Text Romans 8:31-39; John 14:1-6; Psalm 23
Theme The Go-to Guy
Subject The resurrection faith thru Jesus Christ
Occasion Funeral of James Grifhorst – 2/25/08 – Zion – Iowa City
Carver, David, Kevin & Heather, B. J., Paul, Lois, Wilma
Friends in Christ
Grace to you and peace from our living Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
The news was a shock: James Richard Grifhorst died last Thursday morning
I never met Jim Grifhorst but Saturday people began introducing me to Jim
That
For years Jim walked 10 miles a day
Heart-healthy one would suppose
He lived a disciplined life
He had genetics that would lead toward longevity
He was a Boy Scout holding the highest rank
Tapped out for Order of the Arrow
Recognized as special already in his adolescence
He worked at the College of Business at the University since ‘89 & previous to that
At work people knew they could depend on him
I’ve heard some stories – please tell more of them often today
In the family, people knew they could depend on him
Keep recalling the stories
Share the pictures – remember to add the captions
This morning I went to Jim’s office – what I expected having been to Jim’s on Saturday
Sat in his kitchen – appreciated the addition
Stood on his porch – appreciated the view
Walked through the basement
admired the guy-spaces:
library with a double rod-rack
TV room with mounted mallard
Just enough Hawkeye decor
Shop with lathe, radial arm, elevated bench and supplies
Game room with pool table and pictures of the boys
It didn’t take long to figure out that Jim Grifhorst did not live to work: he worked to live
If people concentrated on the really important things in life, there’d be a shortage of fishing poles
The reason we’re here at Zion Lutheran today is that Jim and Linda wanted the boys raised in the Christian faith
This is where a lot of that happened
They could have done what a lot of their peers did:
refuse to tell their children about their faith
leave it to the children to figure out the cosmic, eternal things
Best is when parents bring their children to what they value
So when faced with ultimate matters like death
The kids have something
So here we are
From the scriptures we’ve heard St. Paul ask
What then shall we say to this? (Rom. 8:31)
We’ve heard Jesus’ disciple Thomas in near panic, announce and ask
"Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?" (John 14:5)
Everyone seems to agree that “Jim Grifhorst was the go-to guy”
Need something done – call Jim
He brought with him
high standards and expectations
good equipment
and he knew all sorts of stuff about all sorts of things
And if he was going to do it, it would be fun
What about today?
I dare to say that Jim has pointed us to The Go-to Guy
Jesus
You wouldn’t find Jim standing on a street corner handing out Christian literature
But he’d want us here today
Who better to go to when faced with the finality of death
than the one who has been raised from the dead
Jesus
Jesus told anxious Thomas
I am the way, and the truth, and the life (John 14:6a)
Follow Jesus in life
Live for others – count others more important than one’s self
Be true – no pretense, no mask, genuine
Go his way – Jesus, the King who washed feet
Died for all people that the grip of death would finally be broken
This how Jesus is the way, and the truth, and the life
I’ve been preaching for funerals since 1973
I’ve always found great comfort in the promise of eternal life
4 months ago I nearly died
6 weeks of recovery started me to wonder more personally about what eternal life
I couldn’t imagine sitting on a cloud singing for eternity
That picture of Jim knee deep in an Alaskan river,
Smile on his face
Holding that big trout that took 20 minutes to land
It just might be heaven – well, for some of us anyway
Each of us can have a vision of it – I’m sure it will be grand
After Jesus had been raised from the dead,
He appeared to the disciples on a number of occasions
So they knew of the resurrection faith
But they didn’t become evangelists right away
They didn’t start congregations
In the last chapter of the Gospel of St. John we read this,
Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. (7 fishermen) Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We will go with you." (John 21:2-3)
Sounds like heaven to me
About the time Jim moved to Iowa City,
Anthony Quinn starred in a movie entitled Shoes of the Fisherman
It opened new vistas to the world about the relevance of the Church
It traced the lineage of Church leadership back to Peter, the fisherman
Shoes of the fisherman
A good legacy for Christians who like to fish
The last things that Jesus said to Peter the fisherman were
Do you love me and Feed my sheep (John 21:15, 16, 17)
Mixed metaphor for sure – fish … sheep
But clearly Peter isn’t all about fishing
He’s shepherding too
St. Peter’s work made it possible for us to be here
Made it possible for us to know the resurrection faith
Nothing in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom. 8:39)
I think it was B. J. who told me that the hymns should be energetic
One we sing today was also sung at Jim’s father’s funeral
We can claim the power of the resurrection faith through our singing
Someone else mentioned the funeral shouldn’t be sad
So, not sad, but powerful because this final farewell is difficult
Jim would want us glad to have known him
His legacy is real – hard to imagine life without him
remember his voice, his wisdom and his care
Today he’s brought us all together
To remember his go-to guy
Jesus Christ, risen from the dead
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