Joe Velema's Funeral
Notes
Transcript
Psalm 121 is a Psalm of ascents. It was written for and recited by Israelites as they went up to Jerusalem. Jerusalem is a city on a hill, so no matter where you are coming from, to get there you have to ascend, go up. In those days, it was a dangerous journey. There were the usual difficulties, poor weather (when I was there in January of ’98 two inches of snow fell on the city), poorly maintained roads and paths, danger from animals (lion and bear), danger from robbers and those who took advantage of others.
This Psalm reminded the people where their true help comes from, God himself. In those days, people worshipped other gods on the high places scattered around Jerusalem. But the Psalm urges everyone to look higher, to the creator of heaven and earth. As they journeyed, they trusted God to protect them, to guide them, to save them. That’s why they were going to Jerusalem in the first place. It reminded them of what the Lord had done for them, rescuing them from slavery in Egypt, saving them from bondage.
We are on a journey, not to the city of Jerusalem in Palestine, rather to the New Jerusalem, to the holy of holies where God will live and be present with His people. We look up, not to superstitions, famous people, money or any of the good things in this life; we look to the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.
That’s who Joe looked to. In the foyer is Joe’s Bible, with passages written down in preparation for today. Psalm 43:3 “Send forth your light and your truth, let them guide me; let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell.” Jerusalem is where the Lord lived. Joe prayed that God would take him to the true Jerusalem, where the Lord himself lives. And the Lord called Joe home to be with him.
Ephesians 2.8 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.” One visit, I think it was after your most recent cruise, Joe asked me about assurance, the assurance of salvation. It’s a question we all must ask. How do we know we’re saved, forgiven of all the wrong we’ve done? God, in his grace, saves us through Jesus Christ, who willingly died in our place, paying for all our wrongs. All we have to do is accept it. And having accepted it, it is God’s gift to us. Claire and I both pointed out the fruit of his faith, his service to others.
Had Joe been one of the pilgrims travelling to Jerusalem, I’m quite certain what he would have volunteered to do. I can just picture it, a large group of people travelling together, stopping a good places each night, sharing the evening meal together—prepared by Joe. French fries, burgers, smokies, bacon, oh wait, not bacon, salad. Everything would have been purchased well in advance, at the best price possible, scouring Giant Tiger, No Frills or wherever the best deal happened to be.
You see it, don’t you? Joe did those things for all of us, for all us pilgrims along the way. Meals for his family; meals for his friends; the trips to Washington, he was a pilgrim leader. The meals at church, meals for fundraisers, Joe was always preparing for a gathering. How many pictures feature food—watch for it in the slideshow!
The Lord worked through Joe, there’s no doubt about that. He had a heart for hospitality, a servant heart. From serving with Disaster Relief Services, to serving meals, Joe was there. Granted, he wasn’t always the easiest to get along with. He had expectations; if they weren’t met, he let you know. I wish I had more time to get to know him. There were a couple of times that I ran afoul of him, I didn’t meet his expectations. But he was gracious to me, he forgave me. If anyone had anything outstanding with Joe, please know this, he didn’t hold it against you, he forgave you.
Joe understood the journey, the pilgrimage. We’re in it together, we have roles to play. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength. Love one another as you love yourself. Serve. Serve food! “Don’t be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Phil. 4.6). In the last couple of months, Joe embraced this verse, he trusted it.
The Lord protected Joe’s life, his spiritual life. The Lord never once let go of Joe. He watched over him night and day. He protected him from all the attacks from the evil one. He watched over his life. And the Lord, watched over his coming, and his going, taking him home to be with him.
One of the last things Joe wrote down, just before he went home to Jesus, he wrote, “burgers.” That’s no surprise, is it? That’s for all of us, as we journey together, ascending to Jerusalem, the true Jerusalem, the new one, the Lord’s house, let’s keep sharing meals together. Burgers. It might have been Joe’s request for his first meal with Jesus. I think it was for you, Claire, Rob & Sandra, Christina & Adrian, Jodi & Michael, Michael & Terri, Amanda & Matt. It was for you, his family, his friends—so that we will not be surprised to see him when we join him in the new Jerusalem—to see him flipping burgers with his huge smile on his face! Amen.