Graveside for Brother Canterbury and Dennis

1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 ESV

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.

Psalm 23 ESV

A Psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

So Long

Today we gather to say so long to two people who were dearly loved in this life

Two people who are already dearly missed.

Simmie Dick Canterbury III and Dennis Alan Canterbury

Today is no doubt a difficult day.

As days like this often are.

and in the few moments we have together this morning I want to share two quick reminders with you.

Things that I believe can help us navigate days, and even season such as this.

This first is this...

Not alone

that here, right now, today, we are not alone..

You are not a lone.

David penned the famous words in psalms 23 of the great shepherd

and in doing so he riminds us that when we walk through trying times and even death

the good shepherd leading and guiding us.

He is with us.

In John 10:14 Jesus tells us..

John 10:14 ESV

I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me,

and in Matthew 28:20 Jesus reminded us

Matthew 28:20 (ESV)

And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

David reminds us in psalms 46:1

Psalm 46:1 ESV

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Yesterday, today and tomorrow Christ is with us..

He is helping us to navigate these trying times..

When we feel alone, when we feel like we cant move forward, when we feel like all hope is lost, he is there with us

All we need to do is to call out to him as the disciples did in on the sea of galalie, in the middle of the storms..

and he can speak peace into our lives

bring comfort to our mourning..

He is with us..

We are not alone.

Hope

The second thing I want to remind us this morning

it though this is a difficult season..

Still there is hope..

Even as we stand here today in this cemetary I want to remind you that today is not a hopeless day.

On the contrary the graves surrounding us actually remind us that there is hope that we will one day see those that we love agian.

Those that have gone before us and knew the Lord Jesus.

Paul

Paul reminds us of this in 1 thesolonians 4

where is says that if we know the lord, we do not greive as those who have NO hope..

For there will come a day when christ will return for his people..

and those who have fallen asleep knowing the lord..

much like many of those represented in this cemetary..

will be the first to be resurected to eternal life in with him..

and we who are alive in christ will be caught up with them and reunited in the air.

Rapture

We know this yet coming event as the rapture of the church

The event where The father will send the son to collect all..

both past and present who have entered into a relationship with him..

and this day will come..

and is surely coming soon.

Hope

and in this we have hope..

because we know if we know the lord..

we will be reunited with those who also knew the lord..

to live forver with christ for eternity..

To dwell together in heaven..

So long

That why I say today we say so long..

because goodbye implies we will never meet again..

but so long promises that one day we will see each other again..

and today, in christ Jesus only is this possible.

Recap

You are not alone this morning..

Christ is in this with you..

He is near..

ANd because of him there is hope that one day we will again see those we love and spend eternity with them celebrating our savior..

Prayer

At this time Im going to offer one final prayer and then I will turn it back over to the funeral director.

Father today, we gather here to say so long. You see our hearts. You see the pain and the difficulties of this moment. Maybe even as difficult as if today was the first day we were seperated from Simmie and denny. Today, I ask that you would minister to our hearts. Make your presence known in our lives and help us to navigate this time. Remind us of the hope we have only in you. Now, We commit Simmie and Denny back to you. You afterall are the one who allowed us to have them for as long as we did. They are yours and we thank you for the time we had with them. The wonderful memories we have with them. The time we were able to spend with them and the legacy they have left in our lives. Help us as we leave this place today. Help us as we put our trust in you. Help us, until we are once again reunited with those we love when you collect us all. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.