Christian Burial of Ron Auricht 12 June 2018

+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.

Text: John 14:6
Theme: Vibrant Life

Dear family, friends, and loved ones of Ron, and especially you, Ruth, Joyleen, Rosalie, and Valerie, his daughters;

The place prepared for Ron Auricht- in heaven- is now occupied. He has been released from all care and anxiety of our fallen existence. He enjoys vibrant and abundant life. He has received his inheritance, one that can never perish, spoil, or fade. Thanks be to God that He has called His servant home! Ron is in the glorious presence of almighty God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, saints and angels. It is our privilege to meditate on this truth.

Reflection on the death of a Christian brings into close proximity two realities that are otherwise so dissimilar they would never be faced at the same time. The pain of separation or loss. Death separates us from loved ones, so this is unavoidable. And the joy of knowing that person has been crowned with everlasting life. Death is the gateway to a vibrant and glorious existence. So, sorrow and joy are juxta positioned in a very unique way. But it is a biblical way.

The Holy Scriptures are full of accounts of how believers down through the ages dealt with dying; their customs, their practices, their struggles, their hopes. The Israelites grieved for Moses for 30 days1. When Jesus arrived at the deathbed of Jairus’s daughter professional mourners were already on the scene2. King David’s grief for Absalom was so incapacitating that He had to be rebuked by his high officials3. Customs and practices changed over time. But the fundamental belief did not change. The core conviction remained unaltered. The same hope endured and does to this day. The same God who grants life here in time promises to resurrect His people to eternal life. It’s not a simple formality that Christians confess (as we will in few moments) belief “in the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting”4.

Of course, the need to cope with the trauma of death at all means the cause must be recognized. That cause is sin. Sin eventually brings decay and death to the body. If left unresolved it also brings death to the soul. Death is one of the consequences of punishment for rebellion against God. Many in our day deny there could be any such cause for concern, but the Bible speaks comprehensively about this truth. Mortality is something all people understand intuitively. But that doesn’t mean we’re keen to tackle it, just as sin is something we know intimately but are not capable of mastering. It is far too powerful and dangerous. Ron Auricht knew horses too. That was the way of farm life in his early years. But the things we know aren’t necessarily the things we can control. Fortunately, us mortals are not left to solve what only divine power manage.

Jesus Christ is the incarnation of God’s grace; the very substance of divine love. Everything stands or falls on the truth of Jesus’ sacrificial work for sinners- our salvation by grace, through faith. If grace in Christ is a fantasy, then existence itself comes unhinged. If divine love is a fallacy, then ultimate meaning is shattered. If God’s promises are hollow, then hope is finally lost. If the resurrection of Christ was only pious legend, then eternal death prevails. But, dear friends, Jesus Christ is indeed risen from the dead. The grave could not hold Him. Death could not bind Him. Hell could not subdue Him. Satan could not silence Him. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in Me will never die.”5

When he was a young man Ron was inspired to become a missionary. But the expectation for the eldest son in those days was to stay and work the land. Ron accepted this reality. He was faithful in his vocation working the Mallee soil to provide for his family and beyond. Still, the interest in spreading God’s word remained with him right into his later years. Of course, not becoming a missionary didn’t mean that Ron wasn’t actively witnessing to his Christian faith. Ron and Glenda were not casual Christians. They were deeply involved in all the activities of the congregation, committed to supporting it, and faithful in their attendance in God’s house.

Ron’s talents and treasures were employed to the same end. He held most every position in the church at one time or another. Ron loved music. He was gifted with a powerful voice. He didn’t sing simply for personal satisfaction. Moments ago, we sang ‘Jesus Loves Me’ in tribute to the 40-some years Ron taught Sunday School. The words are just as true today as they were the first time he sang it with the young ones in his class. And that’s exactly the point. The love of God is unchanging. As we heard earlier, He has given His baptised an inheritance “that can never perish, spoil or fade.”6

Anyone who knew Ron well at all knew that his Christian faith wasn’t a private matter. He had a deep concern for the spiritual well-being of others. The love of the crucified and risen Saviour is offered to all people and Ron earnestly prayed that all would embrace it. Only the divine promise can give true peace to the soul. Reconciliation, forgiveness, freedom from guilt, liberation from shame, release from regret are achieved only through God’s bestowal of the merits of Christ to us frail humans. In Christ the roughest edges are made smooth, the deepest pains are relieved, the harshest offences are resolved. Anger gives way to peace. Fear is replaced by serenity. Sorrow transitions to joy. It seems impossible- given the experiences of life that jade us- that these things could really come true. But that is the reality of Christ’s redeeming power.

Dear friends, and especially you, Ron’s family, the scars of grief are not so shallow that they can be healed by a few cosmetic clichés. The complexity of grief is not easily simplified. Humans are complicated creatures. There aren’t any shortcuts. Yet the strength needed to manage it properly is never in doubt for Christians. The separation is only temporary. Christ spent only three days in the grave. If we cling only to memories of the deceased then that relationship is frozen in time, locked in the past. For believers, grieving is forward-looking. Our time on this earth is but a passing moment compared with eternity.

Ron is now in the timelessness of God’s presence. Ron received his wish in the end- a blessed wish- to close his eyes in sleep and open them effortlessly to behold the face of God. And so, the words of the apostle have come true for him that say, “Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”7 Except that Ron does see Him now and He will never be lost from his sight. Amen.

+ In nomine Jesu +

Christian Burial of Ronald Victor Auricht
12 June 2018
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt

1 See Deuteronomy 34:8 2 See Matthew 9:23
3 See 2 Samuel 18:33, 19:5-7 4 The Apostles’ Creed
5 John 11:25-26 6 1 Peter 1:4
71 Peter 1:8-9