Funeral Service for Owen Shepard

Today we have gathered to celebrate the life of Mr. Owen Monroe Shepherd. On behalf of the family, I want to say thank you for your love and support and prayers over the last few days. I know that they will need them in the coming days and weeks ahead.

Mr. Owen was bron in 1941 to the late Owen Monroe and Doris Pridgen Shepherd. He also leaves behind his loving wife Merita and daughter Regina, as well as his brother Larry. Again, I want to ask you to remember his family in your prayers.

Mr. Owen was born in 1941 to the late Owen Monroe and Doris Pridgen Shepherd. He also leaves behind his loving wife Merita and daughter Regina, as well as his brother Larry. Again, I want to ask you to remember his family in your prayers.

The family has asked me to read this poem today that I think perfectly matches Mr. Owen Shepherds life. The poem is entitled “Away” by James Whitcomb Riley.

I cannot say, and I will not say

That he is dead. He is just away!

With a cherry smile and a wave of the hand,

He has wandered into an unknown land,

And left us dreaming how very fair

It needs must be, since he lingers there.

And you – oh you, who the wildest yearn

For the old time step and the glad return –

For the old-time step and the glad return –

Think of him faring on, as dear

In the love of There as the love of Here.

And loyal still, as he gave the blows

Of his warrior strength to his country’s foes –

Mild and gentle, as he was brave,

When the sweetest love of his life he gave

To simple things; where the violets grew

Pure as the eyes they were likened to,

The touches of his hands have strayed

As reverently as his lips have prayed;

When the little brown thrush that harshly chirred

Was dear to him as the mocking-bird;

Was dear to him as the mockingbird;

And he pitied as much as a man in pain

A writhing honey-bee wet with rain

A writhing honeybee wet with rain

Think of him still as the same, I say;

He is not dead – he is just away!

I think there could not be a better fitting poem for Mr. Owen’s life than this. He served his country in the military, he worked hard with his hands in construction, he loved his wife Merita and was committed to her for over 50 years, he battled with cancer and still kept his love of life.

I only recently met Mr. Owen, but I remember the day we sat around his dining room table together with Merita and talked. He was full of life and energy. He had been battling cancer for 19 years! Think about that for just a moment. The World Trade Center was attacked 19 years ago. 19 years ago, I was still in High School! Do you remember what you were doing? Mr. Owen was just beginning his battle with cancer. He fought hard, like two boxers going at it in the ring. He tried all sorts of therapy options; and this past Friday, Mr. Owen lost his battle with cancer – or so people might say.

The reality is that Mr. Owen didn’t lose his battle at all. You see, we look at death from this side of a curtain. We think that death is the victor in the case of cancer. However, for the child of God that couldn’t be farther from the truth! We say that because none of us have ever peeked behind the curtain of death to see what is on the other side. Only a couple of people in history have been granted that priviledge.

The reality is that Mr. Owen didn’t lose his battle at all. You see, we look at death from this side of a curtain. We think that death is the victor in the case of cancer. However, for the child of God that couldn’t be farther from the truth! We say that because none of us have ever peeked behind the curtain of death to see what is on the other side. Only a couple of people in history have been granted that privilege.

Now you may say, “Wait a minute! I know people who saw the light! They had a near death experience and described it for me,” or “I read a book about this fella that went to the other side and came back.” While people may have had these experiences, I’m talking about someone who was dead for an extended period of time and came back. Someone like Lazarus who was dead for 4 days. Someone like Jesus who was in the grave for 3 days. Or the Apostle John, who though he did not die and see what was on the other side, he was given a special revelation from God to share with us about what our loved ones who have trusted in Christ see when they breathe their last breath in this life and their first breath of heavenly air.

I want to share what they see with you in just a moment so that you can see that Mr. Owen won the battle, but first let me say that this is only for the person who has Christ as their Savior. Three things have to happen for this to be your reality.

1) You must recognize that all of us have sinned against a holy God and deserve His punishment and wrath for our sins. We have assaulted the character of God by our sin.

2) You must realize that in God’s love, He sent Jesus to take that punishment that you and I deserved upon Himself and paid our debt on the cross. Only by accepting Christ and this free gift of salvation can your sins be paid in full and you and I have peace with God.

3) We must confess Jesus as our Savior and Lord and ask Him to forgive us of our sin, turning to Him in hope. It is like being in an airplane and the engines go out. We are handed a parachute and we jump out of the plane and we are holding on to that parachute for dear life with all the hope we have in us. That is what trusting in Christ is like. We aren’t trusting in being a good person, or a generous person. We recognize that only in Jesus are we saved from the punishment we deserve.

That day I sat around the table with Mr. Owen and Rita, he assured me that he had trusted in Christ as his Savior. It is because of that decision that I can share with you what he saw and why he won his battle with cancer on Friday.

Let me briefly read to you from this beautiful sight that Mr. Owen beheld on Friday evening.

Read .

Now, I do not have enough time to analyze with you everything that we see in these verses, but let me share just a few of the sights to behold in heaven.

Now, I do not have enough time to analyze with you everything that we see in these verses but let me share just a few of the sights to behold in heaven.

1) The Gates of Pearl

2) The Streets of Gold

3) The Jeweled Walls

4) The River of Life

5) The Tree of Life

6) The Face of God

This last sight is the most precious of all. It will be wonderful to get to see the saints of old that we read about in the Bible. It will be incredible to get to see our loved ones who also trusted in Christ. But the most beautiful sight of all is that we will see Jesus. The Bible says that He will wipe away every tear from our eye and He will remove the curse.

Cancer is a curse! Diabetes is a curse! Heart disease is a curse! We live in a broken world. Often we will say when our loved ones pass that we wish they could be with us longer. That’s because we haven’t peered behind the curtain of death. Now, if you are not a follower of Christ, if you have not trusted in Him as your Savior, then by all means, yes! This world is the best life you can have. But for those who trust in Christ, the future is far better. We would never want that person to come back here to this broken world, but we long for the day when we get to be with them.

Cancer is a curse! Diabetes is a curse! Heart disease is a curse! We live in a broken world. Often, we will say when our loved ones pass that we wish they could be with us longer. That’s because we haven’t peered behind the curtain of death. Now, if you are not a follower of Christ, if you have not trusted in Him as your Savior, then by all means, yes! This world is the best life you can have. But for those who trust in Christ, the future is far better. We would never want that person to come back here to this broken world, but we long for the day when we get to be with them.

This service today is not for Mr. Owen. It is for you and me. It is a time to reflect. It is a time to grieve. But it is also a day of hope. It is a reminder that we can face death with confidence if we have Christ by our side. His amazing grace has covered our sin and we can have an eternal reward that is truly magnificent waiting for us on the other side.

Close in prayer.