Sermon

APRIL 29, 2007

The Fear Factor:  Fear of Dying

John 10: 22-30

April 29, 2007

Everyone faces death, oftentimes with apprehension, oftentimes when we least expect it.  The untimely death at the age of 23 of a healthy football hero and college roommate of one of my sons the week before Easter brought this to our minds.  Ever since Adam left the garden, we have all faced death - even Jesus.  Here, in today’s scripture, it is Hannakah - just before Christmas.  Jesus says, “The Father and I are one.”  At that, the Jews pick up stones and begin to throw them at him.

Jesus says, “I have shown you many good works from the Father.  Why are you going to stone me?”  The Jews answer, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you, but for blasphemy, because you, though only a human being, are making yourself God.”  (John 10:32b-33)   Of course, this “death talk” is rather ineffective.  No one takes Jesus’ life; he lays it down.

Still, most people, at some time in their lives, including Jesus, do not want to die.  “If it be your will, let this cup pass from me.”  “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”  Most people are afraid of dying. 

Faith experiences and age often dictate how much fear one has of dying.  This week is the week of the Byron Nelson Tournament.  This is the first year that he will not be there to see or at least hear about the winner.  He died this past year, suddenly, at the age of 95.  Nelson’s widow Peggy recalled a time last year when told her beloved husband that she had been thinking about redoing their old farmhouse floor.  Byron said very calmly and sweetly, “Why don’t you wait to do that until after I go to Heaven?”

As many of you know, I was not here on April 15^th, because that was the day of my mother’s 90^th birthday.  My sister and I planned a surprise birthday for her.  We invited cousins and friends to come to church with her on April 15^th in Whitesboro, Texas.  On a typical Sunday, First Presbyterian has an attendance of 45.  On Easter Sunday it rose to 75.  Over 200 people showed up on Mother’s birthday.  At the end of the day, she said to me, “Judith, I don’t know how you and Sally got all those people to come for my birthday.  It was wonderful!  It was wonderful seeing all those cousins and friends coming in the doors of the church.  Many of those people came a long way.  They went to a lot of trouble.  When it comes time for my service, let’s just have a small graveside service.  Don’t ask all those people to come all that way again just for me!”

Age isn’t always the factor that brings us comfort.  Most of you have been praying since Christmas for a colleague of Rebecca’s and mine – Rev. Kathleen Baskin-Ball at Suncreek UMC.  Kathleen was diagnosed just after Christmas with large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma in the chest and both lobes of the liver.  The prognosis was three months.  She has been responding wonderfully, thanks to aggressive treatment.  As Clayton Oliphint observed, “I think she’s on the prayer list of every Methodist church around.”  When interviewed last week about this, Kathleen said, “I understand that cancer can be unpredictable, and I have preached at the funerals of people who had lots of prayers sent up for them.  I believe that God is healing all the time.  What I won’t try to put into a box is what that healing looks like.  I think for God to be victorious in my life means that I will learn to live through this in a way that shows love has the last word and love is victorious in the spirit of who I am, whether I get well or not.” 

Psalm 23 and today’s scripture promise us that we have a shepherd.

There are good shepherds, and there are bad shepherds.  In Ezekiel 34:2b, it says, “Thus says the Lord God:  Ah, you shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves!  Should not shepherds feed the sheep?”  Bad shepherds  disregard the retirement funds of their employees in the efforts to further their own kingdom. 

In Isaiah 56:11b, we read, “The shepherds (…..) have no understanding; they have all turned to their own way, to their own gain, one and all.”  Last week’s news told the story of a mother who was certainly not a good shepherd.  She practiced smothering her own little girl until she finally completed the act!

And then there are the other kinds of shepherds, the kinds like Babe – a pig who turned into a sheep dog.  (Film clip)  In the end, being a good shepherd is not about being right all the time or about bullying those who are perceived to be inferior.  Being a good shepherd turns out to be a faithful way of sharing Jesus’ resurrection legacy. 

“I am the good shepherd,” said Jesus in John 10:11.  “The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”  And then Jesus goes on to say a very comforting thing.  He says, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.  I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.”  One of my seminary professors lived in Jericho for a time, studying the lives of shepherds and life in that land.  One of the guys who worked for him had a father who owned an immense flock of sheep.  When he discovered that Dr. Power was studying that life, he invited him to his father’s house.  In addition to the flock, his father owned a pet sheep and a pet goat.  He had names for each of them, and they each knew their name.  While Dr. Power was visiting, the shepherd called the sheep and the goat to him by name.  The goat came bounding into the house and jumped up on the lap of the shepherd.  Finally, Dr. Power said, “Where’s the sheep?”  The shepherd said, “Oh, you know sheep.  They’re stupid; they’re stubborn; but they’re determined.”  Dr. Power went to the door and peered out.  The sheep was standing there, just 20 feet outside the door.  He knew his name.  He was being stubborn.

Kathleen Baskin-Ball believes in a good shepherd.  She finds comfort in that shepherd, regardless of her personal situation.  But even those who are not of Kathleen’s faith background have found comfort in knowing that there is a good shepherd.  I am reminded of an estranged couple in another church.  She did not have much sense of her name being called; religion, spirituality were not such a part of her life.  The church, the faith story, on the other hand, had always been a very important part of his life.  After 17 years, her cancer returned.  He went to see her one night in the hospital.  He brought her a Bible and read from it to her.  After a long visit, he rose to leave.  As he neared the door, she said from her bed, “Isn’t there some story in the Bible about a shepherd?”  He said, “Yes, there is.  And the rod and the staff can be found right here on your journey.”  At that he sat down and turned to the story of the shepherd in Psalm 23.

In a real shepherd’s look at Psalm 23, the author – a real shepherd - explains the reasons why sheep are taken to the mountain tops by way of the valleys.  He says that every mountain has its valleys.  The sides are scarred by deep ravines and gulches, and the best (the gentlest) route to the top is always along these valleys.  It is also the well-watered route, and it is generally where the richest feed and best forage is to be found.     

Today’s scripture promises us that we all have a shepherd, whether we are the black sheep of the family or not.  “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me.”  Amen.