Martin Eduard Voelker was born of the flesh on the 1st of March in the Year of Our Lord 1917 to Friedrich Johann and Anna Zollmann Voelker.
He was born again of water and the Spirit on the 25th of March, 1917, at Saint John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church of Lanesville, Indiana, at the hand of the sainted Reverend Carl Schleicher.
Martin was catechized in the Christian faith as taught by the Evangelical Lutheran Church, and confirmed in that faith on Palm Sunday, the 13th of April 1930, and first received the Holy Body and Precious Blood of Jesus in the Sacrament of the Altar later that week, again at Saint John’s, at the hand of the sainted Reverend George Baumgart.
On the 18th of April, 1948, Martin was united in Holy Wedlock with LaVerne Day. To this union were born five children: Donna Christine, Ronald Edward, Raymond Martin, Marvin Albert, and Susan Ruth.
The Risen Lord Jesus welcomed Raymond Martin to his heavenly home at the tender age of two weeks.
On the 8th of September, 1979, LaVerne fell asleep in Jesus.
On the 20th of May, 1985, Martin was again united in Holy Marriage, this time to Alda Fay Stilger. She also preceded him in death.
On the Vigil of the Resurrection of Our Lord, the 11th of April, in the Year of Our Lord 2009, Martin fell asleep in Jesus, and now awaits the resurrection of all flesh.
John 20:1-18
Wednesday after the Resurrection of Our Lord
15 April 2009
Funeral of Martin E. Voelker
St. John’s, Lanesville, IN
In Namen des Vaters und des Sohns und des Heilige Geistes. Amen.
Now Martin’s Wanderlust has taken the ultimate step: his travelling has just passed over to the next world. Our friend, our father, our Uncle Martin now has the amazing joy of exploring the heavenly realms in the joy and peace of our Risen Savior.
We all love to wander. Our fallen nature wants to follow after our mother Eve and wander from the holy and righteous will of God. The wide and easy road of sin and death are always beckoning us. Left to ourselves, we are completely lost, wandering rebelliously, and rejecting our Lord.
Martin was born with that kind of a wandering spirit, just as we were. But at just over 3 weeks of age, Herr und Frau Voelker brought their son to this Holy Font, where he was cleansed of all rebellion. Here he was rid of the false wandering, and the holy desire to be led in paths of righteousness began.
Pastor Schleicher began Martin’s journey with that Baptism and the early catechesis. Pastor Baumgart was the next servant of the Lord to continue the preaching and teaching that led Martin in travels following the Good Shepherd. Jeder Sonntag der Familie Voelker ihren Kinder nach Gottesdiesnt gebracht. Every Sunday the Voelker family brought their children to the Divine Service. There, they were forgiven and nourished by our dear Lord. There, they responded in musical thanks and praise.
Every journey needs some music – a soundtrack, if you will. Martin was ready and willing to jump in and provide the travelling music. If it had strings, he could play it. Whether joining in a group, such as his “Polecat Holler” friends, or simply playing the fiddle for family, Martin loved music.
An earlier Martin, that is, Dr. Luther, said that next to God’s Word, music was his greatest gift. The joy that was shared through our Martin’s playing bore witness to that gift.
His love of music was especially fond of Easter music. Some fine hymnody and sentimental songs accompany the Easter season. It was known in the family that he would enjoy going to his heavenly home around Easter time, as this provided some wonderful music. Indeed, today we are amazingly blessed in that.
The Body and Blood of Jesus make Him present as He forgives, and gives life and salvation. We no longer need travel to some tomb to find him, He travels to us, coming through the simple gifts of water, Word, Body and Blood. And in Jesus’ travelling to us, we have a blessed reunion with Martin, as well. So this morning, Martin would encourage you to keep travelling to Christ’s pulpit and altar, that you may receive these gifts, and in addition, have a brief communion with him.
This morning, Martin is enjoying a holy and righteous Wanderlust, travelling around the heavenly realms, with no worries about breaking down and riding with strangers like on a trip to California, or coming to a literal end of the road, as in Alaska. Instead, he can joyfully go about, relishing those words he so recently heard: “Well done, thou good and faithful servant; enter into the eternal pleasure of My Father.”
may then go to the deep end as well.
Triduum. What in the world is that?! Triduum is an ancient Latin word that the Church uses even today. It means, “three days,” and refers to the holy days of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday.
So what’s the big deal? Why talk about them together. Each day has its own focus to remember and observe, right? Well, yes, but at the same time, it is wrapped up in the one event of Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection!
On Holy Thursday (also known as Maundy Thursday), we hear of Jesus’ Last Supper with the apostles. He gathers them in the Upper Room and institutes the Sacrament of the Altar. After this monumental event, He endures the agony in the Garden of Gethsemane.
On Good Friday, we hear of Jesus before Pilate, and the crucifixion itself. The Suffering Servant gives Himself as the Lamb of God, taking away the sin of the world. And after a few excruciating hours, the Sacred Head now wounded is laid in a tomb.
At the end of Holy Saturday, after the rest in the tomb, the Lord of Life bursts from the sepulcher! Death cannot hold Him; it has been crushed and defeated. So as we enter the darkness of Saturday night, we have the paradox of celebrating the Light of the World, risen on Sunday! This becomes the first celebration of the Resurrection for parishes all over the earth!
But aren’t these things each separate events? Yes and no. Our minds are shaped by Western civilization – many of us with German backgrounds at that – so our thinking has been shaped by specific categories and order. Sometimes we even divide and categorize when we don’t need to.
The name Triduum reminds us that even when we have these separate events in Jesus saving work for us, they all come together in His amazing salvation! There can be no crucifixion without a resurrection. Nor can there be a resurrection without a crucifixion! There can be no Body and Blood of Christ in the Lord’s Supper without the Lamb of God sacrificed to take away the sins of the world. Yet the offering of His Body and Blood is the purpose of the cross all along!
It all works together. Even liturgically. On Thursday and Friday, there is no blessing at the conclusion of the services. On Friday and Saturday, there is no invocation at the beginning, since the beginning was in Thursday’s Divine Service. That is because the Church sees this as one service, recessing briefly for the night, and gathering again to continue.
The Church desires that all her children would come together and receive Christ’s Word and Sacraments at all of these times, experiencing them as one big event. That’s how the apostles saw it. That’s how Jesus experienced it. Dear baptized friends, join us as we gather for the great Three Days, celebrating and thanking God for the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ!
