A Tribute to My Father, Daniel Wilbur Bogs

This tribute is written for the twentieth anniversary of the passing of my father from the valley of the shadow of death to his birth into his joyous home in heaven, July 27, 2000.

Most of you that know me know that I am neither sentimental nor nostalgic nor am I much of an emotional sort of person, yet at the twentieth anniversary of my father’s passing I wanted to take the time to reminisce and perhaps wax poetic, as I thought of the memories of my sainted father.

DISCLAIMER: Please understand that as is the case of many a loved one that has passed away they are often esteemed to be perfect after their passing as they are pointed to with overly holy expectations of the survivors, i.e., “Well, dad would have wanted it this way or that way,” usually spoken as a way of manipulating others, yet not always nor necessarily what the deceased may have wanted, just our placing our overly holy expectations on them as if it were what they truly desired. I have no qualms understanding that my sainted father was a sinful human being who had his flaws like everyone else. And as I believe he is in heaven which is a place of eternal joy, so I believe that he has no knowledge of nor can he see what is going on in this world. If he could see what was happening in this world, if he had any knowledge of the pain and suffering going on in this world he would not be in heaven. Indeed, I believe that at this point he has no care nor concern for this world.

Those of you that know my father (and I will often use the present tense as my father is alive and well in his heavenly home) know that he is a man who never knew a stranger. My dad would pick up a conversation with anyone, anytime, anywhere. At times this trait has been embarrassing as I would come upon my father having a conversation with someone and hear him “bragging” about his children, as if this perfect stranger wanted to hear about his family. Indeed, he always has said good things about his children and grandchildren. As a child my oldest son had his pawpaw’s trait as he would talk to anyone, perfect strangers, even inviting them to our house. My daughter has had this trait, but unfortunately because of her deep care for others this trait has often brought her emotional hurt and pain. I have tried to emulate my father’s example in picking up and carrying on conversations with others as well, unfortunately my ability and perhaps my personality, as well as my guarded personality as a clergyman, does not always translate into my father’s ability. Wherever my travels and calls as a church worker carried me my parents would often visit and inevitably my father would bend the ear of those who would listen. It simply came naturally to him.
 

Because of his work as an insurance salesman and having a selling territory from Houston to Waller; because of his growing up in the Hufsmith, Tomball area; because of his father’s sawmill business; because of his involvement in his church; my father knows many people and many people know my father. He can easily rattle off a person’s name and kinfolks. If you have taken the time to read this you probably know my dad and can share any number of stories about him, perhaps remembering those who would call him Daniel Boone.
 

As a child, before the world of today with all the video games and technological distractions, the only thing a young boy could do for entertainment was to get under dads feet. Thus, I grew up watching dad fix the cars, change the oil, replace some brake pads, master cylinder, fix the lawn mower, plant and tend a garden, raise pigs, cows and at times chickens, build a house, lay concrete, put up studs, put up rafters, put up drywall as well as tape and float the drywall, put up decking and shingles, do plumbing and electrical work and the like. Growing up in the country usually meant learning to do things yourself and that is what we did, that is how I learned much from my father and am able to do many things myself.
 

My father entered glory on my older brother’s birthday in 2000. At that time my wife and I only had the one child who was five at the time. As I think back on these past twenty years the one thing that I struggle with the most (and please understand this is not something that I regret, or something about which I am jealous, nor lament, nor am I disappointed as those words do not express what I want to say) is that three of my children never met their pawpaw. Even my oldest, having only been five, does not remember that much about him. Dad would call him his “little man” as he was the first and at that time the only grandson. Since then we have given my dad two more grandsons and a granddaughter along with the four other granddaughters he already has. The only way my children know their pawpaw is from the stories that I (as well as my brother, sister and cousins) relate to them as well as the “dad jokes” that he speaks through me. And as I struggle with this missing part, please understand I would never desire that my father would have to come back to this earth, this valley of the shadow of death. Indeed, the second most selfish thing one can do is to wish their loved one out of heaven for their own sake. My father is in heaven enjoying perfect peace and happiness and I would never desire that to be taken from him, especially not for some selfish reason of my own. (If you are wondering, the most selfish thing a person can do, in my opinion, is to take their own life which is not theirs to take and is taking themselves from their loved ones.)
 

So, as we celebrate my father’s twentieth birthday in heaven I give thanks for the years that he was present in my life and the things he taught me, sometimes with a ruler on the bottom. No, he was not a perfect man, husband or father, but he was a man of God who lived his faith and sought to instill that faith into his children. Yes, there are times that I wonder, “What would dad do?” When working on my car or one of the vehicles of my children, I remember the days of watching dad work on the car, holding the flashlight, getting a wrench, pumping the brake and so on. When we added a room to our house, when we dug a new drain line, I would wonder, “Wouldn’t it be nice to have dad here to help and give advice.” When I make trips to the Texas Confessional Lutheran’s conference in Brenham and there see one of his old friends, Don Kaiser, I think, “Dad would love to go along.” When I work to dig a plot and plant some seeds and wonder, “Why doesn’t my garden grow like dads,” I miss the advice he could give.
 

