sermon for the saint merle holmes

A reading from Matthew

Jesus, to calm his anxious disciples, commended observation of the birds. These animals of the air, after all, don't sow, reap or gather into barns, and yet have enough because, simply put, they are cared for by God.

This is instruction that Merle, apparently, took to heart.

This admiration of the birds of the air is evidenced by her large cardinal, or as she liked to call them "red bird" collection.

It is fair to say, though, that Merle wasn't simply bird watching.

No, Merle took Jesus' words to heart, Merle observed these birds to learn the lesson they have to teach us all about trust.

After all, Merle was a woman who knew a day's labor.

In fact, throughout her life she held a number of jobs.

Merle was not one to shrink from working.

As we all can attest to, though, there are many people who know the grind of work and become calloused from that labor.

Many people who are committed to working hard become grumpy or always lost in their work.

That wasn't Merle, though, was it?

No, that wasn't Merle at all.

In fact, Merle had this refrain throughout all of her life;

it went like this, "let's play a game."

This was an invitation her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and all her family heard at one time or another.

No matter what the work for the day may have been,

no matter what else may needed to get done,

there was always time for a game.

Now, Merle may have been so fond of games because she was good at them...

There is legend of a retired, beat-up and worn Chinese Checkers board that no one, no one, managed to beat Merle on.

We know, though, it wasn't because she had a knack for them that Merle liked to play game.

No, Merle always up for a game because she had this playful, or feisty, spirit about her...

This spirit of hers is not the kind that can be earned,

it isn't the kind that work can get you,

and it isn't even the kind you can get from beating an in-law who was sure he'd be able to win a game of chinese-checkers, either.

Although I'm sure she took a little pleasure in humbling her granddaughter's husband :-)

 

No, this spirit of Merle's is kind that can only come from watching and learning from the birds of the air,

it is kind of spirit that comes from seeing that, at the end of the day, these beautiful creatures, these red-birds, do know a thing or two about God's care.

It is the kind of spirit that can only come from, as Jesus put it, 'considering the birds of the air.

From these animals Merle learned that God was going to care for those birds no matter what;

and from their example Merle learned to trust that no matter the circumstances God was going to care for her as well.

So the reasoning must have gone something along the times of,

if God, ultimately, was caring for her,

well then there was time for a game or two...

 

In fact, even as Merle's health failed, as she had to leave the home she had lived in so long, as she went to Klien center;

in all those circumstances there were always games to be had.

One game she took and made her own to suit her situation was "hide the thimble."

One of the youngsters would have to close their eyes, and then ever so quickly Merle would hide that thimble somewhere within her reach; and then it was up to that child Merle loved, to find the thimble.

It's truly remarkable that in such circumstances and with little more than a thimble, Merle was able to conjure up a game.

You see, though, at the behest of her Lord and Savior, Merle had learned a lesson from those birds she loved so much.

See, that's how it always was for Merle.

There was something she had within her that made it possible, no matter the circumstances, to play a game.

 

To say it another way,

in any circumstances, Merle trusted

and that trust made room for games,

it made room for her feisty, her playful spirit.

So, although Merle's work-ethic is commendable, it is her playfulness that's about to serve her best.

Now Merle is about to play another game,

this time with none other than her Lord and Savior.

Let's call the game they're about to play, "Find the name."

Jesus will say to Merle, "I have a book here, the Book of Life; find your name."

Right then Merle's feisty-ness, her playfulness; put another way, her trust, is about to serve her well.

As Merle looks in that great book to find the name "Merle Katherine Holmes" written among so many others,

she'll notice something a little,

well something a little odd about this game.

On every page and in every ledger the name "Jesus Christ" is written,

go through every page, every name in the giant book, that's the only name you'll find.

With that lesson Merle learned from her beloved red-birds so long ago, though, Merle's about to win yet another game...

Merle, playful and trusting even to the very end, will point to the name "Jesus Christ,"

and say her name is hidden behind that name,

that her life is hidden in Jesus.'

 

And on account of the one who cares for birds of the air and people like us, people such as Merle,

Jesus will declare that indeed Merle's life is held in the promise of Jesus' name,

Jesus will declare that on account of his promises to her, indeed Merle Katherine Holmes is written in the book of life.

Now Merle enters into paradise; where, yes, work is commended; but there's always time for a game.

It's fair to say, she's going to be right at home.

Amen