In Remembrance...

Today, a Memorial Service was held for a dear friend and mentor.  I was unable to attend, as I was involved in serving other families in another part of the city in which we live.  However, I wanted to take a moment and reflect upon what I am certain the service focused on: God.

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."

John 15:13, KJV

I can promise that my friend and his wife would have told their pastor to speak ONLY of the greatness of our God the Creator of all things, and of the love that is shown by the sending and sacrifice of Christ as payment for our sins.  I can promise that there would have been specific instructions to point out that no matter how much good was done in his life, it was done to the glory of the Father, through the strength of the Son, by the leading of the Spirit.  I can promise that the people present, whether they knew these plans or not, were all blessed by being there... just as they were blessed to know him.

I had the awesome privilege to sit at a table with him during Men's Fraternity, a Tuesday morning Bible study that involved roughly six men to a table.  Five of us were in our 30's... this gentleman was not.  He was old enough to be our parent, and he showed fatherly and encouraging love to us as we looked into how to be a Biblical man.  He could've sat somewhere else, with contemporaries, but I believe that he felt it too important a topic to not take the opportunity to pour wisdom and experience into the lives of younger men.  His servant-mindedness took over, and he wanted to share with us a perspective of encouragement for what the future holds.  He represented for us "the end game," as it were, of living a godly life of Biblical manhood and character. 

He spoke truths into our lives and situations, and shared with us his own struggles.  His honesty and accountability to the Word are simply unmatched among the Christian men I know, and I will always be a better person for having had the chance to learn from him.

Better than that, though, as a member of the choir at that church, I watched as he faithfully prayed over our Senior Pastor every Sunday, before every service, so that the Word would come through uninhibited.  I believe that this is one of the contributing reasons to the pastor being so very powerful in his messages and preaching and prayer.  I believe that my friend was able to literally enhance the pastor through the prayers he offered... and I bet those that know him would whole-heartedly agree. 

Knowing his passion for prayer, I know that he kept a list of people to pray for.  I also know that our table group of men was on that list, both corporately and as individuals.  I don't have to ask if he prayed for me... I know he did.  And I know that the other men from our table would agree and share that sentiment.

I'm usually very careful about not using names in my writings, and I intend to continue that today.  Please don't think it ominous or vague... just know that he would rather me speak to you about the Name of Jesus than to share the name that served Jesus.  That is how he lived, and that is how he taught, and that is how he encouraged.  And so, in that spirit, I will say to my friend that I will miss him, but that I know he is in the presence of Christ, and one of the faithful saints has returned home!  Amen.  And Amen.

God bless you all!!!