For as long as he knew him, Bill followed Jesus as best he knew how, and was absolutely devoted to his Christian faith. The proof of Ron’s sinfulness is right here in front of us as bold as death itself. Call your hearers to respond to the gospel. We will keep this page updated as new gatherings are developed. Gene is going home to our Father’s house where he will stay in joy and love. America's Template & Memorial Superstore. I’m not even mentioning his three successful careers, the church he helped start that now has thousands of people in it, or the many boards he served on, including mine. This homily was delivered on Jan. 5, 2019, during the Mass of Christian Burial for Mary K. Hanneman. This is foreshadowing what Jesus himself is about to go through himself, and is a clear picture of the hope that Jesus holds out for all of us who will die, and we all will, and for those of us who have lost ones, like we’ve lost Bill. Then near the end he had a profound Christmas week with family, and was able to participate actually and enjoy it, sharing the same blessings as we opened our gifts and sang our carols together. We are also saying a temporary goodbye. And it’s a treasure, isn’t it? by Pastor Jim … Gene called you his guiding star when he gave a speech on your 50th wedding anniversary. Bill raised children who were as committed to him as he was to them. To do so appropriately and effectively, you must prepare … They are the thread that runs through everything I will say to you. With his unfailing energy and his strong presence, we must think that he will never leave us anytime soon. It is his legacy. We all love Gene dearly but remember that the way we love Gene is not as much as God’s love for him. I’ve learned so much about being a responsible man from Bill, I hope I can serve others half as well as as he did. You said it was Gene’s encouragement that made you decide in opening your store. If that weren’t so, would I have told you that I’m on my way to get a room ready for you? John 11.33 reads that Jesus was “deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled.”    Here’s the image in those words. With his Christian attitude and personality, Gene was able to connect the labor force and the management team, so they can act as one. The longer you knew him, the more you realized how remarkable of a man he was, how remarkable a servant, how devoted to his family, how loyal to his friends, how faithful to God, and how available he was to literally anyone who needed help. The funeral sermon can be any style, i.e., it may be topical, textual or expository. Funeral Sermon for Terry Hinze (55 year old man, husband of Pam and dad of two sons) Looking to the Things That Are Unseen II Corinthians 4:16-18 – So we do not lose heart. He created unforgettable experiences with each grandchild, and wrote each of them a long letter which will bless them for their whole lives. He restores my soul. So when Jesus confronted death, he hated it. Trent and Tara both moved mountains to be with him as much as they could to be with him these last six months, and both held his hands as he passed. Jesus is the God who knows how to weep, and he knows what it’s like to be viscerally angry at things that just aren’t right. THE FUNERAL FOR A GOOD MAN - Read Acts 11:19-24 Barnabas was evidently dead when Luke wrote this verse, for the disciple used the past tense in describing him. These funeral sermons can help you as you prepare for the times when you will be called upon to share the Good News of Christ at a funeral where loss and heartache are present. Summing up my father's life, I keep coming back to one thought. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. As George Bernard Shaw remarked, “The statistics on death have not changed. ... Tents are good for a purpose and helpful for a season, but they can wear out. Friends, this is a critical and clear part of the Christian message and the teaching of the Bible, that Jesus Christ has power over death, and that he himself went through it, and conquered it through his own resurrection, so that death doesn’t have to have the last word, that death doesn’t get the final say, that it is not in fact the final separation from those we love, nor is death the final separation from the God who loves us. Why? Today, we are remembering a well-loved man. Evil is not normal. It is sometimes said that nothing is certain in life except death and taxes. Another lesson from Bill is this:  Let us love our families really really well. I bid you peace and grace from … I’m going to let a friend of mine tell us, “It says three times in that chapter in John 11 that Jesus was angry. He wanted me to be clear about the hope for salvation that he had in Jesus Christ, and that Jesus Christ is the hope that we all have for salvation. ... For ('tis added) he was a good Man, and full of the Holy Ghost. For over 50 years of courtship and marriage, Bill was nothing less than a servant husband, devoted to Gail’s best in every way he could. You get mad, and you cry. In these days in our society, one of the highest compliments you can give a man is the most simple thing to say and powerful when it’s said in earnest:  “He’s good man.”  “He’s a good man.”  Bill Scherer was a good man. According to the book of Romans, Our Lord’s love is irrevocable, it is unchanging, and nothing can separate us from his Love. Funeral for a Godly Man Bob Ingle As a pastor, one of the roles and responsibilities I have is to speak frequently at funerals just like this. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. “Jesus wept.”   