Victor Backhus
funeral sermon -
Pastor Troy Slater - Our
For the basis of our comfort today, I
would like to focus a bit on the verse that served as Vic's confirmation verse
from Isaiah, chapter 54, verse 10: though the
mountains may depart and the hills be removed, my steadfast love shall not
depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,
says the LORD, who has compassion on you.
As a pastor I often notice how a
deceased individual's confirmation verse just seemed to fit them so well as
their life unfolded and then drew to a close.
I don't know if it's that the Holy Spirit is there guiding the confirmation
verse selection process or what, but so often - generally - it seems to fit the
deceased individual quite well. And with
Vic that is no exception - actually I would even say that his confirmation
verse fit him even more so than most people.
And for that reason we are using it here this morning.
"Though the mountains may
depart and the hills be removed".
Now certainly in one sense this image of mountains departing and of hills
being removed refers to the day of the Lord - the time when the earth is
destroyed at our Lord Jesus' return on the last day. Nothing will be left - except the Lord and
His Word and His unfailing love to us.
But there is
another sense in which we can speak of "mountains departing and hills
being removed." There is another
sense in which we can speak of things that seem so secure and enduring and so endearing
to us, those things departing. And I
think if he were here Vic would know exactly what I'm referring to. Yes I think Vic knew what it was like for the
mountains to depart and the hills to be removed. Experiencing the horrors of war on the frontlines;
loosing his beloved wife at a relatively young age; standing by the graveside
of his firstborn son; experiencing the frailty of the human nature as for
twenty-years, three times a week, he was hooked up to the dialysis
machine. Body weakened as he went in and
out of the hospital over the last several months not to mention all the other
struggles of life that come from working and trying to raise a family. Yes Vic knew what it was like for the
mountains to depart and the hills to be removed. He knew how insecure and fleeting those things
can be that we like to think of as so secure and enduring.
"But though the mountains
may depart and the hills be removed, my steadfast love shall not depart from
you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed, says the LORD, who
has compassion on you. Yes Vic knew what it was like to lose so much in
this world but Vic also knew - thanks be to God - Vic also knew God's compassions and God's covenant of
peace and God's steadfast love to him in Christ Jesus his Savior. Baptized into Christ, Vic knew God's
steadfast love. He lived in that
love. He knew that his Savior -
crucified and risen for him - would never depart from
him and was more secure and enduring for him than even the mountains and the
hills. I think that is one of the main
reasons that Vic was someone whom I've had a ton of respect for ever since
coming to know him. While I'm sure he
went through his share of doubts and struggles, it seemed that no matter what
life had thrown at him, he had that confidence in his Lord; he had that faith
as it's often called - that God-given and firm faith that his Lord would never
depart from him. I saw that and I think
all of you saw that faith in Vic as well - that faith in his crucified and risen
Savior.
Although
today we gather here because one final struggle has come for Vic, one final
mountain has fallen for Vic as he has had to walk through that dark valley of
the shadow of death. And in a lot of
ways there is nothing more unsettling than death - nothing that shakes our
lives more than death. Death we could say, is the ultimate "mountain departing" and
"hill being removed" experience we can have. And Vic has now experienced it.
But "though the mountains may depart and the hills be removed,
my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of
peace shall not be removed, says the LORD, who has
compassion on you.
I think it was very fitting that the very last Sunday Vic was not in the hospital,
here about five Sundays ago, he was here, in church where he loved to be. Vic of course was always so very faithful in
his church attendance. Up through this
past January Sunday after Sunday, including any special services, you could
count on Vic being over here on this side, about the middle, over toward the
window. And as I understood from him,
even during his stay in
Of course
Vic is no longer gathered with the church militant. His body has succumbed to the frailties of
life. But today we gather here
in this place where Vic gathered so many times, we come to this place to hear
and to remember and to rejoice in the fact that the Lord's word still stands;
the Lord's word first spoken to Victor William Backhus
at the baptismal font - "I am yours, you are mine." That word shall never be removed from
him. Even though we mourn his death -
even though someone who has meant so much to so many
has succumbed to the illnesses and the frailties of this world - the Lord's love
shall not depart from him. " 'Though the mountains may depart and the hills be
removed, my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace
shall not be removed,' says the Lord, who has compassion on you."
Today we rejoice that Jesus has
defeated death having gone to the cross for Vic, for you, for me. Today we rejoice that Vic was baptized into
that death of Jesus - and into His resurrection. Today we rejoice that Vic's sin ahs been
forgiven and that heaven is his home - forever.
Today we rejoice that Vic's soul is even now with his Lord as a part of
the church triumphant. The trials and
tribulations are now passed for Vic. The drives to
Victor William Backhus
lives. He lives with Jesus. He lives because of Jesus. His soul lives even now, his body shall rise
again. Thanks be
to Jesus and His steadfast love. Amen.
And may the peace of God which
surpasses all human understanding guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus
until that day of the resurrection. Amen.