Text      Psalm 46; Romans 8:31-39; John 14:1-7

       Theme      “Be Still”

      Subject      Death & Resurrection

   Occasion      Funeral of Orval Floyd (81 yrs) – 1/30/08 – Zion – Iowa City

 

The Hebrew word “selah” occurs 3 times in the Psalm I am about to read

          Selah is a difficult word to translate so it has remained in the English text

                   Probably selah is a musical notation or an instruction for the listener

                             Something like a rest – a pause

Maybe simply telling us to “stop and listen”

                   Clearly selah adds stress to what precedes it

so I will pause after each occurrence of selah

 

A reading of the 46th Psalm

 

God is our refuge and strength,

a very present help in trouble. 

2 Therefore we will not fear,

though the earth should change,

though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea; 

3 though its waters roar and foam,

though the mountains tremble with its tumult.

Selah 

 

4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,

the holy habitation of the Most High. 

5 God is in the midst of the city;

it shall not be moved;

God will help it when the morning dawns. 

6 The nations are in an uproar,

the kingdoms totter;

he utters his voice,

the earth melts. 

7 The LORD of hosts is with us;

the God of Jacob is our refuge.

Selah 

 

8 Come, behold the works of the LORD;

see what desolations he has brought on the earth. 

9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;

he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear;

he burns the shields with fire. 

10 "Be still, and know that I am God!

I am exalted among the nations,

I am exalted in the earth." 

11 The LORD of hosts is with us;

the God of Jacob is our refuge.

Selah       

                

- - - - - - -

Lucille,

Friends in Christ,

Grace and Peace to you from God our Fathefr and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ

 

Lucille has invited us to consider the power of this simple verse from scripture

          The invitation to Be still is the invitation n of this mighty Psalm

                   God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 

 

Be still, and know that I am God! (Ps 46:10a)

                                      Selah

 

In the 6 months that I have known Orval & Lucille,

          They have depended on this promise

                   That God is our refuge and our strength

Therefore we will not fear, especially in the face of sickness and death

though the earth should change,

though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea (Ps. 46:2)

 

St. Paul encouraged the Christians in Rome in the face of such turbulence

          This word from God lives among us this morning

… neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, 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. (Rom. 8:38b-39)

          Such power from God

                   Oh my, selah

                             Be still

          God is with us – revealed through Jesus Christ

                   How can we face death or tomorrow?

                             Our help is in the name of the Lord,

who made heaven and the earth (Ps. 124:8)

                   God did all that?

                             Oh yes, selah

                                      Be still

- - - - - - -

2500 years ago a man of God, Elijah, was being pursued (cf. 1 Kings 19:11ff)

          The Queen wanted him killed

                   He hid in a cave on the side of a mountain

                             Like us here hiding from winter wind and cold

                   He hid and prayed that God would come to his rescue

                             Like us here praying our grief and wonder at death

Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the LORD,

Be still

but the LORD was not in the wind;

and after the wind an earthquake,

Be still

but the LORD was not in the earthquake; 

and after the earthquake a fire,

Be still

but the LORD was not in the fire;

and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. 

          Be still selah

 

I remember the view from your back windows

          Over the back yard where the garden once was

                   Out over the pasture surrounded by timber

          Seemed like the right place for two people born in Iowa’s “Little Switzerland”

                   Raised so close to the land

 

Lucille, when you told me of your plans to bring Orval home from the hospital

          Plans that included a recliner and hospital bed there to look out that window

                    I admired your courageous love

 

This is the love God reveals in Jesus

          Selfless and aware; willing and courageous

 

Moments with Orval are remembered by many

          But Lucille and Orval were the memory makers

                   Please treasure the memories and speak them

 

I found a picture on the internet from the Daily Iowan

Orval is smiling happily while he is square dancing

          He was about 79 when the picture was taken

I’m sure Lucille could expand on the caption for some time

 

          Selah

 

Orval:

Farm kid, World War II veteran, Master Chemist,

          Delighting in the life you shared with him:

music and dance

          Be still, selah

Now in the face of death,

          Our faith is challenged

                   Oh, we can entrust Orval to the sure and certain hope of the resurrection

          We are challenged now again to live in that hope

                   Trusting it will be so for us

                   Trusting that Jesus is the way, and the truth, and the life. (John 14:6a)

Be still

          Selah