March 29, 2007                 Funeral Sermon for Joanna Fay Hopper

I’m really sad to know that Joanna has died. Of all the people I have ever known, she was unique and special in many ways. The last time I saw her on March 7^th  I could tell she wasn’t feeling well. I asked her about her birthday party. But she couldn’t respond. She could hardly stay awake, and her eyes were rolling back in her head. She fel asleep during Communion. That night, she had a seizure, and slipped into a coma.

But on Friday, Marilyn and I received wedding anniversary card from the church that was sent by Joanna. I wish she were conscious to hear me so I could tell her to thank you for sending the card. But Joanna was in a deep coma, and could not hear me.

Willie, I know it was a hard decision to have the respirator removed, but I’m convinced that you made the right decision. The doctors told us for certain that she had no human consciousness. But her mortal body kept breathing and her heart kept beating long after her consciousness left her body.

I want to tell you again that when her consciousness left her body, her soul was no longer in that body. But the good news is that she knew that the Lord Jesus was waiting for her. Jesus said that he has gone on to prepare a place for us in eternity. In several conversations, she knew Jesus forgave her sins, and that the promise he gave his disciples was also for her. She knew that out of this love, God, would make her a new creation, and includes her in the resurrection

While that is good news, we will all dearly miss her. In order to deal with my own grief, I wrote her a letter I would like to share with all of you.

Dear Joanna,

I remember vividly the day we first met about three years ago. A social worker called, and said that she had a woman that really needed a caring and accepting church that lived in our neighborhood. Lynn Kirkland and I went to visit you. It was a cordial visit, but had some reservations. I could see that you had some special needs. I wasn’t sure if you would really like it here at Grace. I wasn’t sure if we could offer what you needed and were looking for. Today I am happy to say that you were a blessing to us.

I am convinced that God gave you to us. I’m glad that I had the chance to be your pastor, and I give thanks to God. I admired your strong faith. Recently, we read the story of the Good Samaritan in Sunday worship. You know that parable, I’m sure. It’s the one from Luke’s gospel, where Jesus said a man was on a journey, but was jumped by robbers who took his possessions and left him for dead lying on the road. A priest and Levite walked on by him and didn’t touch him. But a Samaritan, took him and carried him to an inn, and paid the Inn keeper to take care of him. Jews generally despised Samaritans because they were so different in race, language, and their worship. But the Samaritan promised to return and pay him any outstanding balance on his bill.  

Then Jesus asked, which one of the three was a neighbor to the injured man? Not the priest or the Levite, but the Samaritan.”

When you came to our congregation, we had the opportunity to be life the good Samaritan. In many ways, I am proud of our congregation for being the like the good Samaritan to you, Joanna. I am proud to that our congregation took care of you the way the good Samaritan took care of the injured man he found lying in the road.

But I wish Jesus would have continued that story. I wish he would have said that the Samaritan came back, and helped him with his life, and took him to his church, and in a few months, the became friends . I wished he told us that the Samaritan gave thanks to God for sending that man into his life. Because that’s how I feel about you, Joanna. You were a blessing, and I give thanks to God for sending you to us.

Now don’t get too big a head, Joanna. It was hard at times. At times, you crossed some boundaries. And I had to tell you when you crossed the lines. And I know you were mad at me at times. But you didn’t let that get in the way; you stayed with us. And we stayed with you. That relationship that we had was the kind of love that God has for us, and for you. I know that nothing in all creation can separate us from his love.

Thank you Joanna, and for the love you gave me, and to all of us. We’ll miss you. I can only hope that one day, we will all be together in the big house that Jesus has prepared for us. Until then, Joanna, the Lord Bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord look upon you with favor, and give you peace.

Amen