John Berns Funeral

Whenever we gather

for a funeral

memorial service

celebration of life

whatever name you give to it

there really - at least

three things we're about

maybe more;

but at least three;

the first of which

is to remember

to honor

to pay tribute

to celebrate

the life, of the one whose death

has caused us to gather;

at the root of the word remember

is to reconnect;

in this case,

today as we remember John burns,

we re-connect ourselves to him

and to treasured times shared with him

a man who

by all accounts...

lived a life - that loomed large

that’s been said a lot about him

many times

he was a treasure

and he was unique

i mean - after all

who but John Berns

has a hot tub in his living room...

not somewhere in a corner...

mind you

but right between the couch and the TV.

i love making home visits to people

and my first visit

to John and Char’s place

was a very memorable one

he was a memorable guy

there is so much to remember

and so

as we gathered this morning

and we assemble now -

we - first of all - gather

to think about him,

each in our own way

to recall treasured memories

and - in time

share those memories with each other

as we feel moved...

perhaps as I speak these words to you

such memories will come

his laughs

the way he looked at you

kind over his glasses...

his competitive nature,

his trusted advice

his accounting work,

his big heart,

his love for those around him

his ability to tell stories

that drew you in

indeed

his ability to command the room,

and also

control the temperature in the rest of the house,

judging from his sisters,

who talked about him reading on the radiator

taking in the heat for himself

- that was intended for the whole house

that he like to be in charge of the conversation

he like to be directive

and how he did,

indeed, live life large

he was honored by his country

who paid tribute to him

many times

in many ways

for many acts of service

he was, as his psychologist said

a giant among us,

there is much to remember

and treasure about John...

and we will continue to do that

as this day passes on

…and into the future.

Today we remember him

the first of our reasons to gather

We also gather to support one another

and already that's began

it began before John died,

in the day after he slipped out of consiciousness

when he didn’t wake up

from his afternoon nap

there wasn’t much left to do then

keep him comfortable

hold his hand,

tell him he was loved

anoint him,

pray over him,

but then turn to one another

and care for each other

to support one another

and that continues to this day

and will - on into the future

i'm told John checked in - a lot

with certain people in his life.

he would call them up

touch base

see how they were doing

see what they were doing

or maybe just ask about the weather

maybe - in John’s case

that rose even - to an annoying level

if he was annoying - i suspect it was

in part

born out of the wounds he carried

experienced earlier in life

Shar - you mentioned

if I understood correctly

or should I say Sam - Sam,

i believe i have this correct

in the midst of a command change

John was charged by the former commander

take care of my men

take care of my men

something that

later on in reunions

that moment was revisited,

and, indeed affirmed - among those gathered

that John didn't take care of his men

funerals - it seems to me

are like a command change

in this sense...

John had agency in this world

he had command of some things

not everything - to be sure

though he might have enjoyed that

But John could direct and guide something things

that were under his command...

things like being there for the other members

of his coffee group

or picking up the phone - to check in with you

now - regrettably

he has relinquished

the command that he had on this world

may I suggest - here

respectfully

that you give consideration

each - as you can

in your own way

to take hold of the guidon [guy-dun]

he has now let go of...

the metaphorical flag - of that command he had

to pick up the responsibility

to care for each other

to take care of John's, women and men,

to offer care to John's, children,

and grandchildren

to offer support for John's friends

Let this be a day for us

to double down on that caring

can we all agree to do that?

not the whole thing - of course....

but can you pick up some of the responsibility

from john

who might - if he were here say to you:

take care of mine....

committing ourselves to that

- each in our own way

is what we do here...

even as we gather again to remember him

and also in this time

when it seems like life is too short

like time is too fleeting

we gather

turn to something that is lasting

something permanent

something eternal,

and that is God's word

we do that, for a word of hope,

we do that for an eternal perspective

that causes us to pivot from John's life

now lived

and celebrated

honored

to turn to our lives

to turn to the one

who lived life, the largest,

and makes it possible

to enlarge our lives...

which is Jesus

John's father - Leo - was a marksman

and John was no stranger

to rifle ranges either...

