Unbeliever Funeral

Psalm 55:22 Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.

Obituary

Funerals Remind Us:

• Of the Reality and Brevity of Life

• Of Our Need for Others to Encourage Us

• Of Our Need for God in Our Grief

John loved all kinds of music so we will be using a couple of popular songs in this service:

Song – Like a Rock (Bob Seger)

In the old Soviet Union there were very few laws about factories polluting the water. That was with good reason because one of the few laws they did have was that any factory which dumped chemicals back into the river must do so upstream from its own intake pipes. In other words, whatever the factory dumped in the water was going to come right back into it before it went any further downstream. It was amazing how much this simple rule did to cause factories to clean up their own pollutants.

What would happen if we knew that everything we put out would come back to us? We often say that what goes around comes around, but what if that was a rule, not just a principle? What if you knew that every careless word or deed would be returned to you almost immediately? Wouldn’t that change the way we act? Jesus gives us a positive version of this rule to help us act properly. He encourages us to make sure what we give out to other people would be okay for us to get back from them. Matthew 7:12 –

12 “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

Rules:

The Golden Rule is the principle of treating others as you want to be treated. It is a maxim that is found in many religions and cultures. It can be considered an ethic of reciprocity in some religions, although different religions treat it differently. It is how God treats us and how we should treat others.

The Platinum Rule shifts the focus a bit and says that you should treat others the way that they want to be treated.

The Silver rule (plural silver rules) (ethics) is the principle that one should not treat other people in the manner in which you would not want to be treated by them.

In the "Diamond Rule", you treat others as they wish YOU to treat them.

There was a HUGE outpouring of support, compassion and sorrow on Barbara’s FB page when people learned of John’s passing.

• Says a Lot about John

• Says a Lot about Barbara

John reflected the Golden Rule in His Life:

In School Days

Girls were being bullied – he stood up for them and fought the bully – then HE got in trouble; the girls stood up for him

At Home

John and Barbara were together 24/7 for the last 7 years after his company closed and he was able to retire.

“Thank you” to Barbara for normal activities like, cooking meals and doing things for him. Appreciative – a Golden Rule application.

On the Job

John worked for the Rexam company that made soda cans. His job was to ink the cans and ran a palletizer.

He won a competition on producing cans. He competed with himself on the job to give his best effort on the job. This is the Golden Rule.

In Joking – A Time to laugh – Ecclesiastes 3

He and a buddy would fake a fight in the school hallway. Teachers would send him to the principal who knew what he was doing and sent him back to class.

Prayer

Song – Forever and Always (Shania Twain)