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Glory of God Lutheran

Wheat Ridge, Colorado
July 18, 2015--Funeral for Rev. Dr. Glenn Niebling
Pastor Dena Williams
The Holy Gospel according to the Community of St. Mark in
the 1st Chapter
Glory to you, O Lord
A leper came to Jesus begging him,
and kneeling he said to Jesus,
If you choose, you can make me clean.
Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched
him, and said to him,
I do choose. Be made clean!
Immediately the leprosy left him,
and he was made clean.
After sternly warning him,
Jesus sent him away at once, saying to him,
See that you say nothing to anyone;
but go, show yourself to the priest,
and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded,
as a testimony to them.
But the man went out and began to proclaim it freely,
and to spread the word,
so that Jesus could no longer go into a town openly,
but stayed out in the country;
and people came to him from every quarter.
The Gospel of the Lord
Praise to you, O Christ

The Last, The Least, The Lost

A lepera nameless person with a social disease.
He is required to live in squalor outside the city gates.
There is no known cure for his disease.
The religious authorities, the priests, had declared him
unclean.
He wears torn clothing as a sign of his contagious state.
His family has abandoned him.
He covers his disfigured face and shouts unclean as
warning to other people he passes on the road.
It is against the law to touch him.
He is poor, abandoned, alone, and desperate.
Most people believe his sin or the sin of his ancestors is
responsible for his disease.
He is an outcast-the last, the least, the lost in his society.
He hears about a new prophet whose reputation as an
exorcist and healer is growing quickly.
The prophet comes to the city of Capernaum where he heals
crowds and crowds of people.
At a distance the man with leprosy follows the crowds
following Jesus.
He witnesses Jesus incredible healing power.
Finally, he finds the courage to approach Jesus.
He kneels at his feet and says,
If you choose you can make me clean.
If you choose you can make me clean.
Weve heard stories from Glenns life today. . .
Im glad to hear the stories from his earlier life,
from the time when he was a young man,
when he went to seminary,
when he served as a pastor,
when he studied counseling,
when he started Care Net.
Glenn as husband, father, grandfather, uncle, cousin, in law.
I met Glenn in July 2005, right here in this very space.

I served here as interim pastor.

There were two retired pastors in this congregation when I
came.
Do you know how nervous that makes a Pastor?
You just dont know what youre gonna get!
What I got was Pastor Duane Reetz and Pastor Glenn
Niebling.
Pastor Duane was lovely!
We celebrated and remembered and gave thanks for his life
right at the end of my time here.
And then there was Glenn.
I was so pleased to meet a pastor who was smart,
compassionate, insightful, and a believer!
I was so fortunate to do ministry here with Pastor Duane and
Pastor Glenn.
When I met Glenn he was fully involved in his practice at
Care Net.
He worked way too many hours.
I tried to talk to him about that once . . .
how the kinds of long hours he kept create problems.
He flat out ignored me!
I never tried again to talk to him about his workaholic
tendencies.
It was clearly not a topic open for discussion!
It took me awhile to understand Glenns counseling practice.
My husband, John, is a physician.
He and John talked together about their work.
It was John who first told me about Glenns work,
about his practice,
about the clients he served.
I was stunned!
I could not understand how anyone could work with such
despicable people.
People allowed to live only in restricted areas.
People who have trouble finding work and supporting

themselves.
People with a disease for which there is no known cure.
People required to register with the local authorities.
People whose families shun them.
People whose presence in a community generates fear and
loathing.
People who are outcast in our society.
How can we compare Glenns clients to people with leprosy?
Is it a fair comparison?
No, not entirely.
Glenns clients were often criminals, law breakers, a danger
to society.
Glenn would be the first to assure us his clients were
dangerous.
They may not have a contagious disease,
but they are dangerous people.
They are also, however, like lepers in Jesus time,
they are outcasts in our society.
And it was Glenn, our Glenn,
who chose to treat those abhorred members of society.
Glenn would also be the first to tell us,
the possibility of healing for offenders is remote.
But it was Glenn who counseled, advised, and monitored
offenders.
How could he do this work?!
Why on earth would he want to work with those people?
I asked myself that question.
It took awhile, but as I got to know and love Glenn,
I began to understand.
His work allowed him to support and protect and care for
thousands and thousands of victims of offenders,
victims among the most vulnerable people in our society,
most often women and children.
It was Glenns intervention in the lives of victims of offenders
that drove him to work with clients rejected by most other
professionals.

He protected victims who were, indeed, often the last, the

least, the lost in our society.
Hear these words of Jesus from the Gospel according to the
community of St. Matthew:

Then the King will say to those on his right,

Come, you who are blessed by my Father;
take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since
the creation of the world.
For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat,
I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink,
I was a stranger and you invited me in,
I needed clothes and you clothed me,
I was sick and you looked after me,
I was in prison and you came to visit me.
Then the righteous will answer him,
Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you,
or thirsty and give you something to drink?
When did we see you a stranger and invite you in,
or needing clothes and clothe you?
When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?
The King will reply, Truly I tell you,
whatever you did for one of the least of these my brothers
and sisters,
you did for me.
Why did Glenn serve offenders, victims, the last, the least,
the lost?

Why was he a devoted and loving husband, father,

grandfather, and friend?
Why?
In order to earn a place among the righteous?
In order to earn Gods love?
In order to receive Gods promises?
No.
Glenn knew himself to be a sinner,
a sinner in need of a redeemer, a savior.
He knew what he deserved.
He also believed he was saved from his sinful self,
not through any work of his own,
he knew he was saved by grace, through faith, for the sake
of Jesus Christ.
Glenn shared the love of God,
the grace of Our Lord with others
in loving response to Gods love for him,
a love that sustained him in this life.
A love he believed will carry him into eternal life with God.
A love we believe accompanies him in death,
as Jesus comes to take him by the hand and lead him to
eternal life in Gods kingdom.
Glenn believed. We believe.
Knowing Gods love for Glenn, for us,
knowing Gods promise of eternal life comforts us.
It does, however, not take away our grief.
For me, losing someone who believed in me
even when I wasnt sure I believed in myself brings pain and
sadness.
For all who knew and loved Glenn,
there will be sadness and pain and tears and loneliness.
We will miss him deeply.
Glenn would be the first to tell us,
there will also be Gods love with us,
God fully present to us with

a love that sustained Glenn in his life,

a love that sustains us as we claim Gods promises for Glenn,
for ourselves.
Therefore, comfort one another with this love.
Amen