St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, Edina, Minnesota
The Reverend Neil Alan Willard, M.Div.
December 30, 2011
RODNEY DANFORTH HARDY
February 21, 1938 – December 1, 2011
O God, you make us glad by the yearly festival of the birth of your only Son Jesus Christ: Grant that we, who joyfully receive him as our Redeemer, may with sure confidence behold him when he comes to be our Judge; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
On behalf of Rod’s wife, Katie, and their daughters, Kim, Elizabeth, and Jo, I want to thank you all for your presence today as we give thanks to God for Rod’s life and witness not only in this community of faith but also in the community of friendship that has gathered here this afternoon. Please know of their deep gratitude for your prayers and your deeds of kindness throughout the fall months before Rod’s death at the beginning of December. His bow ties, his contagious joy, his encouraging words, and, above all, his presence will be missed. As one of my clergy colleagues put it, “Rod always made me laugh, and I have never witnessed so much delight in one man.” To that, I say, “Amen.”
On the cover of your bulletin, you’ll see a picture that was drawn by Rod, inspired by Psalm 121, which we read together a few minutes ago. It’s one of 15 “Psalms of Ascents,” songs that accompanied pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem. Their walk upward into the city and then onto the temple mount was both a literal ascent and a metaphorical one. It represented a life that over and over reached toward the presence of God.
Psalm 121 opens with a question: “I lift up my eyes to the hills, from where is my help to come?” That kind of searching is a universal human experience. Everyone turns to something or someone in a time of need. Everyone wonders at some point if God, as a source of help, can be trusted. Continue reading →
