The Burial of Beverly G. Hess

Beverly Hess
October 15, 2019
Isaiah 61:1-3
Psalm 23
2 Corinthians 4:13-17
John 6:37-40

Jesus said, “This is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.”  In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Amen.

I don’t know much about Beverly Hess.  I only met her once, and it was the day before she passed on.  But when I met with Bob and their sons at the funeral home last week, the funeral home director said she was amazed by how young Beverly looked, and I agreed with her.  Then Bob told us that she took good care of herself, even though she hadn’t actually seen herself in umpteen years.  And I got to thinking about that in connection with something else.

From what many people have told me, Beverly did a lot of the needlepoint work on our beautiful cushions here at St. Timothy’s.  And I mean A LOT!  Such painstaking work, created through hours of hard work and concentration, but easily overlooked by those who don’t take time to notice.  And of course, in the last years of her life, Beverly herself was not able to see the lovely designs that she herself had given us.  Beverly probably could have told us which ones were the most challenging, which ones took the most time, which ones she was most proud of.  And even though she could no longer see them, we can, and do see them.

And there’s a connection to God in that.  Because each individual is made in the image of God.  Every single person walking this earth has been stitched together through God’s own creativity and handiwork.  Every person who has ever lived is a unique creature put on this earth to live out their days.  And then, each and every person is returned safely into God’s hands when they have breathed their last.  And here’s how I know:

Because Jesus said, “This is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.”

Of all the people in this room, I probably know the least about Beverly Hess.  I can’t tell you about significant moments in her life, or about the times when she and I did things together, or about the great meals we shared.  Most of you could probably tell me all sorts of important stories and facts about this remarkable woman, and I hope you will continue to tell them to each other for years to come.  I do however have one important thing I can tell you about Beverly, and it is the most important thing of all about her . . .

Beverly George Hess was a baptized child of God.  Claimed as God’s own, in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  Water was poured over her head, and probably shockingly cold water at that (knowing how priests used to be about such things).  She might have screamed out at that moment, or she might have been cooing quietly in her blanket.  I don’t know the details of her baptism, or her confirmation, or her life in the church throughout her years.  But I do know the most important thing about Beverly’s life in the church, and it is this.

She was claimed as God’s own beloved in his baptism.  And in being claimed as God’s own, the Father, through the Holy Spirit, gave her to Jesus—body and soul.  Completely.  In Baptism, Beverly was given over to Jesus, and in Jesus she lived out her days, whether she knew that or not.  And here is the reason that is important . . .

As we just heard, Jesus said, “This is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.”  We can no longer see God's beautiful handiwork in knitting Beverly together; but God can, and God does.  Though Beverly is lost to us, as we continue our earthly pilgrimage, she was never, and is not now, lost to God.  Jesus does not lose what is his.  We are precious in his sight, and he holds us tightly throughout our lives, even when we don’t notice that we are being held.  Beverly was given to Jesus in Baptism.  Just as you were given to God in your Baptism.  Jesus is holding on to Beverly, and Jesus is holding on to you.

Jesus said, “This is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.”  May we all trust in the promises of Jesus, and live our lives knowing that, just like Beverly Hess, we too will be raised up on the last day.

Amen.