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July/August 2006 |
Susan Ruach preaches South Indiana Conference Memorial Service sermon
First ordained woman proclaims goodness of being in God's house
Bloomington, Ind. - "It is good to be in the house of the Lord," proclaimed the Rev. Dr. Susan W.N. Ruach, who preached during the June 8 South Indiana Annual Conference Memorial Service. Ruach, who now serves the General Board of Discipleship in Nashville, Tenn., was the first woman fully ordained as an Elder in the South Indiana Conference in 1975. She continues her membership in this conference.
Using, the familiar passage of John 14 with Jesus' words, "In my Father's house," Ruach affirmed. "It is good to be in the house of the Lord."
She recalled how good it feels to be back home following a trip, or even after being out doing errands; it's good to be home. Being in church is like that too.
She said there is a deep longing to be in God's house throughout Scripture. In this passage, Jesus finds many dwelling places in God's house. Just before this passage, Jesus says that one of the disciples will betray him and that he will not be with them much longer.
In this passage, we don't know where the place that Jesus is going is, but Jesus says it is much different than what we have known here.
Ruach then recalled her relationship to several of the deceased remembering events and words they had shared together.
She said that they were really faithful, fine people, people who blessed our lives.
"We give God thanks for their time with us. They were friends, colleagues, pastors, spouses and parents and other relatives," she said.
"Today we celebrate their lives, but that doesn't mean we don't grieve. We do grieve, but as, in the words of Paul, with hope."
Grieving takes a long time. It's tiresome.
In her own grief after the death of her parents, one colleague reminded her, "We get to grieve." She said she didn't appreciate hearing that. "It took me a year to understand what that meant.
"It is good to be in the house of the Lord forever, as they are for now. Jesus also said he was preparing a place for us - for you and for me," Ruach proclaimed.
Jesus used this metaphor of God's house. The metaphor of place describes a relationship. We live with Christ after we die as well as live with Him now.
"When you live in God's house there is love, joy, peace and turmoil. What makes it like living in God's house is when there are differences but respect."
Another message from the words of this passage remind us that Jesus invited people to live in God's house by word, deeds and the way we live out our lives. These we remember today knew what it was to help others to live in God's house, she said.
'When you think about these people we remember, say it is good to be in the House of the Lord."
During the hour-long service, a candle was lit in memory of each of these people. Clergy remembered included: Charles Askren, Claude Atkins, Frederick Beedle, Kenneth Chenoweth, Marianne Green, James Heady, Charles Heath, Leroy Hodapp, Harold Kollmeyer, Raymond Rhoda, Max Toliver, Albert Williams, Walter Williams, Keith Wilson, Lewis Wilson. Spouses remembered included: Evelyn Baldridge, Phyllis Buckley, Ica Casey, Charlotte Dean, Pearl Ellis, Diana Kercheval, Vivian Miller, John Stephenson Sr., Pauline Thompson.
Last updated on 25 Apr 2008