Twenty years ago my father passed from this world. Twenty years may seem like a long time, but in the long run, in the perspective of the whole picture, of eternity, it is just a blip on the screen. My wife will confirm that when I face struggles in this world I have a tendency to put this world into the eternal perspective that is that this world is nothing compared to eternity. Perhaps what drives me, and my children once asked, what is my greatest fear? I said, “That you, and anyone I love, might not be in heaven.” I am reminded that heaven is a place of perfect peace and happiness and since that is the case, we may not remember much of what is or has been happening in this world, after all, this is a sin-filled world of the valley of the shadow of death. As was my father’s concern for my spiritual well being so should all of us be concerned for the spiritual well being of those we love. After all, why bother having a relationship in this world with someone who may not be in heaven. Certainly God will wipe away every tear, yet to go through this world thinking there may be someone we care about who will live forever in hell is pain enough. Our greatest need is forgiveness of sins and we have that freely given to us. Our greatest desire then, is to make sure our loved one’s understand the temporariness of this world and have their lives and faith where it should be so that we may all rejoice when our last hour arrives and we enter God’s kingdom where we will see our loved one’s again and forever. I have always said, the reason older people desire to pass on from this world is the fact that most of their friends are no longer in this world but are in heaven. As we age, time seems to go by much faster reminding us of the shortness of our time in this world and our need to always be ready.
 

Personally, I do look forward to seeing my father again. At this time the closest I can get is when I am at the Lord’s Table partaking of His body and blood because there at that table are all the saints including those whom I love who have passed on before me. No, I cannot see them and they cannot see me, but they are their as Jesus is there. Thus, I desire to be in the Lord’s house and at His Table as often as I can.
 

So, although this tribute may have simply been an exercise in some rambling thoughts, it is a joy to know that my father is alive and well, that he is at peace and knows only complete joy and happiness and that someday soon, sooner than I know and sooner than I might imagine, I will see him again. I do so look forward to that day and I say as John says in his Revelation, “Come Lord Jesus.”

Listening and Hearing - July 12, 2020 - Sixth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 10) - Text: Matthew 13:1-9 (18-23)

That same day, the day in which Jesus told the crowds that His mother and brothers were “whoever does the will of [His] Father in heaven,” that same day, Jesus went out of the house where He had been preaching and teaching and he went out and sat by the lake. As he sat by the lake the crowds gathered again. And so it was with Jesus. All during His life, wherever He went crowds gathered in order to see Him, to hear Him, to be touched by Him. And Jesus tells them a parable. Jesus spoke many times in parables. A parable we are taught is an “earthly story with a heavenly meaning.” Using parables, Jesus is able to connect to us using ordinary, every day things of which we might easily relate. But, not only does Jesus tell the parable, but, because of our ineptness and the ineptness of His disciples, He also explains the parable to make sure we understand.
 

Jesus, sitting in the boat spoke to the people. He said that “a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them” (v. 3b-4). These seeds are the Word of God. This soil is the people who hear the Word of God and ignore it. Day in and day out we come into contact with God and His good gifts and blessings. The world itself, our conscience, and the Word of God all tell us that there is a God. However, too many people simply want to ignore this fact, because the God of Holy Scripture is not the god they want to worship.
 

Others, on whom the seed of the Word of God is scattered, are those who join cults, sects and other religions. These people are those who hear the Word of God and then change it to be whatever they want it to be. These people are those who hear the message about the kingdom and do not understand it because the evil one snatches it away from them. I have said it before, “if you do not like what God’s Word says, rewrite it,” but of course, then it is not His Word. Those people who fall into this category of having the seed scattered and having the birds come and eat it up are the people who refuse and reject the Word of God as it is.
 

And yet, the farmer continues on in scattering the seed. “Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away” (v. 5,6). This soil is the people who hear the Word of God, perhaps they “make a decision for Jesus” and the rally ends. These people are the ones who have an emotional experience with the Word of God, but when they go back out into what we call the “real world,” they go back out into the world, and the same old sin and temptations are there, and when the frustrations of the world are still there, they wonder where is this “cure-all” God they thought they had found and so they just as easily give Him up.
 

There are those people who believe they can worship God in nature or worship God through some “moving” experience. They think they can worship God apart from others, watching the evangelist on TV and so forth. Their “faith” is a shallow faith, or faith with no roots. Perhaps these people are the ones who believe that there is something they can do to save themselves or that there is something they must do in order to be saved, they look to their obedience or lack thereof and because they are unable to fulfill whatever it is that they think they need to do they get discouraged and fall away. These people are the ones who hear the Word of God and make a shallow or an emotional decision and yet just as easily are moved to refuse and reject the Word.
 

