John W. Shallenberger - Graveside 11/4/19

We gather today to mourn the loss and also to celebrate the life of John W. Shallenberger.

We do so with the words of Paul in our head, he said did not want us to grieve like the rest of men who have no hope. Today we affirm the hope that those who put their faith in Christ will live even though they die.

I would call John Shallenberger somewhat a salty enigma. He could come across to people as unhappy or even grumpy. He said what he thought and didn't have a lot of room in his life for small talk. He saw no reason to "beat around a bush" when you could just grab the bush and shake it! In most of the pictures I’ve seen of John he looks at you like he is sizing you up.

From what I understand, John was one of those guys who would give you grief but if you gave it back to him then you were OK and your relationship moved to a different level. You became friends.

John had that kind of relationship with his wife Betty. The outsider might think they didn’t like each other . . . but they did. When Betty died in 2002 John was left with a profound emptiness.

Mr. Shallenberger had a strong work ethic. He took pride in his work as a union laborer and others trusted him to do his job. He loved to tinker and you would often find him in the garage working on something.

John was an outdoors kind of guy. He loved to hunt and fish. He enjoyed hunting mushrooms. He was fiercely independent. Sometimes, he was maddeningly independent. He was not a good patient. He resisted using handicapped ANYTHING. He was determined to not give in to the decay of a weakening body.

John loved his family. He supported his kids and grandkids. I love the pictures of him playing with his kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids. John loved to play games with the kids. Lots of times they would play a game before they ever headed off to school. He may not have liked everything they did but for the most part, he let them live their lives. He tried to never miss a game or activity the kids were in. I think he was proud of his family (even though I have the feeling you might wait a long time to hear those words actually come out of his mouth.)

John was a proud man. I don’t mean that in the sense that he was arrogant, I mean he wanted to be independent. He didn’t want to have to depend on others. He didn’t like being waited on in the hospital, he didn’t want to wait for someone to do something he knew he could do himself, he was not particularly fond of Doctors, nurses or anyone else who treated him like a patient. Getting older was hard for John.

John liked to work by a schedule. He ate all his meals at the same time every day. He did not believe in getting places late. In fact, when Michelle was little, he set all the clocks ahead 10 minutes so he could make sure she was on time. He believed it was rude to be late.

John Shallenberger was a somewhat unassuming man. But this one thing I know, just because someone is not a real outgoing person doesn’t mean they don’t have a caring and tender heart.

John knew what it was like to experience heartache. Three children died in infancy and then there was the devastation of losing his life partner after a long battle with cancer. It is a devastatingly painful to watch someone die an inch at a time.

Because of all of this, it is hard to know what John Shallenberger believed about God. He went to church when he was younger, but the hypocrisy in the church turned him away. It is my hope it did not turn him away from God Himself. He knew what it meant to trust Christ. However, being the kind of man he was, talking about his relationship with God was not something he was going to do.

This much I know, God is a just Judge. He is also merciful. He sent Jesus to earth to make a way for sinful people to be forgiven and made new. Jesus died as a payment for our sinful choices and rebellious actions.

Of course, anyone can say this is what they are doing. What made the actions of Jesus stand out was the fact of His rising from the dead! His resurrection shows that Jesus was who He said he was. Most people are inclined to listen to someone who rises from the dead after the funeral is already over.

The gospel message is pretty simple: anyone who embraces Jesus as their Savior and Lord will be forgiven and granted life beyond the grave.

You grieve today because a powerful influence in your life has been taken away. You grieve because you have been blessed. That blessing is what we should celebrate and thank God for.

I hope John trusted in Christ because I would love to get to know him. I think I would like getting to know the John beneath the crusty exterior. Fortunately, I would have all of eternity to get acquainted with Him. . . and from what I gather, it could take much of that time to do so.

Our hope is captured in the words of Psalm 23,

1The Lord is my shepherd;

I have all that I need.

2He lets me rest in green meadows;

he leads me beside peaceful streams.

3He renews my strength.

He guides me along right paths,

bringing honor to his name.

4Even when I walk

through the darkest valley,

I will not be afraid,

for you are close beside me.

Your rod and your staff

protect and comfort me.

5You prepare a feast for me

in the presence of my enemies.

You honor me by anointing my head with oil.

My cup overflows with blessings.

6Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me

all the days of my life,

and I will live in the house of the Lord

forever.

Our challenge today is to take the good things that John Shallenberger invested in our lives and work to make sure those things pay a dividend.

This is a good time to make sure we know where we stand with Jesus. Because when all is said and done that is the difference between this being a place of despair and being a place of hope. My prayer is for you and your families to not have to grieve like those who have not hope.

Let’s pray,

Father, we are filled with a mixture of emotion. There is the sadness of saying good-bye to someone who has been such a significant part of our life. There is a relief that John did not have suffer for any longer. There is gratitude for the wonderful blessing John gave to our lives. And there is hope that this is not the end but merely a transition for John.

Lord, comfort this family and these friends. Lead each one here to a clear awareness of where they stand with you. Thank for you for sending Jesus to rescue us.

Fill this family with wonderful memories and a solid hope. I ask in Jesus name. Amen.