Funeral for Anthony Rorick

Pastor Ethan Kallberg

Funeral • Sermon • Submitted 4 months ago • Presented 4 months ago

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Notes

Transcript

Prelude Music

Peter Guihan

Opening Prayer

Pastor Ethan

Song: Amazing Grace

Pastor Ethan- Lead, Benjamin Miller - piano

Scripture Reading

Jesse Pelton

John 11:21–27 NASB95

21 Martha then said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 “Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to Him, “Yes, Lord; I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, even He who comes into the world.”

Candle Lighting

Darius Pelton

Obituary

Pastor Ethan

Anthony Rorick Obituary

Anthony Mark Rorick, 80, of Hyde Park passed away on December 8, 2023 surrounded by loved ones. Anthony was born on July 6, 1943 in Pasadena, California, the son of Max and Marjorie Rorick. He was raised in Winthrop, MA where he married the love of his life, Patricia O'Donnell, on September 15, 1965 and raised their two children Michelle and Michael. Anthony graduated from Winthrop High School and served his country in the United State Army in Okinawa during the Vietnam War where he worked on servicing generators. Anthony spent the majority of his career servicing the people of Winthrop through his employment at the Rapid Transit Bus Company. Pat and Tony moved to Vermont in 2002. He was dedicated husband, father, and grandfather. He cherished spending time with family and especially loved conversation and laughs around the dinner table. Anthony's passion was music and movies. He had an enviable collection of both and took great pleasure in sharing these with others. He also liked travelling to new places. He enjoyed camping, going on cruise ships with his wife as well as long distance bus tours. Another favorite activity was going on picnics with family, Crystal Lake was one of his favorite state parks. Anthony also had a great affinity for nature and the outdoors. He took great pleasure in bird watching and spending time outside. He was an active member of the local VFW and American Legion. Anthony is survived by his two children Michelle Pelton and her husband Rand of Elmore, VT and Michael Rorick and his wife Caterina of Framingham, MA. He is also survived by his four grandchildren Jesse, Darius and Peninnah of Elmore, VT and Kaden of Framingham, MA. He is predeceased by his wife Patricia and his brother Nathaniel Rorick. The family would like to extend their deepest gratitude to the staff at Copley Hospital as well as the wonderful Home Health Providers and Dr. Phil Kiely.

Tributes

Kaden

Peninnah

Rand

Michael

Michelle

Open for anyone

Message

Pastor Ethan

Tony was a man who adored his wife Pat. He talked about her all the time. I loved hearing how they met at that dance and he commented on her dress and then hearing how they fell in love. He had this way way of just telling people the stark truth about things with his Boston accent, and then somehow still endearing himself to you. I guess he was just genuine in his character.

I enjoyed it when Tony visited our church. He faithfully watched puppet programs, and talent nights, and special services that included his grandkids. I knew that he was mostly there for his family and not so much for his own spiritual pursuits, but he was listening and I believe he was more sensitive to spiritual matters than he would let anybody know. We shared some important times at the hospital and at his home that gave me a peek into his soul. Tony, like all of us, was human to the core and in need of answers to the basic questions of life. One of his was how to find forgiveness for past wrongs. I remember sitting at his kitchen table a couple of weeks before he passed, listening to him tell his story, his greatest joys and his deepest regrets. Looking for absolution from God for things he held on to for many years. It reminded me how important it is to be right with God right now.

Proverbs 28:13 NASB95

13 He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, But he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion.

I shared with Tony that God offers that compassion to us if we will be honest with ourselves and recognize that we have broken His law. His law is given to us in the Bible so that we can live with Him and with other human beings in the deepest, most meaningful way on this earth. But because we break his law, relationships on earth are left with hurt and regret. Most importantly, our relationship with God is also left with hurt regret. Can those relationships be restored with God and mankind? If so how? Who can restore them?

Man has tried and tried and tried to answer those questions for all of recorded history, but has failed miserably. But God has answered those questions through the person of Jesus Christ.

You see, when we hurt each other, some sort of payment needs to be made that is at least equal to the hurt that we have recieved in order for forgiveness to be realized. If you had a $1200 cell phone and a friend that you really cared about, steals that cell phone and breaks it, would be angry with them? If they felt badly about it and wanted to restore your relationship, you would probably demand that they at least replace your cell phone with the one they stole or an equal or better model for you to forgive them.

Well, we too have hurt God, how? We have stolen from Him. God doesn’t have a cell phone, but each of us has stolen from Him something far more valuable. We stole the respect and the honor that is due to the God who created this world and given life to everyone in it. Becuase He is the giver of life, even when we hurt other people whom He has made in His image, we hurt Him too. What can we do then? If forgiveness requires a payment that is equal to the hurt, and we have stolen from God the infinite, eternal honor that He is due, how can we ever repay Him?

We can’t. Just as your friend who stole your cell phone and dropped it out a window probably can’t afford $1200 to replace it. But, what if another friend came along and said to your friend, “I will pay the $1200 plus anything extra you will need to pay it back so we can all be friends,” how would you feel about your two friends? would your hurt be satisfied? Could you say to the thief, “Ok, everything is restored, I will not hold that theft against you anymore. I will tell the police not to prosecute you. we can be friends again.”

In a similar way, God forgives us. We stole from Him and we can’t repay it. But, Jesus came along and He gave up His life on a cross. Because Jesus is also God, He can pay the price that we could not. The price Jesus paid makes it possible for God to say to us, “Ok, everything is restored, I will not hold that theft against you anymore. You will not be punished for breaking My law. Because of what Jesus did, we can be friends again.”

Romans 5:8–10 NASB95

8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

When I explained these truths to Tony. He had one particular sin in mind that he needed God to forgive. I never thought I would hear Tony pray a prayer of forgiveness, but he did! After that I only saw him a couple more times, but he seemed softer, lighter, relieved.

My prayer is that you will all seek God’s forgiveness not just for one sin, but for all sins and experience the relief that comes with a restored relationship with God.

Song: It Is Well

Pastor Ethan- Lead, Benjamin Miller - piano

Closing Prayer

Rand?

Postlude Music until 3pm

Peter Guihan

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