Homily preached at the Funeral Service for Pat Mindedal (22.3.1925 – 8.3.2016)
on 23rd March, 2016 at St. Augustine’s Church, Wiesbaden
1 John 3:1-2, John 10:11-16
Yesterday would have been Pat’s – as we called her here at St.
Augustine’s – 91st birthday. It would have been lovely to celebrate
with her, as a large group from the church did last year on her 90th,
but it was not to be and she passed into what we sometimes also call “larger
life” just over two weeks ago. We just heard from Michael all about Patsy, as you
called her within the family. But as I’m sure you gathered from Val’s eulogy, this
church was her family too. Since I came here just over two years ago and
started visiting Pat in the Home I have been so impressed by the faithfulness
and loyalty of so many friends who came to see her regularly, to care for her,
and to love her.
As we heard, over many, many years both Pat and her husband John, until
his premature death in 1986, were very active here at the church. John was
treasurer while Pat was involved in many activities of the Women of the Church.
The Christmas Bazaar she was in charge of was and still is our biggest
fundraiser. I especially loved hearing how Pat called herself the bizarre
bazaar lady, showing a great sense of humour I wish I had been able to
experience. Our Nearly New Shop that she helped with every month is still going
strong and provides not only funds for the church, but perhaps more importantly
is a way of helping those in need directly with low-cost – or free – clothing
or other household items. And the English Book Sale she and Sue Hodgkinson
worked together to establish has also become an outreach ministry: helping to attract
quite a few people to the congregation.
Pat did not make fuss, but just quietly got things done. After two strokes, the last
one causing a partial paralysis, she spent the last 11 years in the Hildastift
care home. Even there she – indirectly – got things done. While visiting Pat we
noticed how many residents of the home seemed to get few or no visits and so we
started a new ministry, supported by this congregation, to visit the sick and
lonely, as our Lord commanded.
I think that two themes from the reading from the First Letter of John[1] we
heard earlier are reflected in Pat’s life. “See what love the Father has given
us,” the author writes, but also that the world does not know God and God’s
love as fully as it should. One of our tasks as Christians is to reveal that
love in the world. That is what evangelism is all about – not standing on a
corner quoting loudly from the Bible, but living the love that is revealed in
the Bible. Living a life of love is what allows us to become more and more like
Jesus, the Son of God, the one we follow, because Jesus is the incarnate love
of God given for us. Pat revealed God’s love in her life and allowed others to
show that same love when she needed it most.
But John also tells us that we “should be called children of God” and
that “we are God’s children now.” He is reminding us that as Christians we
belong to a much bigger family than just our blood relatives. St. Paul told the
early Christians that they were just as much Abraham’s heirs and descendants as
the children of Israel and that God’s promises were meant for all of humankind.
Another one of our tasks as Christians is to bring others into the wider family
that is God’s church and to break down the barriers of tribe, race, and nation
that too often divide us. Or in the words of Jesus from the Gospel reading[2],
“I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also,
and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.” We
do not make people into children of God, and we are not the Good Shepherd. That
is God’s role. Our calling is to share this promise, which is just what Pat did
when she served others. As an expatriate church St. Augustine’s is often a home
away from home. Our task, and the task of all churches and Christian
communities, is to ensure that the door to this home remains open to all, our
task is remain inclusive, and our task is to go out into the world to invite
people to join the family of God, to become part of the one flock with the Good
Shepherd. We can be sure that Pat is already with the Good Shepherd, for which we give thanks, just as we give
thanks for her example to us, and for all she did in her life and work to
fulfil her calling as a Christian.
Amen.
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