Sermon Archives

Sermon for July 27, 2008
Florence Zoltner Memorial

On this day in 1919, Florence Fraas was born in Archbold, Ohio to Henry and Mathilda. Florence was raised as a faithful Christian person and a member of St. Martin’s Lutheran church in Archbold. She graduated from Wittenberg, University, and at some point in her life, the Holy Spirit led her to a teaching position in Eaton Ohio. While there, she became active at Grace Lutheran Church in Eaton. I am not sure of all of the details, but the legend of Pastor and Florence Zoltner says that when she saw Pastor Zoltner walk down the aisle of the church, she turned to the person next to her and said, “I am going to marry that man.” Well, like a prophet of Israel, her words would eventually come true, setting into motion more than 67 years of married life together with her beloved, Bill, and beginning the ministry of this pastor’s wife and daughter of God, Florence Zoltner.

In our gospel lesson today, we have heard a series of 5 “mini-parables” from Jesus which all speak to the wonderful, unexpected, valuable, all encompassing, contagious, joyful fulfillment of the expected coming of God’s kingdom. Instead of painting an opulent city of God (like John does in his Revelation) Jesus surprises his listeners with the unexpected – and in the world’s view, unimpressive – nature of what the Kingdom of God is all about. I want to focus on the first of these parables, the story of the mustard seed. Jesus is using that old literary device called exaggeration once again here. He calls the mustard seed, “the smallest of all seeds.” Now, the mustard seed may very well have been known in Jesus’ day proverbially as, “the smallest of all seeds,” but there are seeds smaller. And the great bush that it grows into doesn’t quite compare to the cedars of Lebanon or the redwoods of Washington State. Mustard bushes could get as high as 15 feet, but even those don’t produce branches that could hold a bird that is average sized or larger.

Are you impressed by that comparison to the Kingdom of God? Well, evidently Jesus is, and that is the point of the parable. In God’s kingdom, what matters is not defined by the measures we in the world use to define what matters – size, bounty, riches, wealth or numbers in general. No – what matters is defined by God. We should realize that from the very beginning of Jesus’ life when he is born to common parents in a manger in a stable, and not in a palace to royalty that God is not trying to impress anyone. Once again, Jesus is surprising us with a statement that the Kingdom of God is not what you expect – it is this rather than that! It is peace rather than gold, joy rather than pearls, healing rather than diamonds. The kingdom of God has more to do with the richness and depth of God’s love than the richness and depth of God’s pocketbook.

Florence is sort of an example of how great and important things can come in seemingly small and insignificant packages. You might describe her in this way: A citizen of the Kingdom of heaven is like the one who started out as the smallest of all baby girls, but grew into a great and mighty pastor’s wife – so great and mighty that she could help to lead a church in its discipleship! If you were to look at Florence’s stature, you might be unimpressed. But consider all of the various ways in which her life was a witness to her Lord and savior, Jesus Christ. It all begins with her call to be a teacher. Not only did Florence teach in secular schools, but she was always involved in Sunday school education during her life. And not only for children, Florence loved to host Bible studies for teachers of Bible studies, Bible school and Sunday school classes. Her passion was that people hear the wonderful stories of Jesus and other servants of God in the scriptures in such a way as to guide their lives just as it guided hers. She often played organ when Bill preached, either at a church or at Whetstone Care center nursing home. A constant companion, they not only shared love for each other, but a devotion to Jesus, and were indeed partners in serving Christ at whichever church they were members. One thing you knew when Bill was your pastor or was a member of your congregation: you also got Florence, and that was good news because even though she may have been slight of stature, she brought with her a wealth of talent and energy to use them.

I mentioned as I began my message that there is much mystery to the Kingdom of God which Jesus tries to describe in the parables – not only with what it will be like and who will be in it, but also in regards to when it begins. As Jesus follows up the mustard seed parable with the leaven parable, we can begin to understand that the presence of God’s kingdom is already worked into the dough of this world. It is present, and it already changes the world because of its presence. I believe that it is present wherever and whenever God’s will is accomplished, primarily through his people, the church. As a matter of fact, I picture Florence as the woman kneeding the leaven into the huge lump of dough: a sign of the people of God who use their gifts and talents to encourage the world to know and experience the presence of the kingdom of God already in their lives here and now!

Hearing this promise combined with the promise of the mustard seed, we have a word of encouragement for all of us in the church. Sure, some may hear these words of Jesus and laugh – “The parable of the mustard seed makes it sound like your church is doing such great things that when it speaks, the sound is like the roar of a huge mouse.” Perhaps, though, Jesus is reminding us that God doesn’t look at things the way we look at things. To be sure, when others ask me about people in our congregation (like Florence), I could paint a pretty dismal picture: primarily older people who are set in her ways about Bible study and the workings of the church, many of whom get confused very easily and are tired from many years of work in the church. That doesn’t sound like a successful part of a moving, thriving church in God’s Kingdom, does it?

But you see that is Jesus’ point! To any of us who look at the people of our church and despair over it, Jesus tells this story. The reign of God is just like a tiny mustard seed that grows and grows miraculously and becomes a little shrub. Yet that shrub, as unimpressive as it may seem to you and to others, is a miraculous sign of the work of God. It is just like a baby born to common parents in a small town in Northwest, Ohio who grows into a small woman who never has any children. God doesn’t value numbers – height, weight, children, money or whatever – to judge how a person is faithful as a citizen of his Kingdom on hearth. God looks upon our worship life, our eagerness to hear and be immersed in his word as the beginning of our identity as kingdom people – then he looks at all of the things that we (and others) do that may seem insignificant and he celebrates that the kingdom indeed has come near to the people of this community – through music, cooking, and teaching; through their support of their pastor (especially if it is their husband) their congregation, and the education ministries of the colleges and seminaries of the church.

Today it is very appropriate to lift up Florence Fraas Zoltner as a person who personifies what it means to be a citizen of the Kingdom of God and to celebrate her life and discipleship on the occasion of her 89^th birthday. If you ask her friends who have been close to her for the 25 years that she was a member of Clinton Heights, they will tell you that Florence found a way to both practice what her husband Bill preached and also be confident as she shared her own faith with others in words and deeds. She was always here – and her presence was a gift to so many people for so long. As we entrust her into God’s arms of mercy, we can do so confidently that she rests eternally in his presence of peace, joy and healing. We can look forward to gathering on that mountain for the feast of rich food where the likes of Florence’s tapioca pudding will be on the menu as often as it was present at Clinton Heights potlucks. And we can pray confidently to our Lord, Jesus that we (like Florence) may not be giant cedars, and our lives may not be important by the world’s standards - but that we may have the gifts, the strength and the courage to be a mighty shrub…so that we may be a sign of the Kingdom of God growing on our own streets. May it be so, in the name of Christ our Lord. Amen.