John 14:1-14 "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. ² In my Father's house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. ⁴ And you know the way to the place where I am going." ⁵ Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?" ⁶ Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. ⁷ If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him." ⁸ Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied." ⁹ Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? ¹⁰ Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. ¹¹ Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. ¹² Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. ¹³ I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴ If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.

Psalm 23:1-6 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. ² He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; ³ he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name's sake. ⁴ Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff-- they comfort me. ⁵ You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. ⁶ Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD my whole life long.

Text: John 14:1-14; Psalm 23

Theme: A Friend of the Resurrection

Date: May 1, 2008

Assembly: Funeral for Barb Becker

Today is a festival day in the life of the church

Today is Ascension Day

So we celebrate Jesus ascending to the Father to live into eternity

As we celebrate Barb ascending to God to live into eternity

Its on a day like this, that we thank God that Barb is done suffering here

Even though we learned so much from her life

She taught us how to love reading

She taught us how to open new chapters when life offers a new challenge

She taught us how to greet a new person as a friend

And she did all of it with that smile,

and that warmth in her voice,

and that care in her eyes

We thank God that Barb is done suffering here

Even though we learned so much from her dying

She taught us how to be the patient to whom nurses want to attend

She taught me something about how to read the Psalms

Whether it was a lament Psalm or a praise Psalm

Barb would lift up the part that touched her life that day

She taught us about battling cancer

Even the part of the fight that is accepting

And she did it all with that honesty

that lets multiple emotions live

And with that dignity that finds strength beyond itself

And that continued care for lives other than hers

Just last week she would ask each day about the foal that was to be born on Friday

But for some design far beyond that which we can plan

On Monday morning, when Barb was taking her last breaths

This foal who had been so anticipated

And waited for longer than expected

Was taking her first breaths

And it was clear early that morning

to Karen and Kurtis, Jordin, Dakoda, and Cheyenne

that the name of this new creation of God’s

would be “Barbie”

Even as the great shepherd was welcoming Barb to new life

You have welcomed and nurtured this one into new life

Barb knew the way to that new life

For she’d been following that shepherd a long time

The one who’d promised that his way leads to a house with many dwelling places

And there was a place prepared for her in his Father’s house

And the path to get there is about knowing him

Jesus says: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.”

Barb knows the way

And Barb knows the truth

And Barb knows the life

And it is many of you who have been on that way with Barb

And these last years it has been a hard way

But I just imagine that you think of these years fondly

For how rare to see one, such as Barb, who exemplifies friendship so purely

Barb cherished her friends

You worked and played together

You developed libraries, watched sports, and knitted together

You laughed and shared struggles

You visited her in the hospital and at Oaknoll

Where you could never keep the conversation on her

Because she cared so much about your lives and your families

Barb loved her friends with an extra intensity that is rarely seen

It is as though you were part of the fabric of each other’s lives

And the tearing apart hurts today as we grieve our loss

And at the same time the comfort of the resurrection of Jesus Christ

Wraps around us

For now Barb has made a friend of the resurrection

She lives in the balm of perfect relationship with her creator

She celebrates, with her redeemer, the health of her new body

And she rejoices in the peace of the Spirit

Barb has made a friend of the resurrection

And now through Barb you have befriended the resurrection in a new way.

What do you sense about it?

I think that Barb could tell you there is a place prepared for you

You’ve been on the way with her

She sees the truth

Ours is the life

May her new resurrected life enliven you

both today and into the future.