so it seems fitting

for me to use this image:

in revelations, chapter 21,

you're looking at a passage

that has a hidden bull's-eye in it

with surrounding phrases

that are not unlike the rings

you sometimes see on a target

I won't dissect the bull's-eye,

although if you read the text,

you can probably figure out

what are concentric rings

in this passage...

but at the very center of this passage

is a Hebrew word skene...

which means tent or tabernacle

and the structure of everything around that word

is intended to draw your attention in

and center it - on that one word

and it would've been familiar to everyone at the time,

and connected with the story

of God tenting, dwelling, tabernacling

with gods people in ancient times,

this passage - with laser like focus

tells of how God loves

to live in the middle of community.

there's something that was said last night

at the memorial service

that stuck out for me,

and it was told in the midst of a story about John

going back to his college days

being elected vice president - i think it was

of the student body

at the University of Illinois

among a student body of over 30,000 people

and he wasn't in a fraternity

my last place I served

was at Purdue University,

before coming here.

i know something about campus politics

i know what a huge advantage

people who are members of fraternities and sororities have...

to be elected to office

in that environment....

was a tremendous accomplishment.

which might have slipped by to some...

it is confirmation

of what has been later confirmed throughout his life...

He was exceptional

at gathering people around him,

whether it was his coffee clutches

or groups of people

to talk about taxes...

or the local groups he volunteered in

or the reunions that he attended

in far-flung places like

John loved to be in community...

John’s nature was to build community

so also

is God - even moreso...

seeking to build community

and to dwell

and to tabernacle

with us

to be in communion with us

to be in fellowship with us

like that same rich sense you get

when you're in a coffee clutch

for 40 years -

it’s a foretaste

it’s a small - meagre - example...

of what God loves,

and is trying to create in this world.

Nancy Guthrie

in her devotional - Let every heart prepare him room

wrote:

It can be great fun to put up a tent in your backyard to play in or sleep in. Imagine what it would be like for someone else to put up a tent in your backyard and begin living there—right in your backyard!

This verse is saying that God became a human person who set up his tent in our backyard and moved in. If another family were to put up a tent in your backyard to live in, they would probably use your bathroom and have their meals around your table. They would be with you almost all the time, and no doubt their lives would intertwine with yours. This is what Jesus did when he became human. He made his home with us. He did this so that his life would be intertwined with ours—so that we would share our lives with him and so we could see him up close and really know him.

that is at the very heart of God...

to intertwine his life with ours...

i understand that the guys in his coffee group

didn’t set up a tent at John’s place

but they did take over his garage regularly

and char’s garage...

let that be an image - for what God has done

to share our lives in common now

so that we can share in a common future....

We find that same impulse of God too,

in Isaiah

this particular passage

was written to people,

after a devastating war had come in

and horrific things had happened

the last of which was

the king - Zedekiah -

was made to watched his sons die,

murdered right in front of him....

and then had his eyes gouged out

so it would be the last thing he saw

before being hauled away

to a prisoner of war camp

it’s not a pretty story

but war is indeed hell

no matter the time

or the place....

at the time Isaiah is written, though...

that's all in the past - to a community

with that ugly history,

God says

I'm going to bring you together

forever united....

I will say to the north

give them up

into the south

don't don't withhold them.

Let's get them all back here

together again

it's what God is always trying to do

what God is trying to do against

all the powers of this world

that are arrayed against it that

if you think about it war

and the horrific war that John lived through,

so many others live through

is the exact antithesis of that

its leaders of nations

trying to drive people away from each other

to the extreme

on this day

we can take comfort

that this isn't the end of the coffee clutches

or the reunions,

or the in-gatherings

God has promised,

they will continue - forever

God has given us the hope

that Fred and John - and all who went before John

might gather

and Jesus has given us a sign

in holy communion

that John participated in - when he was here....

and if ever you want to join him in that same meal

anytime you want

come to communion

and you can be a drinking buddy with John again

as you participate in this one

holy meal - this one sacred gathering

today we remember John

today we support one another - each as we’re able

and today we celebrate

what the gospel promises

that jesus has created

that place for us to dwell

and celebrate - at an eternal banquet.

because God loves to dwell with us forever

Amen.