Sermon at the Memorial Service for Roger Greene
The preface for the burial of an adult says, “To your faithful people, O Lord, life is changed, not ended.” Never before has life been more changed for me than the day that Roger Greene died. Someone asked me the other day, of all the people who have sat on that bench, a bench which, ironically, is also gone, of all the people who have sat on that bench, what was unique about Roger? What made Roger fall into our hearts the moment we met him? What was it about Roger that made us want to see him day in and day out?
When I saw Roger a couple of weeks ago for the last time I was struck by how strong he still looked. By how confident and filled with the spirit he was. I had been told that he was not up for much talking, but as soon as I walked in he started giving me instructions, talk to this person, don’t forget to ask this person. When I asked him what he might want me or someone else to say at his funeral all he said was remember the Shelf, and remember the people in the neighborhood.
Remember the people in the neighborhood. If there was ever a reason I could find why Roger opened my heart up in such a big way, that is it. He knew this neighborhood well, he knew the people here and he desired that they be cared for. Several years ago he came to me, that very mission, that very work at the forefront of his mind and he said to me, “Aron, I want to start a food shelf, can I start a food shelf?” And so he did. His vision, his dream, his idea has become the Shelf of Hope, the epic and legendary ministry of Gethsemane Episcopal Church.
Roger was an enigma, in many ways, I like to think that he stuck around because he did something for all of us that nobody else could do. Roger helped us see people differently. Roger forced us to face our prejudices, Roger forced us to face our biases, Roger forced us to face our racism, all of our isms and evaluate carefully how we look at the world, forced us to evaluate immediately our perspectives of the world and the people who live in it.
Roger didn’t find a place in our hearts because he was someone who could easily be helped, or because he received our help graciously. Roger was welcomed into our life as a community of faith because he opened up the possibility of God’s love for the entire world, God’s love for everyone in all of us. He helped us to see how God was moving in the world, in the neighborhood, in the lives of the people around us. He helped us to broaden our worldview from one that saw this place in a narrow way to one that took in with a larger eyes, and open hearts the places where God’ love shone.
Roger opened up a door for us and we took a step through thinking there was a comfortable room for us to reside in, but what we found was a chasm, and we jumped, with Roger into that chasm, we jumped, holding his hand in one hand and reaching out with food in the other.
Roger showed us we are all connected to one another in ways we had never before imagined. Roger showed us that we don’t give money to the Shelf of Hope in order to get something back, we give money to the Shelf of Hope so that people will be fed. Roger showed us that we give our time to Gethsemane Church not so that we will get something back, but so that people who are hungry will be fed. Roger showed us that our talents are not used to boast, or to try to change a life so we can feel better about ourselves, rather, we share our talents so that people who are hungry will be fed.
Roger was our prophet Isaiah, Roger brought the Spirit of the Lord and anointed us, Roger made us holy, Roger helped us to see the Glory of the Lord shining in us in ways that we never imagined. Roger’s legacy is our feeding of those who are hungry. Rogers legacy is our food shelf, it is at the core of who we are and what we do. Like the Good Shepherd, Roger led us to safety, Roger led us to places where abundance became who we are and what we are about. And now, Roger will continue to shepherd us, continue to lead us, continue to anoint us, just in a new and different way.
When I saw Roger a couple of weeks ago for the last time I was struck by how strong he still looked. By how confident and filled with the spirit he was. I had been told that he was not up for much talking, but as soon as I walked in he started giving me instructions, talk to this person, don’t forget to ask this person. When I asked him what he might want me or someone else to say at his funeral all he said was remember the Shelf, and remember the people in the neighborhood.
Remember the people in the neighborhood. If there was ever a reason I could find why Roger opened my heart up in such a big way, that is it. He knew this neighborhood well, he knew the people here and he desired that they be cared for. Several years ago he came to me, that very mission, that very work at the forefront of his mind and he said to me, “Aron, I want to start a food shelf, can I start a food shelf?” And so he did. His vision, his dream, his idea has become the Shelf of Hope, the epic and legendary ministry of Gethsemane Episcopal Church.
Roger was an enigma, in many ways, I like to think that he stuck around because he did something for all of us that nobody else could do. Roger helped us see people differently. Roger forced us to face our prejudices, Roger forced us to face our biases, Roger forced us to face our racism, all of our isms and evaluate carefully how we look at the world, forced us to evaluate immediately our perspectives of the world and the people who live in it.
Roger didn’t find a place in our hearts because he was someone who could easily be helped, or because he received our help graciously. Roger was welcomed into our life as a community of faith because he opened up the possibility of God’s love for the entire world, God’s love for everyone in all of us. He helped us to see how God was moving in the world, in the neighborhood, in the lives of the people around us. He helped us to broaden our worldview from one that saw this place in a narrow way to one that took in with a larger eyes, and open hearts the places where God’ love shone.
Roger opened up a door for us and we took a step through thinking there was a comfortable room for us to reside in, but what we found was a chasm, and we jumped, with Roger into that chasm, we jumped, holding his hand in one hand and reaching out with food in the other.
Roger showed us we are all connected to one another in ways we had never before imagined. Roger showed us that we don’t give money to the Shelf of Hope in order to get something back, we give money to the Shelf of Hope so that people will be fed. Roger showed us that we give our time to Gethsemane Church not so that we will get something back, but so that people who are hungry will be fed. Roger showed us that our talents are not used to boast, or to try to change a life so we can feel better about ourselves, rather, we share our talents so that people who are hungry will be fed.
Roger was our prophet Isaiah, Roger brought the Spirit of the Lord and anointed us, Roger made us holy, Roger helped us to see the Glory of the Lord shining in us in ways that we never imagined. Roger’s legacy is our feeding of those who are hungry. Rogers legacy is our food shelf, it is at the core of who we are and what we do. Like the Good Shepherd, Roger led us to safety, Roger led us to places where abundance became who we are and what we are about. And now, Roger will continue to shepherd us, continue to lead us, continue to anoint us, just in a new and different way.
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