Funeral Sermon for Sam Wagner

Funeral Sermon for Sam Wagner
March 13, 2010
John 5:24-29
The soldier’s Soldier

In the name of Jesus, our commander and Sam’s commander, Amen. Our sermon text is from the Gospel lesson, reading in part, “Truly I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.”

Sam was a gentleman that I admired very much, and even though I did not know him as a man who would talk all that much, the times that he did talk were times I enjoyed listening to him. I liked listening to his stories from the years he served you and me in the army. He served during the Korean War and he had some stories to tell. His daughters, his beloved wife Lorma who preceded him in death, his beloved wife Marian, now they may have heard the stories many times, but I enjoyed not only the history but the way those stories impacted this faithful, strong, brave, and gentle Christian man.

We incorporated Psalm 23 into our service. For many people it is a beautiful picture of the God works, of how he reveals himself to his people. Sam shared with me how this psalm became a reality during his time in Korea. He was patrolling and they were going through a valley. It was perilous. And the reality of the danger was heightened because in the valley were corpses- North Korean, South Korean, Chinese, American. Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. How could you pray those words at that time?

Sam would have said that he didn’t know. He told me as much. He simply believed these words, “For thou art with me, Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me.” Sam knew that God was with him, that the shepherding God was with him, shielding him with love, grace, and mercy. Sam knew that. Sam told me how much he thought of the Lutheran chaplains he met in the service, who through the Word of God and the Sacrament of Holy Communion brought the reality of God to Sam and his fellow soldiers. In receiving the body and blood of Christ, given and shed for Sam, Sam knew of God’s abiding love and eternal forgiveness. It was warm light for those dark night patrols. Our men and women who serve in harm’s way are blessed with the assurance that they are not alone in their service.

I really enjoyed listening to Sam’s stories. He didn’t talk a whole lot but the stories were packed with meaning. The stories revealed Sam’s awareness of just how close God was to Sam. As Sam’s pastor the last few years, I took a great deal of comfort from that. My brother is a sworn officer in the Fairfax County Police Dept. He’s risen to the rank of detective. He is garnering his own share of stories. I worry about him from time to time. I remember when he graduated from the police academy and at the graduation ceremony, something was said that brought me one of those, “What am I worried about?” moments. Chief Rohrer, the chief of the entire department, was speaking to the class of graduates. He spoke about the good things happening within the police department, but also mentioned how police work has changed over the last few decades. He told the patrolmen that the time would come when they were on patrol in the wee hours of the morning and they would need to call for backup. He then went on to tell them that it was quite likely that dispatch would tell them ‘backup was unavailable, proceed with caution’.

That was not comforting for me, or for my parents who were there. But then Chief Rohrer told the graduates this: “Before you step out of your cruiser, while you are trying to remember all that you learned here, remember this- the Lord Jesus Christ is your best and certain backup.” I was stunned. I looked at my father, also a pastor, and mouthed the words, “Did he just really say that?”

And he did. And it was true. Walking through a valley filled with corpses. Responding to a domestic abuse call with reports of firearms present. Going to work at GM day after day to provide a decent life for your family. Attending countless Boy Scout meetings with the aim of instilling quality values in a fun atmosphere. All of those things took place, and still happen today, under the protecting, shielding, sustaining presence of God the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit.

We would be absolutely right in acknowledging that Sam responded to the call to service that came his way. He responded with love to the love he received from Lorma and then from Marian. He guided his girls in the best way he knew. He cared for all sorts of people because that was what he knew they needed. He shared with me the stories of his life, stories that were quite frightening and quite amusing.

And through it all, Sam emphasized the love of Christ that guided him throughout his life. That is the joy of a funeral like this. We don’t have to proclaim the love of God. We get to proclaim the love of God. The love that was present the moment Sam was baptized, the love that Sam tasted in the communion meal, the love that Sam knew was with him as he walked through the valley of the shadow of death. It is the love of God the Father, it is the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, it is the fellowship of God the Holy Spirit that has brought Sam from death to life. Sam believed that his heavenly Father sent Jesus Christ for this purpose- that Sam would have eternal life, and that all of us who loved Sam, who knew him, and who miss him would have joy amidst our sadness, would smile through our tears, and would praise God for being present with us, just as He was with Sam. To the eternal God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be all the glory forever. Amen.