We celebrated a life today ...

Rod Leonard

1944 ~ 2007

The obituary that ran on today's CBS2 website got the details right but didn't begin to scratch the surface of the man whose life we celebrated today at All Saints Church with a Memorial Eucharist and a packed church and many tears at the loss of this extraordinary man at the ripe young age of 63.

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I write alot on this blog about putting faith into action ... about the gospel agenda that calls us out to take the good news into the world ... to transform the human race into the human family ... to take back the planet an inch at a time.

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I'm humbled today to have had the privilege of celebrating the life of someone who didn't preach those things but lived them. And in celebration of his life I share the homily from his memorial this morning.

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“The spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord has anointed me and has sent me to bring good news to the humble, to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and release to those in prison.”

As a life-long Episcopalian I guarantee you that Rod heard this passage from Isaiah read in church many, many, MANY times. As an acolyte at St. Alban’s in Westwood or a Senior Warden at St. George’s La Canada or a parishioner here at All Saints Pasadena he couldn’t have escaped it if he tried, as it is one of the great proclamations of our spiritual heritage we read again and again to remind us not only who we are as God’s beloved but how we are to live in this world in response to that love.

And it is hard this morning to imagine a life better lived in response to that love than the too-short life of Rod Leonard.

I’m not sure if he ever sat in a pew and recognized himself in the words of the prophet Isaiah – written all those many centuries ago – but we recognize him in them today. We recognize the life of love and service and dedication he offered to family, friends and to the community at large. From the selfless giving of the college grad who worked at UniCamp serving kids in need to the young man who served as a Peace Corp Volunteer in Venezuela … throughout his distinguished legal career Rod brought good news to those who needed it and reached out to the broken-hearted.

And in retirement, according to Kathy, when he wasn’t sailing or hiking, golfing or fly fishing – grandparenting or enjoying his new practice of Yoga – a practice I was told he “embraced with more enthusiasm than is usually associated with Yoga” – or volunteering here in the All Saints office reception desk! -- Rod was working 10 – 12 hours a day writing appeals for clients now living in prison. In that work, Rod was truly anointed to proclaim liberty to the captives and release to those in prison.

The spirit of the Lord God was upon Rod all the days of his well-lived, hard-worked, energetically embraced life. And now, it is to that same God we turn today – those of who loved and knew and respected and admired and ENJOYED Rod Leonard – we turn for comfort in our grief at the loss of this gifted, joyful, compassionate friend, father, husband, colleague and mentor. And turn to the God who created us all in love and then called us to love one another – and today we give thanks for the witness and example of Rod Leonard who didn’t just hear those words in church each week – he lived them every day of his life.

The liturgy created in celebration of Rod’s life is also a celebration of the promise of that God who promises us not that we will never grieve – but promises that there is comfort for those who mourn. It is at its core an expression of our faith that nothing can separate us from the love of God – and the promise that our Lord Jesus himself has gone before us to prepare a place for us in that place where there is no death – neither sighing nor crying – but the fullness of joy with all your saints.

One of my favorite theologians is Joan Chittister – a Roman Catholic activist – and Sister Joan famously said, “We are all called to go through life reclaiming the planet an inch at a time until the Garden of Eden grows green again.”

Today, as we grieve the loss of our brother Rod, we rejoice in the MANY inches growing greener today because of his life and his love and this witness. As we share together today the stories of that life – the ways and places and times he touched and loved and encouraged us – may we also encourage each other to claim his legacy of service, of commitment to peace and justice, of bringing good news to those in need.

We, too, have been anointed – not only by the spirit of the Lord but by the example of Rod Leonard. As we celebrate his life today let us also commit ourselves to continue that celebration into the days and weeks and months ahead as we follow in his footsteps – reclaiming our own “inch at a time” – toward that day when the Garden of Eden will truly grow green again.

Amen