by Bishop Bill Gohl

I’m convinced that nothing can separate us from God’s love in Christ Jesus our Lord: not death or life, not angels or rulers, not present things or future things, not powers or height or depth, or any other thing that is created. –Romans 8:37-39

I preached this sermon for the funeral of Pastor Russell Edward Fink
on Saturday, March 16, 2019 at Our Shepherd Lutheran Church (Severna Park)

Won’t you pray with me?

♫ Jesus loves me, this I know; for the Bible tells me so!
Little ones to him belong, they are weak but he is strong!
Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me, the Bible tells me so!

I welcome you to this place of grace, here at Our Shepherd, where Russ and Barbara have found and made a home in this season which Pastor Fink referred to as the “third season” of his ministry; the first being his baptismal ministry which began over 90 years ago; the second was his 42 years of active ordained ministry; and the third was these last 24 years of retirement and rediscovering God’s call as pastor, spouse, parent, and grandparent apart from a regular call to a congregation.

I’ve only known Pastor Fink in this “third season” – and for all of it. When Pastor Fink retired from his last regular call to St. John (Hagerstown), the associate and then-interim Pastor Ellie Doub, hired me as the Director for Christian Education and Youth. I literally moved into his office. When my time at St. John was completed, the women of the church sent me back to seminary with a copy of Barbara’s book, Daily Readings with Martin Luther. After St. John, I knew Pastor Fink through his work as the developer of the South Anne Arundel Mission, Redeemer in Deale; as a popular and well-appreciated guest preacher in many congregations within a two and a half hour radius of his then-Gemini Road address; and as a friendly, yet fierce tennis player – competitive with his friend Pastor Gilroy, whom he once referred to in my ear-shot as having been “still a youth!” At St. Martin’s and here at Our Shepherd, he has been a faithful Bible Study leader and a strong and supportive colleague for both Pastor Janssen and Pastor Oravec. Before I go any further, I want to publicly thank Pastor Earl for his ministry to Russ, Barbara and the family these last hard weeks. He has been so faithful to our friend and colleague.

Apart from the time that Pastor Fink gave an impromptu sermon to the Synod Assembly on his 65th Ordination Anniversary, I’ve only heard him preach one time! It was Reformation Sunday, about fifteen years ago, and we were having an Anne Arundel Conference Service where he connected Jesus Loves Me, this I Know to the three great Sola slogans of the Reformation.

That sermon has stuck with me for lo these many years. Reformation Sunday doesn’t come or go without me remembering, borrowing or thinking about Pastor Fink’s thoughtful insights. To honor his commitment that today wouldn’t be a string of eulogies extolling his long and outstanding ministry, and that Law and Gospel should be preached, let me share with you a bit of classic Russ Fink, as I remember it:

Jesus Loves Me embodies Luther’s words, Sola Gratia, Grace. Grace alone. Russell knew grace in life and faced it, with faith, in death. His own life and witness is the story of a humble servant of God who was continually overwhelmed by God’s amazing grace which saw him through many struggles. His pastor’s reports over the course of 60+ years spoke of his own sense of grief and loss tempered by hope. He reflected deeply on his struggles as a spouse and father and could point to his own sense of being a workaholic as culpability in the strain of those precious relationships. I don’t know the conversations he might have had with district presidents and bishops past, but his reports are really clear: this situation is not helpful for my family, perhaps I need to step away and find something less taxing on my time and energy. Later reports spoke of the grace of reconciliation, and how he was working harder at being intentional about being a better father and grandfather. But, even in these last days, he counseled me and others to do what we needed to do, now, to make sure we didn’t have some of those regrets. He loved his family, this whole family; and your love and support were not lost on Russell, he knew grace in you and through you, too.

Jesus loves me, This I Know Sola Fide, Faith Alone! Despite the struggles of life and relationship, of discernment and dreams that didn’t come to pass, Russell knew Jesus loves you, and Jesus loves him, too. Russell knew it in life and faced it, with faith, even in death. Cancer, he told me, would not ever have the last word. And, as recently as last Friday, he told me it hadn’t. While ready to fight like hell to be open to new treatments and courses of therapy; he knew that his life and strength was in the hands of God. His own life and witness is the story of a humble servant of God who was continually overwhelmed by God’s amazing grace which saw him through many struggles.

Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so! – Sola Scriptura, Word alone! Even in this “third season” of ministry and call in retirement, Russell shared that Our Shepherd was a home and family for him and Barbara, too. He was no Sunday Christian – or pew sitter; he gave himself, time, talent and treasure to the work of the church, throughout the years, in any way that he was able. Even at Ginger Cove, he jumped right in – Bible Study, worship and thoughtful witness at the table, the mailbox and in the lobby. Today, as we gather in beauty and dignity of this place and service, we do so surrounded by the scriptures and hymns that Russell himself selected for this day. We find bold and blessed assurance in Russell’s strong sense of faith, hope and love. Though we come in the presence of these earthly remains, we take courage in his sure knowledge that he would visit us today from this urn, but with his Lord, alive again in God’s kingdom; with us again and again as we gather at Christ’s table of grace.

Yes, Jesus loves me; Yes, Jesus Loves me; Yes, Jesus Loves me! Sola Christe, Christ Alone! But I wouldn’t be telling the whole truth, if I also didn’t confess that while I know that Pastor Fink delighted in his family, and so many of us whom he and they count as family, have gathered, Pastor did have a soft spot for being the center of a celebration – and that is rightly what we are here to do today, to celebrate a life well lived and God’s promise well kept. Russell Fink was God-loving, grace-filled, a fed and forgiven servant of Christ.

So many of you knew Russell better than I ever did. You knew his more “vital and active” years, which I can’t even imagine, where my own memory is confined to this “third season.” But I am here to celebrate with you, nevertheless, because no matter how we knew Pastor Fink, God knew him best. I am here to remind you, that because Jesus lives, Russell lives – because Jesus lives, we live, also.

For you see, Russell Edward Fink was not simply a colleague these last 25 years, he was a friend; a trusted, wise elder; a man whose strength, even in trial and struggle, continued to be a source of strength and hope for us, too. It was a privilege to know and to love him, it was an honor to be one of his pastors. Emerson, whom I’ve quoted over other such giants’ funerals, said it well: You taught us well, dear friend, you showed the way and we shall not forget you.

Will you pray with me?

♫ Jesus loves me, this I know; for the Bible tells me so!
Little ones to him belong, they are weak but he is strong!
Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me, the Bible tells me so!

Friends, do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.  For indeed, I am convinced as Russell was too, that neither death nor life, not things present nor things to come, not anything, not anything, can separate us from a love so great that was, is and will be ours in Christ Jesus our Lord, forever. Amen.

So what are we going to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He didn’t spare his own Son but gave him up for us all. Won’t he also freely give us all things with him? Who will bring a charge against God’s elect people? It is God who acquits them. Who is going to convict them? It is Christ Jesus who died, even more, who was raised, and who also is at God’s right side. It is Christ Jesus who also pleads our case for us. Who will separate us from Christ’s love? Will we be separated by trouble, or distress, or harassment, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? But in all these things we win a sweeping victory through the one who loved us. I’m convinced that nothing can separate us from God’s love in Christ Jesus our Lord: not death or life, not angels or rulers, not present things or future things, not powers or height or depth, or any other thing that is created. –Romans 8:31-35, 37-39