1 Funeral Sermon For Lawrence Pelster Text: Psalm 50:10 For every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. The Cattle and Lawrence Are Mine Dear Sister Janet, Ben and Heather, Jim Bob and Kathrina, Brian and Kelly, relatives and dear friends. Lawrence is a good man. Not question about it. Look at the people here. You did not come to send off a high influential politician, a wealthy business owner, a teacher, or a person that grabbed the headlines. No you came to pay your respects to a great guy, loving friend, and someone who cared for you. Always having a big smile, Lawrence s presence was making your day go a little better. You came to give support not only to the family but to each other in your loss of a friend, good man, and a generous person. With the passing of Lawrence there will be deep holes to fill.
2 Going down the driveway of Lawrence the first thing you see is the cattle on the hillside. I was reminded of the verse from Psalm 50 the cattle on a thousand hills are mine. I know all things are the Lord s even Lawrence s cattle, but the special care he took of them, making sure that they were the blackest and the roundest of rumps, the cleanest of lots, made it no question they were Lawrence s. And yes they were the Lord s. No doubt about it everything is the Lord s, the cattle, the farm, this church and everything and everyone here: Luther said it best: I believe that God has made me and all creatures; that He has given me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my members, my reason and all my senses, and still takes care of them. He also gives me clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and home, wife and children, land, animals, and all I have. He richly and daily provides me with all that I need to support this body and life. He defends me against all danger and guards and protects me from all evil. All this He does only out of fatherly, divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in me. As much as Lawrence loved the farm and took care of it in his healthy days, he was only following the example set by our Loving Lord. God made a perfect creation. He called it an Eden. Everything was perfect, from the smallest of creation to Man. God in His glory walked with Man in that Eden. Sin came and ruined it all. With it came death, cancer and all diseases, bickering, jealousy, scours and weeds, when Adam and Eve fell for Satan s evil plot.
3 Don t blame God for tragedy of cancer or any evils of this world. Sin that infected the precious creation of God permeates over us all. But For every animal of the forest is mine and cattle on a thousand hills. Even we are His. Isaiah writes, Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. God was not going to give what was precious and made by his own hand and creating world to Satan. There was only one way for God to bring what is His back to perfection and perfect unity. God took what was His and sent His only Son that whosoever believes in Him shall not parish but have eternal life. That Son is Jesus Christ. God s only Son who came to take upon himself all sin, disease, heartache, and every pain whether mental or physical and place it on the cross of Calvary. On that hill was something that was the Father s, even more precious than the cattle on a thousand hills. It was Jesus, His very own. But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Paul goes on to say in the same chapter, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. God s reconciliation is completed in His Son Jesus Christ. The blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. What was soiled by sin, God s creation is purified. At Lawrence s baptism God called him out of darkness into
4 his marvelous light. Lawrence was saved by God s grace of Jesus, through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. And walked in Good Works Lawrence did. Through Holy Absolution and strengthened in Word and Sacrament I assured Lawrence through Divine Service here at this church and again many times at that kitchen table his sins were forgiven and that He was God s chosen possession. You do the math, forgiveness of sins was pronounced all that was left was good. For a good work is done in faith. Lawrence s faith was strong. With that assurance Lawrence went out to be the special friend we all loved, doing good works for many, being a helpful hand, smiling brightly, greeting our worshipers on Sunday morning. Through his works not so much by speech Lawrence celebrated life reflecting the Psalmist Then my soul will rejoice in the Lord, exulting in his salvation. As God s very own, whether it be at the sale barn, picking up cattle, saying hello to the neighbors, eating at all the restaurants from Maries County eastward, bailing hay, farming the fields, it was one of Rejoicing in the Lord. Lawrence knew who He was, a child of God, He believed the Words of St. Peter, But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
5 In this world sin, Lawrence was part of his earthly life, as it was so manifested in his cancer and downward spiral over these past months. Lawrence called upon his Lord in the day of trouble. The Lord delivered him. With a redeemed life Lawrence honored his loving Father in heaven. I noticed that Bart and Ben did not put a fifth wheel hitch on Lawrence s coffin. That is all right, the last load of Cattle was delivered, calving done, the bailing is done, last planting completed, and the last harvest was brought in. After all, the cattle on a thousand hills are God s. Lawrence was only the caretaker of the farm and it is all God s. It was time for Lawrence to Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Lawrence is now at rest with Jesus, awaiting for last harvest of a new heaven and earth. All of it is our Lord s, this time with out weeds, pain, sin and disease. Even the cattle on a thousand hills. I began by saying Lawrence was a good man. Good by God s grace through his blessed Son Jesus Christ. We can say with our church Father s At His coming all men will rise again with their bodies and shall give account for their own works. And they that have done good shall go into life everlasting. Yes, by God s grace, Lawrence done Good.