Yesterday I talked about playing service for a memorial last Saturday, August 7. What I didn’t say is that I attended two memorial services that day. Both were memorials of good men, believers. Both services honored God and the men. But the men and the services had commonalities and differences, and there are lessons to be learned. God is a God of variety.

Here are the two couples, now two widows: Mike (deceased) and Cindy Jackson and Willie (deceased) and Mary Hill:

Here are some observations:

• Mike was a retired colonel in the US Air Force; Willie was a retired postal worker.
• Mike served God mainly through his work, by defending his country as a missile maintenance officer and taking care of his people. Willie’s work was never mentioned: he and Mary served in direct ministry. Recalling the 6 Ms, Mike “made good work.” Willie was a “mouthpiece for truth and justice” and a “messenger of the gospel” to children and adults. Both “ministered grace and love” and “molded cultures” around them. Both “modeled godly character.”
• Mike and Cindy had been married for 41 years and had three children. Willie and Mary were married 24 years and each had been married before. There were more children and step-children than I could count, but, nearly as I could tell, it was one big happy family.
• Mike had dementia the last two or three years of his life so his passing in December 2020 was a blessing. Willie had a severe bout of lung disease back in 2017, but he pulled out of it. He and Mary were thankful for an additional four years before he passed in April 2021. They would say, “Willie received his complete healing, just not in this life.”
• Except for family, Mike’s service was attended by older white people. Besides the officiating minister there were three family speakers, one Air Force colleague, and one video. I will write more on Willie’s service tomorrow, but besides the officiating minister there were several other ministers, black and white, lay speakers, and multiple videos, and the attendees were black and white, young and old.
• Both services closed with a clear gospel presentation with both ministers using John 3.16 and focusing on God’s love.

When I first started writing this blog, I thought the two men and the two services were completely different. That turned out not to be true: there were some commonalities. But as powerful as Mike’s service was, Willie’s had a more profound effect on me. I’ll say more about that tomorrow.

Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints. (Psalm 116.15, ESV)

“O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15.55 – 57, ESV)

For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3.26 – 28, ESV)