Isaiah 61:1-3
Psalm 23 (King James Version) BCP pg 476
Romans 8:14-19, 34-35, 37-39
John 6:37-40
"They will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, to display his glory."
Sometimes in this short life, we may have the rare blessing of meeting a person whose soul is beautiful.
Jon Lovdahl was one such person.
Jon was born to display God's glory. I never told him that he walked around glowing. Most likely he'd never have believed me anyway. Halos seldom show up in the mirror; but I'd bet I'm not the only one here who saw it.
Now, I'm not saying he was perfect, or that the halo wasn't sometimes a bit tarnished or lopsided. (I'd guess Carol and his children or sisters could speak to that one.) But the glory was there. There were glimpses of Christ's glorious image in Jon's love of his family and friends, in his work, in his service to his church and community. God's glory shining right here in Little Falls.
We're not talking about blinding flashes of lightning, but that gentle glow in Jon's life – God's glory slipping out, perhaps unnoticed, to light up the lives of those around him.
God shows up most often in the ordinary moments of our lives. Glimpses of love and beauty so simple and common that we are often blind to them: The secret glory of a baby in a manger or wandering Jewish teacher. The gentle glory of a loving husband, father, brother, grandfather, and friend: or the quiet glory a parish leader filled with vision and hope for the future of this his church. Glimpses of God's love.
And then there was that Craft Fair Sunday when Jon agreed to serve as acolyte with me for an outdoor worship service ... and God's glory was caught shining in public through a pharmacist in a red dress and white blouse!
The glow of Jon's life still shines. It's there in the faces of his grandchildren. It's there in the new addition to this, Jon's church. It's there in the stories of his life that you remember today. And it's there in you, even if you don't see it in the mirror.
Jon was born to display God's glory. And so were you
Each one of you was made in God's image and it does show. You don't even have to wear a funny red dress in church. God's glory can and will shine in your life in your own unique way, just as it did in Jon's life.
The glory shines still in the love Jon gave to us, his family and friends. God's glory shows in the love between God's children as a reminder that truly NOTHING can separate us from God's love
"For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."
God's glory. Nothing can stop it. It's right here in these ordinary people in our everyday lives.
In that glory of eternal life, nothing can separate us from God's love; and in that love we are forever united with those we love, with Jon and others who have gone before us and who join us in a living Communion here today.
The glory reminds us that there's more to this life than can be seen. The glory reminds us that each one of us is made in the image of God. The glory reminds us that nothing at all, not even death, is able to separate us from those, like Jon, who live in God's glory.
In Christ we are all being raised up in glory. God's glory. Open you eyes and look around. Because right here and now, someone's glowing just like Jon. It might be you.
"Glory to God whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine."