• “A broken heart is a reminder of our only source of power.” – Elisabeth Elliot

Memorial Services for Mrs. L. M. Judd

A  Report  of   the Memorial  Services for  Mrs.  L.  M.  Judd of  Zion,  Illinois Conduc t ed  by Hans   R.  Waldvoge l  ON May  31,  1959,  Mr s .   L.  M. Judd  of   Zion,  I l l inoi s ,   answe r ed  the   c a l l   of   he r   Ma s t e r  to highe r  s e rvi c e .   The  l a s t  sur -vivor  of  the  s enior  group of  mini s t e r s   a s soc i a t ed  wi th  Ma r tha  Wing  Robinson*  in  the   mini s -t ry  of  the   Fa i th Home s   of  tha t  c i ty,   he r   de a th  ma rks   the   c los e  of  an e r a .  Known to a lmos t  a l l  the  r e ade r s  of  BREAD OF LIFE)  e i the r  pe r -sona l ly or  by he r  a r t i c l e s   ( some  of   whi ch  appe a r ed  unde r   the  pen-name   of   “Aunt   Ma rg. i e ” ) ,  the  de t a i l s  of  he r  fune r a l  wIll  be  of   spe c i a l   int e r e s t   to  many  in thi s   and  othe r   l ands .   At   Mr s .  Judd’ s  expr e s s  r eque s t  thi s  s e rvice  wa s   in  cha rge   of   Pa s tor  Hans  R.  Wa ldvoge l .  A  congr ega t ion of  about  thr e e  hundr ed,   many  of   them  f rom  a gr e a t   di s t anc e ,   ga the r ed to  pay the i r   l a s t   r e spe c t s   to  thi s   ve t -e r an mini s t e r ,   June  3.  Inc luded among the  many mini s t e r s  pr e s -ent  we r e  the  fol lowing who pa r -t i c ipa t ed in the  s e rvi c e :  Rudolph Ka l i s  of  New J e r s ey gave  the  invoc a t ion;   Cha r l e s   N.  Andr ews  of   Vi rgini a   r e ad  the   Sc r iptur e ; Jos eph  Wannenma che r   of   Milwauke e   pl ayed  a  violin  solo, “The  Holy Ci ty” ;   Mr.  and  Mrs. Paul   Mitchell  of  Kenosha ,   Wi s -consin,  s ang  in  the   qua r t e t ,  “Ten Thous and Time s  Ten Thous and” ;   Ruth Brooks   of  Zion  a c -compani ed for  the  va r ious  mus i -cal  numbe r s   a s   well  a s   for   the  congr ega t iona l   s inging;   Anton Da rms ,   the   s enior   mini s t e r   of  Zion  (now  in  hi s   nine ty- f i r s t  ye a r  and s t i l l  ve ry a c t ive ) ,  gave  a  br i e f   but   be aut i ful   t r ibut e   to hi s   f r i end  of  a lmos t  s ixty ye a r s  be for e  pronounc ing the  benedict ion;   and Roy M.  Gr ay  of   Ar i -zona pr ayed a t  the  c eme t e ry.  The  pr e s enc e  of  so many mini s t e r s ,   too  nume rous  to ment ion all  of   them  by  name ,   and  the  manne r   in  whi ch  the   s e rvi c e  wa s   conduc t ed  gave   i t  mor e   of  the   a tmosphe r e   of  a  convent ion than  of   a  fune r a l ,   a c cording  to the  opinion of  many.   As  Chr i s t  wa s   worshipped,  He   Hims e l f  dr ew  ne a r ,   mani f e s t ing  Hims e l f  a c cording  to  Hi s   specific  promise  a s   given  in  a  me s s age   in tongue s   and  int e rpr e t a t ion:  ” I f  you will  agr e e  to  be   looking  up ins t e ad  of  looking  down, I  will  l e t   a  s t r e am  of   l i f e   be  flowing  through  thi s   me e t ing tha t  eve ryone   in the   pl a c e   sha l l  pa r t ake  of.  Thi s  i s  My word. ”  The  ent i r e  congr ega t ion joined in  s inging  one  of   Mrs.  Judd’ s  f avor i t e   hymns ,   “May  J e sus  Chr i s t   Be   Pr a i s ed, ”   a t   the   beginning of  the  s e rvi c e  and “Bl e s t  Be  the   Ti e ”   a t  the   close.  In addi t ion  they  uni t ed  in  pr a i s e ,  wor ship,   and  songs   whi ch  we r e  int e r spe r s ed  throughout   the  me e t ing.   Thus   indeed  i t  wa s   a t ime   of  life-giving  bl e s s ing  and edification. In  hi s   r ema rks   Gordon  P.  Ga rdine r ,   edi tor   of   BREAD  OF LIFE, told how Mrs. Judd s e emed to di s r ega rd the  inc ident s  of  he r  na tur a l   life,  for   she   r ega rded he r  spi r i tua l  l i f e   a s  wha t  r e a l ly ma t t e r ed,   e spe c i a l ly  the   pr ivi -lege  tha t  wa s   he r s  to  be   one  of  ” tha t   r e a l ly  br i l l i ant   cons t e l l a -t ion  of   mini s t e r s ”  -Elde r   and 4 Mrs.  Eugene   Brooks ,   Mr.  and Mrs.  George   A.  Mitchell,  Mr s .  Eva   Legge t t ,   and  Mrs.  Ma r tha  Wing Rob:nson.  “For   a l l   of   us   who  a r e   s t i l l  in  thi s   woe ful   e a r th,   we  ought  to  t ake   inventory  today, ”   dec l a r ed  Pa s tor   Hans   Wa ldvoge l  in  hi s   ma s t e r ful  t r ibut e  to Mrs. Judd  and  cha l l enging  s e rmon.  “We  all  ought  to  r a i s e  our  Ebe -nezer.  We   ought  to  smi t e  upon our  bosoms  and we  ought  to a sk our s e lve s   a  ve ry  pe r t inent   and holy  que s t ion:   ‘Wha t   have   we  done   wi th  the   bl e s s ing  tha t  we  have  rece:’ved through Mrs. Judd and  through  all  thi s   cons t e l l a -t ion  of   s a int s   tha t   we r e   ment ioned ?’ “When  God  s ent   Hi s   gr e a t  vessel,  Mrs.  Robinson,   to  thi s  c i ty,   He   s ent   he r   wi th  a  ma r -ve lous  me s s age ,  and a round he r ,  God  appoint ed  l e s s e r   l ight s .  And,  a s   we   he a rd  awhi l e   ago, they  formed  a  ma rve lous   cons t e l l a t ion in the  sky of  thi s  l a s t  gene r a t ion  tha t   i s   doomed  for  de s t ruc t ion  exc ept   they  r epent .  They  a l l   s ent   for th  tha t   s ame  ma rve lous   l ight .   Many  didn’ t  follow tha t  l ight ,   but  thos e  who followed  have   found  the   Sun  of  r ight eousne s s .   Tha t ‘ s   my  joy today.  “Beloved,  when  God  brought  me into thi s  c i ty and into touch wi th Mrs.  Judd and Mrs.  Robinson  and  Elde r  Brooks   and Mrs. Brooks  and a l l  thi s  cons t e l l a t ion,  I  wa s   in  da rkne s s ,   I  wa s   flounde r ing.   God  wa s   beginning  to call me  into the  mini s t ry.  I t  wa s  an uncha r t ed cour s e  for  me. God wa s   c a l l ing  me   into  a  wa r f a r e  wi th enemi e s  tha t  we r e  not  c a r -nal,  but   pr inc ipa l i t i e s   and  powe r s   in  he avenly  places.  I  soon di s cove r ed  some thing.   I  found out   tha t   he r e   wa s   the  Word  of  the   l iving  God  in  e a r then  vessels,  spoken  ove r  l ips   of  clay. ” I   am  so  gl ad  to  know  tha t  God does spe ak ove r  l ips  of  men. He   ha s   neve r  told me   anything tha t ‘ s   not   in  the   Bible.  But  when  God  spe aks   through  the  powe r   of   the   Holy  Ghos t ,   He  Bread of  Life, July,  1959 conf i rms   the   Bible.  He   make s  i t  live  in  your   soul.  He   make s  i t  to  be come  mor e   personal. We  a l l   have   s tudi ed  the   Bible.  The  r i ch man had s tudi ed Moses,  but  i t   neve r   oc cur r ed  to  him  tha t  he  ought  to obey the  commands  of  Moses,  whi ch,   i f  a  man obey, he  sha l l  l ive   in them.  “And i t  wa s  a  ve ry int e r e s t ing expe r i enc e  for  me  to make  when I  f i r s t   got   in  touch  wi th  Mr s .  Judd.   Somehow God us ed Mrs. Judd pa r t i cul a r ly to me,  pe r sona l ly.   One t ime  I  wa s  in a  home  and  Mrs.  Judd  wa s   the r e .   We  we r e   a l l   s e a t ed  a round  a  t abl e  and  pr e s ent ly  God  began  to spe ak.   When  I  he a rd  people ge t t ing  wonde r ful   me s s age s ,   I s a id,   ” I  wonde r  i f  thi s   i s   r e a l . ”  ( I   had  s e en  so  much  f a l s e .   I had s e en f ana t i c i sm.   I  had me t  prophe t s   who  proc l a imed  thems e lve s   to  be   prophe t s . )   ‘God,  I am  going  to  put   out  my  fleece. The  Bibl e  s ays ,  “Whom the  Lord love th He  chasteneth.” , “Eve rybody  got   a  wonde r ful  me s s age ,   but   do  you  know,  I wa s   the   l a s t   one  to  ge t   spoken to by the  Lord,   and God thr e a t -ened  me   wi th  de a th  i f   I  didn’ t  ge t   down?   St r ange ,   I  wa s   the  only  one.  But   thank  God  for  Mr s .   Judd.   She   wa s   f a i thful ly de l ive r ing  to  me,  not   he r   own words ,   but  the  words  of  the  living God.  I t  made   me  so  happy and  i t   made   me   so  s ad  a t   one  t ime – s ad,   be c aus e   God  had  to cha s t en  me  l ike   tha t ,   and  happy,   be c aus e   now  I  knew  i t  wa s  God tha t  spoke  f rom  high he aven. “Af t e r  tha t ,   i t  wa s  my  pr ivi -l ege  to pr ay wi th the s e   vessels, pa r t i cul a r ly wi th Mrs.  Judd,   e s -pe c i a l ly  a f t e r  God  had  s ent  me  to Brooklyn.   God  us ed thi s  pr e -c ious   ve s s e l   aga in  and  aga in  to spe ak to me  words  of  fire. Would to  God  eve ry  theologi c a l   s emi -na ry  had  such t e a che r s !   Would to  God  eve ry  Bibl e   s chool   had such t e a che r s !  “The   Apos t l e   Paul   s a id,   ‘We  have   thi s   t r e a sur e   in  e a r then ve s s e l s ,   tha t   the   exc e l l ency  of  the   powe r   may  be  of   God,  and not   of   us . ‘   Some   peopl e   l ike   to c r i t i c i z e   the   e a r then  ve s s e l s .  They live c los e  to them and they s e e   the   f aul t s   and they c r i t i c i z e  the   inf i rmi t i e s   and  the   we akne s s e s   and the  l a ck  of  c apa c i ty.  Tha t   i s   wha t   happened  to  the  Apos t l e   Paul ,   and  a l l   tha t  we r e  in  As i a  we r e   turned  away  f rom him,   but  wr i t ing to the  The s s a -loni ans ,   he   s ays ,   ‘We   c e a s e   not  to give  thanks  for  you,   be c aus e ,  when you he a rd the  word of  God of  us ,   you  r e c e ived i t  not  a s  the  word  of   men,   but   a s   i t   i s   in t ruth,  the  word of  God. ‘  “Be loved,   we  ought   to  s t and he r e   today  and  s e a r ch  our  he a r t s  l ike  the   r i ch man in  hell. I f  you  had l i s t ened to  the  word of  God ins t e ad of  c r i t i c i z ing the  ve s s e l !   I f  you  had  r e cogni z ed the   day  of   your   vi s i t a t ion!   I t rus t  we   have .   I  t rus t  we   know tha t  the r e  i s  but  one  way .

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