Daryl's Burrial

Good morning, friends, and family of Daryl McBride. I’m sure that for many of you these last four months have been difficult, these months between the loss of your husband, your father, your friend. And they follow a long hard battle Daryl had with cancer, and while we remain while we mourn, Daryl has experienced the Paul spoke of in Philippians 1

For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

And while surly we lost, Daryl truly gained! He gained what the apostle Paul referred as an eternal glory in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

16 Therefore we do not give up. Even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person is being renewed day by day. 17 For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory. 18So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

I’m sorry Shelia, you asked me to say a few words and apparently that turned into a mini-sermon… I didn’t get to know Daryl, and talking to others it sounds like I missed out in knowing a great guy! This last week I watched the celebration of life service for him and again was struck by how many people loved him, and I’m honored to play a part in recognizing him today as we bury his ashes. (?)

Daryl likely understood that passage in Corinthians better than anyone else here could begin to imagine in our present form, while his outer person was being destroyed – his inner person, his soul, was being renewed in Christ day by day! And while our light and momentary afflictions (pause) which lets be honest often don’t feel light or momentary, are making within us an incomparable weight of glory! In eternity Daryl will look at this struggle, this time that did not feel light or momentary and say Yes Jesus, because he has now seen what is unseen by us. He has seen beyond what is temporary and into the eternal!

Before we bury his ashes, before we let me read one more passage, these are the words of Jesus on the night he was betrayed, the night before the cross in John 14

1 Don’t let your heart be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 3 If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to myself, so that where I am you may be also. 4 You know the way to where I am going.

5 “Lord,” Thomas said, “we don’t know where you’re going. How can we know the way?”

6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you know me, you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

Jesus went to prepare a place for us – and Daryl is enjoying that place now! Don’t let your heart be troubled, you can mourn, you can cry, but we can also celebrate, we can also rejoice – that Daryl earned his reward – is enjoying God’s glory, and sharing in that glory himself!

Let me pray for us today

Prayer

God just as Jesus on the cross prayed, “Father into your hands I commit my Spirt” so too God we entrust Daryl’s Spirit to you. God we mourn our loss, but we celebrate Daryl’s gain. God may you grant us a peace beyond understanding a peace beyond reason, a joy beyond compare; not belittling our loss God, but making much of what he gained. God bless Daryl’s memory, his family, those gathered here – not just for their comfort God, but for your Glory. Amen.