Sermon Preached at First Mennonite at Huntington Valley, by Lamar Freed. 8/93

[Symbolic glass of water handed to Dad at this time]

It was more than a year ago when I preached on the occasion of my father's 60th birthday. At the time it seemed appropriate to refer to the themes of being called, of recognizing that the value of one's life must be ultimately judged on the basis of one's service to God, and of how important role models are in this context.

This time I am again preaching on an occasion of significance for my father and I would like to make note of this occasion. Many of you are saying goodby today to my parents for what might be a lengthy period of time. Susan and I are saying goodby in part, but only to the fifteen minute trips to Mom and Dad's house, the inexpensive phone calls to catch up and to any vacation trips spent going in any direction other than the midwest. It is an occasion for sadness for all of us.

Yet it is also an occasion for gratitude. It is timely for us this morning to say thank you for making this house a house of worship on Sunday morning over the last ten years. For some of us it is for more years than for others. During this time this church has changed significantly in composition. Many people who have made significant contributions to the congregation are gone. In this context I think of the contribution that Harry and Betty Saunders made over the years, and Dad indicated that prior to my arrival George Schafly's contribution was felt by all. I make no attempt to mention all who will be thought by the congregation in this context, but I would like to be presumptuous and speak for all of us, both present and absent, and say Thank You for your leadership, for your pastoral care, for your giving to us as a congregation during these last 10 years.

In saying thank you, I would like to review some of the things we are saying thank you for. I would like to spend my time highlighting some of the implicit and explicit values that I have heard from my father's sermons during those many worship hours here. Indeed, it occurs to me that there are few people who are more qualified to attempt this task. With the exception of my mother, and ruling out my sister on whom I have an extra year and a half, I have heard more of my father's sermons than anyone else. And since my mother is so uncritically adoring in her assessment of my father's work, she is hardly an appropriate critic. I, on the other hand, have been a frequent critic, at least so I've been told, even to the point of being chastised by my long suffering mother for nit picking. So I thought that it would be appropriate on this farewell Sunday for me to turn my critic's attention to a review of what I see as several important main themes that have passed over this pulpit and several before this one.

It also occurred to me that this task might be a difficult one, given the shear magnitude of the number of sermons that I've heard from my father. It occurred that such a review might require a significant period of time. It might even make me go overtime. Of course the idea of getting pleasure from making my father sit through a sermon of mine going overtime after I've sat through many an overtime sermon of his never really crossed my mind. I am not typically a vengeful person. And, in fact, given what is waiting for us downstairs and the good fellowship that will be following the service this morning, I intend to make this a very brief review.

Following a very fine example, I've chosen three themes. I think it speaks for itself that they bear some significant correlation with Christian and Mennonite values. I do not intend for this to be a rehearsal of Christian fundamentals, though, just a review of the themes that have been preached here and elsewhere by our departing pastor. These themes are:

Our human actions are worthwhile only in the context of God's plans

We are among many members in God's family

God loves us

The question of how or even whether we are valuable is one that many people encounter at different points in their development. Most of you know that I am a psychologist and I see clients in psychotherapy. I see this concern about how valuable individuals are in different transformations in my work throughout the age range. I think John Calvin was probably the most eloquent, or perhaps the most direct in expressing an accurate assessment of the human race. We are no better than worms. Yet we look for many ways to make us feel better, to make us feel valuable.

Some of the symbols of value at different times during the lifespan include being popular, being good at sports, getting high grades, achieving high degrees or getting the best job, earning lots of money, buying nice things, going on elaborate vacations, having successful children, (or for some mennonites having lots of them) achieving responsible positions at work, in the community or at church, playing golf at good clubs, retiring comfortably. When ever such achievements have been mentioned in John Freed's sermons they were mentioned in order to put them in their place. If we count on these things to make us worthwhile as human beings we will be disappointed. It is only when we count on and follow God's plans for us that our sense of value and worthiness is on stable ground. We are valuable not because of our achievements but because God values us. This is what I've learned from John Freed's sermons.

We are also among the many in God's family. I don't know how many of you were able to make it to the Philadelphia conference last week. I have been a visitor at many conferences over the years and I have been impressed differently each time. Usually my impression has been of a very large family and I have noted both the unity of our denomination on matters of social action and the work of our faith, and at the conflicts we experience over issues of personal morality and evangelism. Dad has always encouraged involvement in the larger church. He has emphasized this on numerous occasions ever since he was a pastor in New York. In fact I have early memories of going to sleep with the background murmurs of Faith at Work groups meeting in our living room in the Bronx. Dad has not only valued conference and Church wide participation, but also maintained an ecumenical emphasis, working more recently at a Catholic Hospital, encouraging and supporting the Fox Chase Ministerium and contributing to the Academy of Parish Clergy. The idea is that we are a family, that we are valued members of God's family. It is a very large family coming from many traditions with many worship variations and sometimes divergent views. But it is God's family and God values it greatly. This is what I've learned from John Freed's sermons.

We are a family and God loves us. God loves everyone. I remember the old hymn "Got ist Die Leibe" I can't translate it, but the trailer phrase in the chorus is "Ehr Liebt auche mich." "He loves also me" or "He loves even me." The fact that God loves us is a key motivation for everything we do.

Why do we stand up for the good of the poor and needy? Because God loves them. Why do we contribute financially and by helping those who have experienced tragedy? Because God loves them. Why do we send missionary's out all over the world? Because we want everyone to know that God loves them.

Why are the troubles of the world endurable? Because God loves us. Why are we to remain steadfast in our commitment to God's values? Because God loves us. Why should we submit to the indignities that life inflicts on us? Because God loves us.

It is a simple thing. It is something that is taught to us through the stories of Jesus, in the exhortations of the disciples, in the old testament examples. God loves us. God loves everyone. God loves me. God loves you. This is what I've learned from John Freed's sermons.

Our human actions are worthwhile only in the context of God's plans for us

We are among many members in God's family

God loves us

This is what I've learned from John Freed's sermons.

Of course these are not the only things I've learned from Dad's sermons, and they certainly are not the last things I will learn from his sermons. I will look forward to more, and I expect we as a congregation will get visits from time to time and may even convince you to fill the pulpit again, even frequently.

I don't know that it is my place to speak for all of us, but I've presumed to do so already, so I will again. Thank you for your ministry here. God's blessing to you as you travel out to Ohio. We will miss you.

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