Homily for Ellen Gray - John 10:11-16

It is my great honor to welcome you to Christ Church today in celebration of Ellen’s life. Though this day was not unexpected, this loss is not easy for her family and many friends. We can take some comfort in the fact that shortly before she died, Ellen was on a river cruise retracing some of Lewis and Clark’s expedition. Talk about setting an awesome example for anyone who reaches the age of 91, or 21 for that matter. We should all be so adventurous. Of course, even with health concerns, Ellen taking that trip came as no surprise. She has always been strong-willed and adventurous. I can recall visits with her in recent years in various hospital rooms. She never wanted to spend much time talking about her physical setbacks. She would much rather lament the misdoings of various politicians or catch up on church news. She lived a long life, and lived it well, fully engaged in the world around her all the way to the end. 

As I thought about what to say to this gathered congregation, it occurred to me that most, if not all of us owe a debt of gratitude to Ellen. Maybe she made you laugh with her quick, dry wit. Maybe she helped you hire the perfect person for your organization, or helped you avoid the candidate who was not. Perhaps she gave you sound investment advice or kept a close eye on your organization’s portfolio. Maybe she gave you smart career advice or an encouraging word. For example, I don’t think I would be preaching to you today as Christ Church’s first woman rector without Ellen’s support and guidance. Or maybe you are grateful to Ellen for her remarkable generosity to a cause or community you hold dear. Her philanthropy has made all the difference in this town, and in this church. Or maybe, you are part of the family she loved more than anything else. Our hearts go out to you especially on this day. 

It will not surprise you to know that Ellen planned all of the details of this service. From time to time, she would invite our organist and choirmaster Steve Bullock to lunch at the Capital Hotel, and tell him to bring his hymnal. She also selected the readings, including the one about Jesus as the good shepherd from the Gospel of John. I’m sure she chose it because it’s one of the most beautiful images for Jesus. Standing in a long line of beloved Jewish shepherds going all the way back to King David, Jesus describes himself as one who cares deeply for his flock, who calls us each by name, who searches for us whenever we get lost, and who lays down his life for us. It’s a comforting image, especially on a day like this. 

As an aside, I can’t help but wonder if Ellen also found a little HR humor in this particular passage, and would want us to notice. John includes a few lines about the hired hand, who is not the shepherd, who basically runs off when he sees the wolf coming. One of Ellen’s many talents was the ability to size people up pretty quickly. She had a knack for knowing which kind of hired hand one might be. Which is why, a few years ago, the Episcopal Church in Arkansas quickly appointed her to the bishop’s search committee. As you know, we got a great bishop out of that search, who certainly hasn’t run off at the first sight of wolves. 

The HR humor about the hired hand in this passage is speculation, of course, but Ellen surely wanted us to hear the message about the good shepherd himself. As an image of God, the good shepherd is a tender one, which makes it especially comforting in times of loss. We trust that the good shepherd looked after Ellen throughout her life, and searched after her whenever she was lost. We trust that after a long life well-lived, the good shepherd led Ellen home. The pain we feel when we lose someone is helped by our faith that they are now with their loved ones who went before. The gospel has many truths, but perhaps the most important for an occasion like this is our fundamental Christian hope, that the good shepherd laid down his life so that we will all be led safely home to the joys of heaven. 

Of course, the flip side of this lovely image for God is the implication that we are like sheep, which is not the most flattering idea. We think of sheep as lacking in intelligence and independence. Sheep are prone to indiscriminate group wandering. It’s easy to love the good shepherd image, but counting ourselves among the sheep is rather less ideal. Unless there is more to being sheep-like than just blind wandering. 

In thinking about Ellen’s life, the life of a pretty wonderful and faithful sheep, if you will, it seems obvious that a person who is oriented toward the good shepherd affects the rest of the flock for the better. A sheep who follows after the good shepherd’s voice cannot help but have a positive impact on the sheep around her. Ellen demonstrated an orientation to Jesus throughout her life, the effects of which we can see clearly in her love for her family and friends, in her trailblazing career, and in her commitment to community. A good sheep like Ellen can help us orient our own lives for the better, and to follow where the good shepherd calls us. A good sheep can remind us of the one who will always come after us when we get lost, and who will ultimately lead us all safely home. And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention one more crucial thing that Ellen showed us. A good sheep can remind us to be kind to neighboring flocks, especially in pastures where intolerance grows as easily as the grass. 

When a good sheep shows us the gospel, we, in turn, can do that for others. When that happens, whole flocks get pointed in the right direction, trusting that the grace of God is for them. Other sheep will have the opportunity to hear some good news, including that the good shepherd has a particular love for sheep who get lost. Grace has a way of working through whole flocks, making their pastures ever more welcoming to those outside the fold. 

Ellen’s life had that kind of wonderful orienting affect on all who knew her. We give thanks to God for her life. We give thanks for the many ways she followed the good shepherd, pointing the rest of us in the right direction. May we orient ourselves generously as she did, toward grace and goodness, and follow where the good shepherd leads each one of us.