Lloyd Thornblad Tribute
Lloyd Thornblad Tribute
His memory is blessed.
December 5, 1924 - December 29, 2016
One of my traditions is connecting age, in Lloyd's case 92 years old, to the book of Psalms, so Psalm 92. So many appropriate verses, but especially the end.
The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
They are planted in the house of the Lord; they flourish in the courts of our God.
They still bear fruit in old age; that are ever full of sap and green,
To declare that the Lord is upright; he is my rock, there is no unrighteousness in him.
-Psalm 92.12-15
Last night as we gathered around Lloyd, just before he died, he was no longer able to speak, and his breathing was very shallow, but it was clear he was hearing and believing. How precious are the ears! Faith does come by hearing. I told him again about the God we know in Christ Jesus who was born into this world, bringing God's kingdom to us, preceding us and making the way for us through death to resurrection. The forgiveness of sins and the "no condemnation" of the Gospel never gets old and never dies. I sang Simeon's song (Nunc Dimittis) over him, "Lord, now you let your servant go in peace. Your word has been fulfilled." Dean played the guitar and we sang our mutually favorite hymn, Carolina Sandell Berg's "Children of the Heavenly Father."
Neither life nor death shall ever
from the Lord, His children sever.
Unto them His grace He showeth,
and their sorrows all He knoweth.
Though He giveth or he taketh,
God His children ne'er forsaketh;
His the loving purpose solely
to preserve them pure and holy.
We prayed the Lord's Prayer, and spoke the benediction. I made the sign of the cross on his head and on his heart, just as it was at his baptism at the Swedish Church near Oakland, Nebraska over 9 decades before. Just over two hours later, he heard the voice of Jesus, "Well done, good and faithful servant!"
We give thanks for the life and witness of Lloyd Thornblad. I also gave thanks to Lloyd before he died last evening. I said, "Lloyd, thank you! Thank you for loving your wife, Nell, so faithfully for all these years. Thank you for fathering, grandfathering, and great-grandfathering so joyfully and so well. Thank you for your service to our country. Thank you for serving the church globally in Thailand and Latvia and many other places in mission and in leadership in the Charismatic Renewal. Thank you for investing generously in the Body of Christ. Thank you for serving as an elder at Trinity and for being such a support to the ministry of the Gospel at Trinity."
Now, we pray for Nell, Dean, and Duane, and the whole extended Thornblad family.
A Memorial Service is planned for this Tuesday, January 3rd at 11am at Trinity Lutheran Church in San Pedro. A reception will follow.
I found a few archive photos from Trinity.
Last night I read from Psalm 42. Lloyd has been an eager and committed member of the Swedish Church in Oakland, NE, Angelica in Los Angeles, and Trinity in San Pedro. I loved finding this picture of Lloyd and Nell walking in behind Kurt because Psalm 42.4 says, "These things I remember, as I pour out my soul: how I would go with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God with glad shouts and songs of praise, a multitude keeping festival." I told Lloyd, "You have been practicing for this your whole life. Week after week, going to the house of the Lord, and now in the ultimate sense--going to the house of the Lord."
His memory is blessed.
December 5, 1924 - December 29, 2016
 |
| Lloyd, Maundy Thursday Footwashing in 2011 |
One of my traditions is connecting age, in Lloyd's case 92 years old, to the book of Psalms, so Psalm 92. So many appropriate verses, but especially the end.
The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
They are planted in the house of the Lord; they flourish in the courts of our God.
They still bear fruit in old age; that are ever full of sap and green,
To declare that the Lord is upright; he is my rock, there is no unrighteousness in him.
-Psalm 92.12-15
Last night as we gathered around Lloyd, just before he died, he was no longer able to speak, and his breathing was very shallow, but it was clear he was hearing and believing. How precious are the ears! Faith does come by hearing. I told him again about the God we know in Christ Jesus who was born into this world, bringing God's kingdom to us, preceding us and making the way for us through death to resurrection. The forgiveness of sins and the "no condemnation" of the Gospel never gets old and never dies. I sang Simeon's song (Nunc Dimittis) over him, "Lord, now you let your servant go in peace. Your word has been fulfilled." Dean played the guitar and we sang our mutually favorite hymn, Carolina Sandell Berg's "Children of the Heavenly Father."
Neither life nor death shall ever
from the Lord, His children sever.
Unto them His grace He showeth,
and their sorrows all He knoweth.
Though He giveth or he taketh,
God His children ne'er forsaketh;
His the loving purpose solely
to preserve them pure and holy.
We prayed the Lord's Prayer, and spoke the benediction. I made the sign of the cross on his head and on his heart, just as it was at his baptism at the Swedish Church near Oakland, Nebraska over 9 decades before. Just over two hours later, he heard the voice of Jesus, "Well done, good and faithful servant!"
We give thanks for the life and witness of Lloyd Thornblad. I also gave thanks to Lloyd before he died last evening. I said, "Lloyd, thank you! Thank you for loving your wife, Nell, so faithfully for all these years. Thank you for fathering, grandfathering, and great-grandfathering so joyfully and so well. Thank you for your service to our country. Thank you for serving the church globally in Thailand and Latvia and many other places in mission and in leadership in the Charismatic Renewal. Thank you for investing generously in the Body of Christ. Thank you for serving as an elder at Trinity and for being such a support to the ministry of the Gospel at Trinity."
Now, we pray for Nell, Dean, and Duane, and the whole extended Thornblad family.
A Memorial Service is planned for this Tuesday, January 3rd at 11am at Trinity Lutheran Church in San Pedro. A reception will follow.
I found a few archive photos from Trinity.
Last night I read from Psalm 42. Lloyd has been an eager and committed member of the Swedish Church in Oakland, NE, Angelica in Los Angeles, and Trinity in San Pedro. I loved finding this picture of Lloyd and Nell walking in behind Kurt because Psalm 42.4 says, "These things I remember, as I pour out my soul: how I would go with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God with glad shouts and songs of praise, a multitude keeping festival." I told Lloyd, "You have been practicing for this your whole life. Week after week, going to the house of the Lord, and now in the ultimate sense--going to the house of the Lord."
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| Looking through Lloyd's WWII pictures a few years ago, revealed that Lloyd was the inventor of the "Selfie" |
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