Paul wrote to the Colossians, “We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ. For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.” That was his goal: present every man complete in Christ. Once a man was there, Paul’s goal for that individual was accomplished. The undershepherd has finished his part of the task as he hands the sheep over to the Chief Shepherd.
I got an intimate impression of that event when the eldest member of the church here in Pessac was called home by the Chief Shepherd on August 21, 2009. It was unexpected and sudden. His wife heard him fall, but by the time she got to him, he had died of a heart attack. René Rottier was 86, but in relatively good health. Another leader in the church, his wife (Lala and Ando) and I were there within an hour. René’s body was still lying in the hallway, since the family doctor who had come had been unable to move him by himself. We helped move him to the bed and a few minutes later Lala and I dressed him in his Sunday clothes. It was sobering to dress a warm but lifeless body whose head and arms yielded involuntarily to the pull of gravity. One thing was clear: René was no longer there.
While I was left alone with René's body, a thought hit me with unusual force: this is what it's all about. Yes, this cooling, stiffening corpse is what it is all about! This task is completed. This sheep has been returned to the Chief Shepherd and our ministry is no longer needed. And now to the others: "We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ. For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me." I pulled his hands together and folded them across the motionless chest. This is the goal: present every man complete in Christ. René finished strong. May there be many more. And may I be myself among their number.
I got an intimate impression of that event when the eldest member of the church here in Pessac was called home by the Chief Shepherd on August 21, 2009. It was unexpected and sudden. His wife heard him fall, but by the time she got to him, he had died of a heart attack. René Rottier was 86, but in relatively good health. Another leader in the church, his wife (Lala and Ando) and I were there within an hour. René’s body was still lying in the hallway, since the family doctor who had come had been unable to move him by himself. We helped move him to the bed and a few minutes later Lala and I dressed him in his Sunday clothes. It was sobering to dress a warm but lifeless body whose head and arms yielded involuntarily to the pull of gravity. One thing was clear: René was no longer there.
While I was left alone with René's body, a thought hit me with unusual force: this is what it's all about. Yes, this cooling, stiffening corpse is what it is all about! This task is completed. This sheep has been returned to the Chief Shepherd and our ministry is no longer needed. And now to the others: "We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ. For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me." I pulled his hands together and folded them across the motionless chest. This is the goal: present every man complete in Christ. René finished strong. May there be many more. And may I be myself among their number.
Here Tim is lead the singing at the funeral (held on August 26). Later he preached on "Christ's Counsel for Troubled Hearts" from John 14:1-6.
The funeral home workers lower the casket into the tomb.
We were very grateful that Tim's dad was able to return to help minister to the family. Here you see him witnessing the lowering of the casket with René's widow, Marcelle, and son, Daniel.
The French have a tradition of tossing a dried flower onto the casket after it has been lowered into the tomb.
1 comment:
Precious. Thanks for sharing.
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