Lois Brooks Funeral (2/9/2024)

Rev. Thomas Van Hemert

Psalm 23; John 10:7-16

Lois Brooks funeral

February 9, 2024

In the name of the Father and of the +Son and of the Holy Spirit. 

Behold, Lois is dead. The condition present in her, even from the time she was conceived has finally brought about its termination and she is no more. Her soul has been separated from her body, something which God never intended for His creation and she is dead. The condition present in her from the time she was conceived in her mother’s womb was sin. All men sin. All fall short of the glory of God. Thus, all die.

But even though we must suffer and endure bad and terrible things—being afflicted, suffering, and death—God uses these bad and terrible things for good. Even though Lois has died, God used that to bring her home. Not to Georgia or Ohio, or even back here to Iowa, but home, to God’s flock, to heaven, paradise, to Himself. 

I never knew Lois. I never spoke with her or visited with her. Richard had passed away early in 2020 and Lois had moved out of the state before I was installed here as the pastor. I never knew her. But of course, we all know that Jesus did. He Himself is the Good Shepherd and He knows all of His sheep. The Good Shepherd is good in that He gives His life for the sheep. And so He has brought her, Jesus has brought Lois through death to Himself. She heard His voice throughout her life as a baptized Christian. And now, Jesus has brought her to His heavenly flock.

The Good Shepherd imagery is very prominent in the Bible and in fact, the Good Shepherd text is one of my favorites for funerals. Shepherds and lambs. Little sheep. Jesus taking care of our every need. The Lord is our shepherd. We shall not want for anything. He leads us and guides us, feeds us, and in the end, He brings us home.

So it was when I was talking with Chris about planning this funeral, I asked about which readings and hymns might be appropriate for such a funeral, especially since I didn’t know Lois personally. He suggested we do exactly the same thing for Dad’s funeral. Same hymns, same readings. I won’t say I was surprised to see hymn 740, “I am Jesus’ Little Lamb” as one of the hymns, after all, it does work very well with the Good Shepherd text from John’s Gospel, but in all honesty, I’ve never really thought about this hymn when planning services. I don’t know why. Perhaps this is because we all learned it growing up as kids and, in fact, it’s never really a suggestion in the pastoral service planning book. But after reading through the text of the hymn once again in preparation for today, I think it’s an absolutely brilliant choice for funerals, for worship, for memorization, and for a description of every Christian in relation to Jesus, no matter how young or old you may be.

“I am Jesus’ little lamb

Ever glad at heart I am;

For my Shepherd gently guides me,

Knows my need and well provides me,

Loves me ev’ry day the same,

Even calls me by my name.”

Lois was Jesus’ little lamb. He knew every need she had. He provided for her whatever was necessary in this life. His love for her never changed, for Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. And then He called her by name. But not necessarily by the name Lois Ann, but by the name that He gave to her in Holy Baptism—the name of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. When she was baptized, she was marked with the sign of the cross on her forehead and on her heart. When she was baptized, she was given that name. She was claimed and marked as God’s own daughter, given a new family and a new name, and brought into Jesus’ flock.

“Day by day, at home, away,

Jesus is my staff and stay.

When I hunger, Jesus feeds me,

Into pleasant pastures leads me;

When I thirst, He bids me go

Where the quiet waters flow.”

Now many of you may know that this hymn is a paraphrase of Psalm 23. And Psalm 23 is a picture and description of Christians at two distinct points in their lives. The Psalm begins with a statement about the Lord’s generosity and His care for us. “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still water. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake” We are the Lord’s. We belong to Him. He leads us and guides us even when things are going well for us, such as when we lie down in green pastures and the still waters, that is, when things are going well in life.

But then the Psalm switches locations. Because even though in life, we have these mountain top highs—times when everything is going well and we’re loving life—sometimes, however, we do have these valley lows. Sometimes we must walk through the valley of the shadow of death. Sometimes we are afflicted. Sometimes we do suffer. Sometimes we do fall away and into sin. So it is that sometimes, we do feel as though we are walking through the valley of the shadow of death and maybe we are. Maybe even recently, or two weeks ago, or today this very moment. But as the Psalm says, “We will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” We are never alone. God is with us. He is the Good Shepherd who leaves the other 99 in the open country to seek out the one that was lost.

And then, of course, the Psalm concludes with the Lord’s abundant mercy, “Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” This is our prayer: that even we, though we are afflicted, suffer, and die, that even we will dwell in the house of the Lord forever, even as Lois dwells there now.

“Who so happy as I am,

Even now the Shepherd’s lamb?

And when my short life is ended,

By His angel host attended,

He shall fold me to His breast,

There within His arms to rest.”

The hymn here speaks of death. But it also speaks to the eternal truth that even though sin came into the world and we will all die, Jesus has transformed death into a portal, by which, He will send His angels to bring us home to Him, so that there within His arms, we will rest.

And of course, that’s not all. Even that isn’t the end. For if Jesus has transformed death into a mere portal, on the Last Day, He will come again and put an end to all suffering and all death. Since Jesus died and rose again, so also will every sinner who has died and believed in Him be raised on the Last Day, their bodies to be rejoined with their souls to live forever in the presence of God. This is why we lay the bodies of the deceased to into the ground. We lay them there so that they may rest and await the coming of the Lord in His glory; so that they may rest and await the Resurrection of the Body to life everlasting. Because in heaven we won’t be just spirits. We will have these bodies again. Even our bodies shall be folded to our Lord’s breast, there within His arms to rest.

Is this a good hymn to use for funerals? It sure seems so. Lois was Jesus’ little lamb. Lois still is Jesus’ little lamb. She lives in Him, even as He lives in her, because she still believes in Jesus. And so also are we, Jesus’ little lambs. He is the Good Shepherd. He lays down His life for the sheep, even us. We will see Lois again. And when Jesus comes again, I’ll get to meet her for the first time.

In +Jesus’ name.