And still, the farmer continues to scatter the seed. “Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them” (v. 7). This soil is the poeple who not only make a decision for Jesus, but also make a commitment for Jesus, they dedicate their lives to Him. On their own they commit their lives to Jesus, they make a promise to keep Him first, and then they go back out into the world, the cold, cruel world and the pain and struggles of this world are too much. It has been suggested by some that if you are not suffering from temptation in your life, then you need to be concerned. You see, the devil does not waste his time or energy on those he already has, but on those he does not yet have. So, when a person has come to faith, has been brought to faith by the power of the Holy Spirit through the means of Grace, the devil will work even harder in their lives to turn them back away from Christ and His Church. And the devil knows when and where to attack. He attacks at our weakest points. He attacks with thorns, weeds and vines that try to choke our faith in Jesus. He attacks with the trials and tribulations of this world. Here again, these people are the ones who believe that they must live a certain way, they must be obedient to certain rules and regulations in order to be worthy of this commitment they have made to God, so that when they are unable, when they fall, they “feel” even more unworthy and fall, perhaps even further  away.
 

Yes, there are those people who hear the Word of God and try to go it on their own. They believe they are strong enough on their own, they believe they can live up to their own standards, standards, rules and regulations which they have set for themselves, not living and resting assured on the promises of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Here the devil is stronger and can turn them from faith. The devil tempts them so that they are unable to live the way they expect themselves to live. These people are the ones who hear the Word of God, make a self commitment and allow the cares and concerns of this world to turn their faith into no faith.
 

Still not discouraged in his scattering seed, the faithful farmer continues. “Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty” (v. 8). By the power of the Holy Spirit, working through the means of Grace, the Word and the Sacraments, there are those people who hear the Word of God and receive it with great joy. There are those people who are given faith, who are strengthened in their faith, who are given forgiveness, life and salvation. There are those people who are gladly given to and rejoice and give thanks for the Lord’s good gifts and blessings.
 

The farmer understands the importance of sowing the seed, watering the seed and reaping the harvest. Paul talked about the fact that one may sow, another may water and a third may reap the harvest. In other words, one person may hear the Word of God several times before being brought to faith. That same person may need that faith watered many times over. And finally, there is the reaping of faith, there is the faith which blooms and blossoms and bears fruit as that person shares their faith with others.
 

There are those people who are given to and recognize God as the gift giver and give Him thanks. Not only that, these people are the ones who also respond with the help of the Holy Spirit, living their lives in such a way that they witness the faith that God has given to them. The ultimate faith of the Christian is that which Paul expresses in his letter to the Romans, that is that we “consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” In other words, that we rejoice and give thanks to God that we are able to suffer for Him and for His name sake. Certainly this is against our nature. Our nature is to gripe and complain about any and everything in life. Our nature is to be the one who right off rejects God’s good gifts and blessings. Our nature is to “make a decision for Jesus” until things get too rough and our faith is put to the test. Our nature is to think we can do it on our own. The ultimate faith of the Christian is to rejoice and give thanks for the hardships, for the persecution, for the bad as well as the good understanding the temporariness of this life and this world and looking to the world to come, even eternal life in heaven.
 

The ultimate sowing of the seed is this fact that it produces a crop. Certainly we could break out the old cliche’, “give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” The fact is, as the Lord gives us faith, His desire is that we respond by bearing fruits of that faith. His desire is that we respond by sharing that faith, His Word with others. In our Old Testament Lesson for today, we have the promise of the efficacy of God’s Word, that is that God’s promise is that it will not return empty or void, but will do what He intended it to do, that is, give faith, give forgiveness, give life and salvation.
 

Again, Paul reminds us that the whole world has been infected and affected by Adam and Eve’s sin. The whole world is waiting patiently for God’s recreation. By faith in Jesus, we wait as well, but while we wait, we do not simply sit idly by, we go out and do the work which He has for us to do, the work of continuing to scatter the seed of the Word of God through which others might come to know Jesus as well.
 

Our text for today is a gentle word of encouragement for us here at St. Matthew. We might ask, what type of soil are we? Where are we in our own spiritual life? And we understand that we are all at different places in our own spiritual life. God continues to work in each one of us as we make regular and diligent use of His means of Grace. God continues to sow the seeds of His Word in our hearts and lives. God continues to water those seeds in order that we might grow up and mature in our faith in order that we might bear fruit, that we might do the good works which He has for us to do, good works which are a response to the greatest gifts which He gives to us, especially the gift of the life of His Son, Jesus for us, for our forgiveness and eternal salvation. Yes, our Lord knows us, He knows that the devil is still out there tempting us. He knows that we will backslide and that is why He is always there waiting for us, ready to forgive us, ready to give us a second chance. Thus we are encouraged with the words we often hear, “may the Lord who began this good work in you bring it to completion in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” My pray continues to be that Jesus will continue to strengthen and keep you in faith until He comes again to take us from this world to be with Himself in heaven where we will stand before the Lord’s throne with all the saints who have gone on before us and say, to God be the glory, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.