Preaching When A Developmentally Disabled Person Dies
Preaching When A Developmentally Disabled Person Dies
Preaching when a developmentally disabled person dies is another challenging time for the preacher. This is another of the toughest sermons you’ll ever preach.
The Challenge of A Developmentally Disabled Person’s Funeral
Let me tell you about Adam. In the last church I served as pastor, he was known by everybody. He especially was connected with a group of men who worked around the church on Fridays, and those men even made a sign to put over the janitor’s room that called it “Adam’s Office”.
Adam was an only child. His parents worked hard to make life as normal as possible for their son, arranging for education for him that mainstreamed him as long as possible, and ensuring that he would learn to meet and greet people and serve God. Their lives revolved around this child.
This is the first thing to keep in mind as you prepare for preaching when a developmentally disabled person dies: the lives of the people around him or her will have revolved in a significant way around that person. So, the loss is deeply felt. There is little relief at this death. Rather, in some ways, the entire purpose for living for the parents and the rest of the family has come to an end.
Adam developed a cancer that eventually took his life. So, funeral planning began. What Scripture do you use? What do you say?
A Suggested Scripture Passage
Psalm 139 has some powerful verses in it about special children:
13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
Notes For Preaching This Sermon
First of all, note the words that David uses here. You knit me together. I am not a knitter, but my mother-in-law was. Occasionally I would watch her work on some piece of clothing. She would say that every knitted piece is unique. There will never be two pieces exactly alike.
Think about those words when applied to someone like Adam. He was totally unique, and he was created just the way God wanted him to be. His challenges weren’t an accident of some kind. Rather, God knew just the kind of person he wanted on the earth, and carefully knitted him together.
Secondly, though there were challenges in his life, that life was not without its redemptive qualities. Adam made an impact through his life. No one who knew him could go away and not be changed.
Thirdly, thanks to Jesus’ work on the cross, Adam is now made whole. This sermon is a good one to challenge peoples’ imagination a little bit. It is a good time to imagine what Adam were to say if he could come back to life for a few moments. I think he would say, “thank you” to his parents, as well as to the many others who expressed love and care for him. And I think he would talk about the wonders of being at home and remade in heaven.
Preaching in More Difficult Situations.
I’m thinking even now of a funeral that will be coming some day. I have a niece who recently turned 40 years old. At the time of her birth she had a brain bleed that left her at the infant stage her entire life. I’m thinking about what I might say on that day when her life ends. I think the points above are still valid. Her life impacted my children and many others who learned to care for the most vulnerable in life.
Conclusion
Preaching when a developmentally disabled person dies is a challenge, but it is a rare opportunity to celebrate how God can work through such people to further his work in us. There are some other tips here at this website.
