Fighting the Good Fight of Faith :: Funeral of Katherin Parsons :: 1 Timothy 6:12

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Beloved in the Lord, especially you John, Barbara, Clifford, and Marcus ... dear friends and extended family of Katherin Loraine Parsons ... Grace to you and peace from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who has given you faith leading to eternal life in him.


In our Psalm of ascent, King David sang, I was glad when they said to me: Let us go to the house of the Lord (Ps 122:1). So too was Katherin Loraine Parsons. She was ALWAYS glad when we said, Let us go to the house of the Lord. 

Katherin loved to hear the Word of the Lord and to be reminded of his promises while waiting quietly for the salvation of the Lord (Lam 3:26). Here, she learned how to fight the good fight of faith. Here, she learned how to take hold of the eternal life to which she was called (1 Tim 6:12). Like Martha in our Gospel reading before her, she made the good confession of the faith ... that, Yes, Lord ... I have believed and continue to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one coming into the world (Jn 11:27).

And it is no small matter that Katherine she did! 

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The world around us struggles to believe this. They struggle to sit in silence, waiting. They struggle to make time to come to the house of the Lord. They struggle to worship. They struggle to receive the gifts of God. But in the short time I knew her, it was clear that ... even while Katherin Loraine Parsons faced adversity ... she did it with undaunted courage and faith. She was an incredibly strong woman ... intensely dedicated to family and friends. And every time I met her, she always reminded me that she longed to go to the house of the Lord. 

My week just isn’t the same otherwise, she would say.

This is where she lay hold of eternal life, fighting the good fight of faith. It is here, the Holy Spirit calls, gathers, and enlightens the whole Christian church on earth. And this is the place he called, gathered and enlightened Katherin ... week after week. Here, he called her through baptism, in this font, shortly after her birth on September 25, 1942. Here, he taught her how to fight the good fight of faith he gave her, leading her into the newness of life. Here, Katherin confirmed her faith in her Lord Jesus on the Day of Pentecost in 1955. Here, she married her beloved husband, John, on September 24, 1961. And here, they raised their children, Barbara, Clifford, and Marcus, saying every week, Let us go to the house of the Lord. 

Thanks be to God, Katherin knew he had reserved a place for her in paradise. He reminded her weekly for decades of how Jesus lived for her, died for, and overcame death for her.

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Having faith in Jesus doesn’t keep us from suffering in this life before we finally go to sleep in Christ. Katherin had more than her share in her 80 years. Near the end, suffering prevented her from coming to the house of the Lord more often than she wanted. But she continued fighting the good fight of the faith, eagerly seeking the Lord’s gifts. 

I hope to see you Sunday, she said to me the last time we met, just like the time before that and the time before that. But Christ allowed Katherin to enter sleep first. 

Brothers and sisters in Christ, hear again the promise of our Lord Jesus from our Gospel reading: Those having faith in me, even should he die, will live. Indeed, everyone who lives and has faith in [Jesus] will never die into eternity (Jn 11:26). Katherin believed this!

The grave will only temporarily claim our loved ones. That’s because the resurrection and the life are in the person of Jesus, and Jesus lives in us and we in him, as Saint Paul tells us in Romans 6, Galatians 2, and Colossians 2. He enables us to fight the good fight of faith.

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Jesus blessed Katherin in baptism. He gave Katherin new life from above. He cleansed Katherin by the water and the Word. He nurtured Katherin’s faith with his life-giving body and blood. And his promise to raise Katherin from the dead on the Last Day and to give her the eternal inheritance of life stands. This is why she was always glad when we said, let us go to the house of the Lord. 

Death is no match for our Lord, who is the resurrection and the life! The Word of God who became flesh and dwelt among us ... the Word of God who brought order from chaos in the beginning ... The Word of God who was born without sin for you so that he could live without sin for you ... carried Katherin’s sin and pain ... and yes, your sin and pain ... to the cross, where he ensured our body of sin would suffer and die with him first. Jesus was pierced for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon him, and by his stripes we are healed. Then ... because he himself was sinless ... God who is faithful and just raised Jesus from the dead so that all who believe in him will have the hope of eternal life too ... just like Katherin, while waiting silently for their salvation.

In the end all who sleep like Katherin will awaken, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye ... gladly obeying the Lord ... and leaping from the ground, undoubtedly singing, I was glad when they told me, Let us go to the house of the Lord. ... 

I know that my Redeemer lives. And oh what comfort this sweet sentence gives!

Together, we will stand firmly on strong legs that can run and jump as never before. We will be so full of health and vitality that nothing will ever diminish or take away our life and vigor. There will no longer be pain that will cause sadness again. There will no longer be cancer that slowly wastes us away ... there will no longer be disability ... or sickness ... or even fear. The covenantal love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end (Lam 3:22).

Katherin’s life was a life well lived and loved. She received the blessings the Lord had placed into her life. And over a long lifetime, she managed those blessings to the best of her ability. 

KATHERIN PARSONS MOST CERTAINLY FOUGHT THE GOOD FIGHT OF FAITH

So take hold of the eternal life to which you were called too ... in Jesus’ name.

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