Jesus cried deeply. We are uncertain of his future if he will be back or not. The folks who know that better than me are Gail, Tara, Trent, Todd, and Granny. We had Bill for 72 years, a lot, but not enough. As we do these things, serving others, loving our families well, loving Jesus more and more, and living a good life in preparation for our own deaths…it’s our opportunity to paint our own masterpieces. Below the homily is a video of Msgr. This is not the sort of occasion to tell anybody what to do. When I asked you Loraine about Gene and how you will miss him, you said you will miss his confidence in you. A great example of a funeral sermon that offers a message of no more pain to be said at a funeral or memorial service. Gene is rich in love. He leads me beside still waters. You said you owe it all to Gene. Memorial Service for a Godly Christian Man Stan Coffey Psalm 78:1-2 Today I want to thank you for coming to join us in the celebration of the life and home going of this faithful Christian man. It’s called The Art of Dying by Rob Moll, and in his own death, Bill painted a masterpiece. Trust me. And he was granted a good death. By its very nature, its purpose is evident- … Because he believed in you. I know that every one of you has a story about Gene. Psalm 25:6-7, Psalm 33:5, Psalm 34:8, James 1:17, John 3:16, Matthew 11:28-30. It’s title comes from another phrase from the Christian tradition. Our faith will keep us stronger and will give us comfort, knowing that Gene is now with our Father in heaven because he has now fulfilled his purpose in this world. It’s taken a while to get to this point of being able to appreciate anything about this. When our hearts rejoice at a spectacular view, we may miss our friends who cannot see it, and when we are overwhelmed with grief, we may discover what true friendship is all about. Song. But not yet. I will read today from Psalm 78:1-7. We’ll miss him in so many ways, and Coracle celebrates Bill and honors him! He was indeed a good man and an encourager as was the bible character, Barnabas. Watch over us, Gene. We had him for just six short months after his diagnosis at the end of June, and he made every one of those minutes count. He said, ‘to the richest man in town.’, Gene is like George Bailey. His own imperfections bothered him deeply, too deeply actually. Bill Scherer was a great man. Every person born from the beginning of the world was made for eternal life, made perfect, lived in a very real body of very real and warm flesh that you can touch and see and talk with, eternal life lived with others, lived with God, in a very real and physical world. Our great pain today over Bill’s passing is precisely because we loved him greatly, and he loved us greatly. Another lesson from Bill is this:  Let us serve others with as much as we’ve got for as long as we can. We will definitely miss you. About how he touched your lives. A good funeral sermon is considerate of the grief of those attending, affirms the lovingkindness of God, considers the question “why,” and points to Jesus as the Lord of life and death. I want them to know this beyond words in the marrow of their bones, in the darkest corners of their own self-doubt, through whatever storms life throws at them. He was a founding board member of Coracle, and instrumental in enabling Corhaven to come into reality, among so many other things. And a considerable number was added to the Lord” (Acts 11.24). Please don't hesitate to EMAIL US if you have issues with or questions about Zoom! He shook with suppressed fury.”. His love for his family, friends, and work and their love for him is his treasure. It will hang in our memories til we see him again like a Rembrandt or Van Gogh or Monet hangs on the wall of a museum, to be considered, and contemplated, and to be blessed by, and taught by. As often as I’ve cried I’ve said, “Thank God for Jesus.”. The opening of your store led to different projects that gave you joy such as working with the artisans. That word, to snort in spirit, the strongest Greek word for anger, is the word used of Jesus. I bid you peace and grace from our Lord, Lorraine, Ed, Cindy and dear friends of Gene. Feel free to edit, mix and match, and use whatever is appropriate for your particular service. The second of three children, Robert Liston Kirkwood, was born May 26, 1931, in Fall River, Massachusetts. 3 And if I’m on my way to get your room ready, I’ll come back and get you so you can live where I live. © 2021 The Funeral Program Site Never will you meet a man … He didn’t just get misty, or shed a tear, or even just two. That’s what a human does. One is simply that:  Let us live in such a way so that when we too come to die, we too can paint a masterpiece, that we can have a good death precisely because we’ve lived a good life. Then last Sunday he was able to be blessed in a final little family church service in his own home, with prayers and Scripture and words of blessing and the Eucharist. A few weeks ago I said at another funeral that I hate death. 1-6 funeral sermon This sermon was written during a study week on 'death, dying, and bereavement' when we had to write a funeral sermon for one of a number of possible examples. i. If we try to avoid sorrow at all costs, we may never taste joy, and if we are suspicious of ecstasy, agony can never reach us either. One reaction is from the verse that we can all memorize this morning! A funeral sermon for that faithful and laborious servant of Christ Mr. Richard Fairclough (who deceased July 4, 1682 in the sixty first year of his age) by John Howe. I would like to repeat the message that Rebecca read from the book of Romans. Joy is hidden in sorrow and sorrow in joy. Funeral Services for Mr. Roosevelt Cook at Saint John A. M. E. Zion Church, Georgiana, AL., Pastor Harold O’N. There are many things I want my children to know, but few more than this, that their daddy loves them. I don’t know what your god is like or what kind of god you want, but I really appreciate a God who can cry, and knows what it’s like weep and mourn.