Graveside Service for _________________

Psalm 23

Our Heavenly Father, we are before you today to express our respect for this one, _______________, who has left us in death. While we are sad at the loss, we turn to the only comfort that goes beyond the seeming finality of this grave. We turn to you. Would you comfort those who are grieving? Would you help us to understand this unwelcome visitor called death? Will you help each one here to focus on you and the real issues of life? Thank You. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

____________________ was born on August 1, 1924 in Onawa, Iowa, the daughter of ________________________. She passed from this life this past week - on October 7th. _____ came west from Iowa with her family in the 1930’s, first to Colorado and ultimately to Oregon. She attended High School in Sweet Home. ____ married _______________ on September 19, 1942 in Port Townsend, Washington. They were married for 51 years. ____ served in the U.S. Army while _____ lived in Crawfordsville where they started their family. After the war ____ worked at times in some of the mills in and around Sweet Home and Lebanon while raising their family. Making ends even meet took the family into the business of raising Nutria for the sale of the pelts. She attended the Hwy 20 Church of Christ.

____ was deeply involved in family activities. She enjoyed the outdoors – especially camping and fishing. She was a woman with a helping spirit, which she offered generously to others. She maintained an "open door" policy with regard to her home – even sometimes to strangers. "It seems there was always someone whose car broke down in front of the house," said one of her sons. "Mom would always offer to help."

_____ was a very "proper lady" said members of her family - always neat as a pin – lipstick and hair in perfect place. Yet her "proper" demeanor disguised something the uninitiated would never expect. ____ was a prankster who loved to poke fun at those she knew. From taking food off of your plate when you weren’t looking to stabbing your hand with a fork if you tried to take food from her plate, she maintained a steady series of practical jokes played on those around her. Son ________ related to me how, one time when he was young he hurried home to watch his favorite television program called "Mr. Moon." When he turned on the TV he noticed that there were serious cracks in the screen. He called his mom in to take a look. ____ looked but didn’t seem much concerned – which only heightened _________’s apprehension because he was expecting her to do something about it. When asked again, ____ took a wash cloth and wiped the screen, but the cracks didn’t go away. Still she seemed unconcerned. This strange behavior continued until _________ finally decided to just watch the program anyway – through the cracks. It was then that ____ came in and peeled the clear film off the screen and the cracks magically disappeared. These kinds of practical jokes were a regular part of ____’s repertoire – a good indicator of what her family described as her "zest for life." She had a knack for making common things – like cleaning the toilet or working in the yard seem like a great adventure. "The biggest love in her life was her family," said those closest to her.

I’ve known ____ personally since she started attending the church where I preach – the Hwy 20 Church of Christ. I got to know her even better when she helped my wife and me take care of our own mom, ________, who has Alzheimer’s disease. Perhaps only another person who has tried to offer home care for an Alzheimer’s patient can fully relate to the difficulties of 24 hour care of a loved one with this condition – or perhaps someone like ____. I say that because at a critical time in our lives ____ stepped in to help us. She would come to our home and take ________ with her in the car to give us a break from our stress. This was a godsend as far as we were concerned – something for which we will be ever grateful. Thank you, ____, for your kind and selfless act.

____’s sister, _______, wrote something I would like to read at this time. It’s called "Remembering My Sister." At the conclusion of this reading I’ll give any of you who would like to say a word on _____’s behalf the opportunity to speak.

(Read)

(Sharing)

The great hope of every Christian person is that this grave and all the others like it in this cemetery and the world over - isn’t the end of existence. Actually, Christians believe that this grave is but the beginning of a glorious eternity with God where His people will enjoy all the things He has intended for them since before the creation began. It is to that hope I direct your attention at this time.

Standing beside the grave of his dear friend, Lazarus, Jesus Christ said these words to the Martha, the man’s grieving sister: "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me shall live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die."

These were not empty words as the Biblical text indicates. "Remove the stone," Jesus said, referring to the huge rock lying against the entrance to Lazarus’ tomb. "But Lord… he has been dead four days!" objected the nearby Martha. She was as skeptical as we are sometimes.

But then came that authoritative command in a voice that could be heard near and far… "Lazarus, come forth!"

Someone has aptly remarked that had Jesus not specified the name Lazarus, every dead person who has ever lived would have suddenly come back to life.

"He who had died came forth," wrote John the apostle who described the remarkable event of that day, "bound hand and foot with [grave] wrappings…."

"Unbind him, and let him go," ordered Jesus – and the man who had died was alive again – reunited with his two sisters and his good friend, Jesus.

"If a man dies, will he live again?" That question, asked by the ancient Job, is pertinent for us today. As this grave is sealed up, just as the others around it have been sealed up on other days, and as yours and mine will be sealed up one day sooner than we would like to contemplate, the only question that means anything is that same one asked by Job: "If a man dies, will he live again?"

I believe that the man who dies will live again. Many of you do also. Our hope comes from the resurrection of Jesus Christ, about Whom Paul wrote: "But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who indwells you."

"I am going the way of all the earth," said King David to his young son, Solomon not long before the King’s own death, "…keep the charge of the Lord your God… walk in His ways… keep His statutes, His commandments, His ordinances, and His testimonies." Jesus said the very same thing – just a little differently: "Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life."

As we draw our time together here today to a close, I encourage you to live for Christ. The hope He gives is the only hope that makes sense and is the only hope that delivers on its promise.

Our heavenly father, we commit the body of this loved one to this place of rest to await the shout of the Lord Jesus, the voice of the archangel, and the trumpet of God on that day when the dead in Christ will rise first. We affirm our trust in you to make that happen when the time is right. Thank you for the life of ______________ and all she meant to us. We commit her to you to do what is right. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Dave Redick is Minister of the Hwy 20 Church of Christ in Sweet Home, Oregon and Editor of The Preacher's Study. He may be reached at pstudysupport@comcast.net.

Copyright © 1996-2008 by The Preacher's Study. Permission is granted to subscribers to use this document in total or in sermon preparation in the context of the local congregation only. Publishing it in a book, on the Internet, or anyplace beyond the local congregation is prohibited.

All Scripture quotations and references are from the New American Standard Version unless otherwise stated.

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