Ninety-four years seems like a long time when you're living it. Now, though, it's the blink of an eye. All life's milestones shrunk to a vanishing point on a bed of pain.
The Apostle Paul wrote, "If for this life only we have hoped, we are of all men most to be pitied."
Even more to the point, he wrote, "O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?"
On our own, the answer is Nobody.
But we are not on our own.
We proclaim here in the presence of death the victory of life.
We proclaim here that of His own free will, Jesus Christ came into this world.
And we proclaim here with the Apostle John that, "...as many as did receive Him, He gave them power to be made God's children, those who believe in his name, who were born not from blood, nor from the flesh's will, nor from man's will, but from God."
I bear witness that George Marvin Cunyus publicly believed in Jesus who came to us. "Death, as Paul said, "has been swallowed up in victory."
Don't settle for just remembering who this man was. Remember who he is!
He was Ruby and Grady's kid. Now, he's the Father's adopted son.
He was a frail, fallible man. Now he is beyond harm.
He was George Marvin Cunyus. Now he has a new name in heaven, unknown to him until a week ago, but more his real name than any noise our tongues could ever make.
God made a promise. George Marvin believed the promise. As Paul said, "Let God be true, though every man a liar."
Here's the promise: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
We're not bringing either my father's life or this service to an 'end'. We're bringing them to a fulfillment.
His is fulfilled in that "great, gettin' up mornin'" we can barely imagine on this side. Ours is fulfilled, for now, around this Table, daring by God's grace to believe that the best is yet to be.
And in Jesus' name, we invite every single person who repents of sin and loves the Lord to join us.
On the night that He was betrayed, Jesus took bread; and when He had given thanks, He blessed it, and broke it, and gave it to His disciples, saying, "This is My body, which is given for you."
And in like manner, after supper He took the cup, and He gave it to them, saying, "This cup is the New Covenant in My blood, poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins."
O Lord, consecrate this bread and this fruit of the vine. As they become part of our physical bodies, may we remember we are part of Your body, here and now and forever more.
Amen.