Message:
Cassandra Polster born into God’s world September 29th 1991. Entered into God’s Kingdom May 8th 2008.
Jesus says in today’s gospel, “Do not let your hearts be troubled,” but right now that is about the most ridiculous words that could ever come out of my mouth. Of course our hearts are troubled. We have lost someone very special. We are stunned. We are hurting and we do not understand. All of us are searching for answers. Yet I do not stand before you this morning with any simple response. But one thing I can say to you, is that our demands for these answers is OK!
It’s perfectly normal and even expected to wonder and question God regarding Cassi’s death. God can handle our questions and doubts. We are not the first to have them. Go home and reread the song young David wrote…How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and have sorrow in my heart?
You see, Cassi’s death is a wound that does not simply heal and leave no scar. And the cry, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Demands an answer!
Yet the answer cannot be found in the world. We can search throughout the world our entire lifetime and will never solve the mystery. All the money and wealth do nothing at moments like these. Our jobs with all our education don’t even come close to answering the mysteries of life. Even our family and friends, while a great comfort and strength in these times, cannot supply a single satisfactory answer that we so desperately crave.
But it in these moments of our deepest darkness hour God rolls away the stone and reveals to you and I a simple empty tomb. Only through the promises of the gospel can one find true and abundant life. No where else! No where else! Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?
I know it’s tough to not let your hearts be troubled. You have lost someone you love. But my pray is that these words will ease some of that pain, because notice in the reading from the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Romans. He writes, "I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not even worth comparing to the glory about to be revealed to us."
Notice that Paul does not try to compare, because he says that "our sufferings are not even worth comparing to the glory about to be revealed to us." Cassi has been revealed God’s glory. She has seen Jesus face to face.
What is heaven like? I have no clue. But I do know that it is not even worth comparing to the suffering all of us have gone through, because the stone has been rolled away, Jesus has conquered death, through his suffering on the cross and through his undying love for us in the power of the empty tomb.
What is heaven like? Once again I have no clue. But I do know that Jesus promises that he has prepared a place for each of us, and Cassi is now occupying one of those dwelling places.
You see, our strength, our comfort, our hope come not from the world, but in the power of the gospel where nothing, nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Not even death.
We should not mourn for Cassandra Polster, but mourn instead for her loved ones, and friends who will miss her. We mourn for Janel who has had her heart and soul torn from her chest. We mourn for Scott who has lost his baby girl. We mourn for Kyle who no longer has a big sister to pick on him.
We mourn for Grandma and Grandpa Kaminsky who should never have to bury a child, much more a grandchild. We mourn for all the aunts and uncles, cousins, and all Cassi’s beautiful friends.
You see, ours is the difficult job.
To go on living without someone who was so much a part of our lives.
But if we if we have the faith, and the hope, and the active love that our heavenly Father asks of each of us, we will see Cassi again, and we will at last discover the mysteries of life with answers beyond our wildest dreams.
I would like to wind down this morning by quoting a strange book of the Bible call Ecclesiastes, in chapter three, it says:
For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die.
A time to weep, and a time to laugh.
A time to mourn, and a time to dance.
A time to keep and remember.
Today as we gather together it is a time to mourn and weep over the death of a loved one. But it is also a very special time to keep and remember. So over the next few moments, days, weeks try to lock in your heart some of the most precious memories of Cassi, and the Spirit of God will allow this precious child to live on in a very real way.
Girls and guys when your sitting around at Starbucks remember Cassi could be sharing one of those with Saint Peter twice as good as what you are drinking. And her’s doesn’t cost $4.50—it’s free!
Grandma and Grandpa your little artist has now reached the big leagues, perhaps preparing you a portrait that would surpass Michael Angleo, seeing that she is now working with him.
Kyle—remember her every Friday night—now eating pizza with the 12 apostles and that pizza is prepared by angels.
Scott next time you go to the movies, call me. Cassi could be the one who inspired the movie for you!
Janel the promise is for you! Cassi will remain in your heart in all that you see and do. She is much nearer than any of us might imagine. So continue those long talks with her, you may be pleasantly surprise how your little girl may still touch your heart with a sense of peace and joy.
You see, it is through the promises of God Almighty, who hasn’t lied to us yet, that we who remain can be given incredible hope, a hope that surpasses anything, everything that the world has to offer! Someday we will see our loved ones again. Someday we will see Cassi again. The stone has been rolled away! The tomb is empty!
Thank You Cassi for being part of our lives. But most of all Thanks Be To God! Amen.
