No matter what we do or don’t do, no matter how far we stray, no matter how much we disappoint ourselves or disappoint others, no matter how much we mess up, we always remain in the fold of the Good Shepherd.

That’s why at the end of today’s service, I will stand at Bret’s casket and pray to Jesus,

“Acknowledge, we humbly beseech you, a sheep of your own fold, a lamb of your own flock, a sinner of your own redeeming.”

In his death, Bret has moved from one part of the Good Shepherd’s fold to another. He’s in another part of the fold where for now we can no longer see him. Bret’s in another part of the fold but we can feel his presence, his closeness to us, even now – or especially now – in our grief.

So we’ve gathered here today with a mix of emotions.

We are sad, heartbroken, at the death of Bret.

We ask why did this have to happen?

We’ve come to support Erica and all those loved Bret.

We’re here to celebrate Bret’s life.

We’re here to give thanks to God for the life of Bret Henley.

And we’re here to give thanks to Jesus the Good Shepherd who died for us. We’re here to give thanks to Jesus the Good Shepherd who welcomes all of us into his fold. We’re here to give thanks to Jesus the Good Shepherd who - no matter what - never gives up on us.

Thanks be to God!