Summary: Funeral sermon for Edward D. Mitchell -- accountant, musician, deacon; age 85

That classic spiritual writer John Bunyan ends his Pilgrim’s Progress with a triumphant note, saying that after Pilgrim had traveled many miles and fought off many adversaries, when he got to the other side, the angels came out to welcome him. John Bunyan knew that if your lifestyle is that of a pilgrim, a seeker, then there is something special awaiting you. Angels come out to welcome you to the other side.

Edward Mitchell has been welcomed by the angels. Ed Mitchell’s pilgrimage ran eighty-five years, and ran deep; in that pilgrimage he lived a glorious life. He was also given a glorious death.

To some death comes slowly and with a great deal of anguish. To others death comes suddenly and with brutality. But to Ed death came slowly enough that he could finish his pilgrimage, and swiftly enough that he would not gather bitterness. Lucid and alert until the end, Ed was given a chance to see what only a few see, opening his eyes at the moment of death as if to say, “They’ve come for me“; and Ed, the musician, was given a chance to hear music that no earthly ear can hear. For that we say thanks be to God.

It’s Christmas. At first glance an awkward time for a funeral. And yet there is a wonderful fitness, just the same. For Christmas is about the word made flesh, dwelling among us, full of grace and truth. And death is about the flesh made word and witness. In life we are reminded of death, but in death we receive the witness of life.

Close by the Christmas story there was a man whose life gives us a clue to Ed Mitchell’s life. Luke tells us of Simeon, a resident of Jerusalem, who went on pilgrimage to the Temple, there to see what God was doing. We do not know more about how Simeon knew that it was time; all we know is that he listened to the Spirit. And when he listened, Simeon understood that he was ready to die. I think Ed Mitchell could have spoken Simeon’s words last Thursday afternoon:

Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.

Simeon had followed the Spirit’s lead, and was thus ready to die. In fact, the phrase the Scripture uses of Simeon is that he was “looking forward”. Simeon, “looking forward to the consolation of Israel.” Ed Mitchell too had followed the Spirit’s lead, looking forward.

I

Notice first that the Scripture describes Simeon as righteous and devout.

“This man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him.”

Righteous and devout. Those two words mark two sides of a man’s personality. Righteousness – that’s integrity. That’s standing for something. That’s getting it right. And that was Ed Mitchell. His accountant’s mind wanted to get it right. He was serving on our Stewardship Committee, which oversees our church’s finances. Ed’s continuing refrain was, “Are we getting what we are paying for? Are we receiving value for our investment?” Getting it right. A truly righteous man.

But along side Ed’s accountant’s mind there was also an artist’s heart. There was a soul passionate about music. A man who took joy in playing his clarinet and his saxophone, where the spirit could take flight. A quiet but persistent voice that wanted to see this church with a male chorus, so that men could praise the Lord in their own unique way. He was so persistent on this point that even when he sat on our Building and Grounds Committee, he would say, “Our church ought to have a male chorus”. Others would say, “But, Mr. Mitchell, that’s not the business of the Building and Grounds Committee.” But he would just smile and say, “Well, somebody needs to get it started.” He had an artist’s heart as well as an accountant’s mind; he joined the practical and the spiritual. Righteous and devout. And looking forward to give us a gift we did not yet have.

Small wonder, then, that his eyes should witness the angels coming for him. If you have already invested in Kingdom things, your eyes look forward to see what others do not see.

II

Oh, Simeon gives us clues about Ed Mitchell today. For not only did Simeon’s pilgrimage mark him as righteous and devout, but Simeon’s instincts led him to do something else that highlights Ed Mitchell’s life. Simeon moved to embrace a child. Simeon let himself be drawn to the innocence and beauty of the child Jesus. What are we told about?

“Simeon took him [that is, Jesus] in his arms and praised God”.

Now Simeon had never seen this child before. He was not Jesus’ grandfather or great uncle. He was just a loving man who saw God’s creation, and let his heart reach out. “Simeon took [the child Jesus] in his arms and praised God.” Looking forward to what God was going to do with this child.

There is no question about the special place children held in Ed’s heart. What a love he had and expressed for you, Marilyn, and for you, Ernestine! It was clear every time he talked about you. You have been loved in a very special way. What a love he had for your brother! Ed spoke of his son with a special softness in his voice, a pain peculiar to a father who has lost his only son. A pain which God our Father knows and knows well. He took comfort in spending his last days Donald’s room. He took that memory in his arms and praised God.

Like Simeon, Ed looked forward. He did not dwell on the past, but reached out to love others. Robin, you knew that first, and found yourself the recipient of his generosity. Dolores, this community praises God for you and for what you gave your husband these few years. As I recall it, we almost dragged you into our parlor for a quiet, private wedding; but face it, you never had a chance, because his love reached out and embraced you. And your children, as his own. And your grandchildren; I noticed that Ed never spoke of them as “Dolores’ grandchildren”. They were HIS grandchildren. What a blessing, to have been loved by such a man as this!

A man looking forward. He looked forward to see what you may become, and chose to embrace you. Small wonder that he saw the angels coming; for the Lord Jesus said that anyone who embraces a child embraces Him.

III

And so today, I would that we all might see what Ed saw. I wish that we all might receive what Ed received. For, like Simeon, when he looked forward he saw

“Your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples”.

Salvation for all peoples. Like Simeon, Ed saw that God so loved the world, all of it, red and yellow, black and white, rich and poor, young and old – that God so loved the world that He gave His only son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

For Ed, there were no boundaries, no culture gaps, no racial distinctions. Ed believed, with the Scripture, that God has “made everything beautiful in its time.” He invested in this neighborhood as an experiment in a multicultural community. He invested in this church as a model of inclusiveness. And he prayed and worked and gave so that others might know the Christ He knew.

And, as always happens with authentic saints, Ed never felt he had done enough. He prayed, but wondered if he had prayed enough. He gave, but suspected that he could have given more. He worked, but felt a little guilty that there were several years when circumstances prevented his participation in the church. He never felt he had done enough.

But, in these last days, when he knew that great “looking forward” hour was coming, I think he got in touch with one great truth. I believe he saw one final reality. He saw the grace of God. He saw the mercy and the love of God, which we do not earn. Ed knew, as Simeon before him, that life is gift, undeserved and unearned. And so is eternal life. The gift of grace.

Look forward now, Ed. Look forward and see angels, bright angels, waiting to welcome you on the other side. Look forward and see neither your flaws nor your successes, neither your disappointments nor your satisfactions. Look forward, Ed, and see that the Father looks not on you alone, but looks on His anointed face, and only looks on you as found in Him. He looks not on your misusings of His grace, your prayer so languid and your faith so dim. For lo, between your sin and its reward, He sets the passion of His Son, our Lord. Grace!

If you know that, you, like Simeon, like Edward Mitchell, can look forward. And the day of your death will not be one to dread, but one of glory and delight – a day of bright angels and songs of triumph. To that let us look forward!