28 October 2016

Gentlemen:

I have been fighting a private battle that I have not really shared with any of you. I met
with Mick last week and explained to him my struggle and asked him what I should do about it,
and his recommendation was for me to lay out both for myself and for our church leadership what
some of my own “non-negotiables” were. In other words, what are the problems that I see that I
think desperately need to be fixed. And, with that, what are some solutions that, in order for me
to continue serving here, and for my own sanity, we must begin to agree on and move toward.
This is my attempt at doing that. I would like for us to meet next Thursday, November 3rd, at
6:00 PM to discuss it together.

I am wrestling with what needs to be done here at Whiteville and whether or not I have the
ability and capacity to fix it. This is almost always on my mind, and my constant struggling with
it has begun to spill over into my home. Last month, I drafted a resignation letter from the ministry.
That is to say, not resigning from this church, but from the ministry. I know that I cannot go at
this on my own, so this is my attempt to see if there is agreement on those things that I see as
problems and solutions. If there is, then I think we can work together toward those goals. If there
is not agreement, then I think the Lord would have me move on somewhere else, and move
someone in who sees things differently.

I see so much potential in our congregation, but I have become convinced that it will never
materialize if some major issues are not addressed. I feel as though our future meetings will be a
waste of your time and mine without first pausing to consider and address these issues.
 In my estimation, we have several systemic problems that desperately need to be fixed before
we can move forward in any direction.

What problems do we have that must be addressed?

1) There is an unhealthy view of the pastor that stands at odds with the interpretation and practice of
the C&MA. (Acts 14:23; Titus 1:5; Ephesians 4:11-13; 1 Timothy 4:14; 2 Timothy 1:6)

a. The pastor is a “temp worker”.

i. This comment came from one of our elders in regards to his own view of the pastor.

This comment is eye-opening and concerning in and of itself. What is of even
greater concern is that not a single elder challenged that viewpoint. It is no wonder
that pastors have been met with stiff resistance from our church leadership (which
has been largely unchanged over several pastors) if the pastors are not viewed as
leaders at all.

b. The pastor is simply “one of us”.

i. When asked multiple times about the relationship between the pastor and lay
leadership, this has consistently been the answer. The pastor is an elder whose
voice is no louder or more authoritative than any other. Essentially, the voice of
the pastor is 20% (or less) of a group. This would be an uphill battle in and of itself, 
but it is near insurmountable when the majority of voices are either related or have
deep bonds of friendship and partnership forged over a longer period of time than
the pastor has been alive.

c. The primary, and sometimes only, roles of the pastor are to preach on Sunday mornings,
visit people in the hospital, and chair church meetings.

i. This view allows no room for spiritual or organizational leadership. When biblical,
pastoral leadership is exercised, it seems to be viewed as the pastor “exceeding his
role” and is met with resistance. Positive change, of course, then becomes only a
vain and fleeting hope.

2) There is no vision and/or mission for the church apart from the school.

a. The ministry of the school so heavily dominates conversation that no community outreach,
no clear pathways to discipleship, no “missional” thinking can take place because of the
enormity of the ministry of the school.

b. Though we use terminology like “the school is a ministry of the church”, financial and
human resources tell a different story. Rather than the school being leveraged to further
the mission of the church, it seems as though the church exists for the benefit of the school.
Our money is tied up there as are our people and our leadership discussions. All those able
bodies who could so impact a community for Christ are all tied up in school activities.
Several are employed by the school, and many more volunteer all their available time to
athletics, support, or fundraising efforts.

3) There is no sense of “collective ownership” of church issues and decisions.

a. There was a strong consensus that clarity needed to the brought to church offices and
decision-making processes. Therefore, I drafted a “Ministry Manual” to clarify “who does
what” within the relationship of the church and school. The Governing Board, when
presented with this matter, decided to push this conversation to the elders, as they are the
governance authority of the church. The elders met twice about it, with both meetings
involving members leaving the meeting early in frustration. After only two meetings, the
decision was made to “let Justin and Sam handle it”. Following this series of meetings, I
was very disappointed in what those meetings communicated to me, which was that no one
in church leadership, other than Sam, was willing to put in the necessary time to deal with
such a huge problem. If it were never brought up again and nothing was changed, I don’t
know that anyone would suggest that we revisit it, even though it is such a troubling issue.
What this communicates to me is that either our church leadership does not acknowledge
this as a problem, or they are unwilling to put in the necessary time to work through the
problem.

4) Our church is financially unstable.

a. We are increasingly having trouble meeting our monthly mortgage payment. We are
constantly shifting money around from one internal account to another just to meet our
basic financial obligations. This only further convolutes the already ambiguous financial
picture of the church and school. On top of that, the board seems to be unwilling to drop
the price of our building in order to sell it and provide for our financial needs.

b. We are unable to pay our principal. Currently, Wayne Bailey Produce pays the $50,000
annual salary. This places an undue burden on one man who gives out of generosity, but
who, if we were financially healthy, would not have to so heavily and disproportionately
support the school.

c. The ministry of the school is heavily subsidized (roughly 20% of annual budget counting
fundraisers, principal salary, and other work and contributions) privately by individuals
within the church. Between the private contributions of businesses within the church, much
of the school’s ministry is accomplished. George mentioned at a recent board meeting that
he alone pumps roughly $90,000 into the school annually between paying the principal and
providing various fundraisers. If anything were to happen that would limit George’s (and
others) ability to give, the entire ministry would collapse. To put this in perspective,
George’s annual giving to the school is roughly equal to about two-thirds of the annual
church budget. This is very simply an unhealthy financial situation for everyone involved.

5) Relational dynamics cause church leadership to tend toward dysfunction.

a. Due to the interconnectedness of church leadership members, decisions have the potential
to cause interpersonal conflict, even if unanimously agreed upon by everyone.

i. The decision was unanimously made by the Board in 2015 to pursue a new
Headmaster for CCA. Even though this decision was unanimous, it seems to have
caused interpersonal tension and, even if it didn’t, it certainly carries with it a great
potential to do so. Since the results of that decision were carried out, emotions are
so high regarding decisions that affect the former Headmaster, Sam Hinson, that
these elevated emotions seem to hold honest opinions and, ultimately, decisions,
hostage. (Ex: Comptroller discussions that emerge at every Governing Board
meeting due to budgetary constraints)

ii. Though we have a tremendous need for new voices in church leadership (the
addition of Geoff, for example, has been greatly helpful and beneficial), I am
extremely reluctant to ask people to serve due to the troubling dynamics currently
present.

So, what solutions am I proposing?

I do not simply want to lay out a laundry list of problems without proposing solutions that could
help us fix these problems. The first solution listed is my strong recommendation because I think
it will address and help resolve most of the problems listed above. However, the second option
would work, too.

We need to specify a goal for ministry; a very specific goal at which we aim and by which we
organize. I am laying out two options for us. While they are very different, they are equally
attainable. I am not proposing that we implement these plans overnight, but I do need to know if
we are willing to move in one of these two directions. However, if we are unwilling to take either
of these paths, I honestly believe that my time of usefulness in Whiteville is coming to a close.
The fact is, the only target we are shooting for right now is a month-to-month existence. If we do
not purposefully choose a path, we will continue to simply exist and feel “accomplished.” If we 
are satisfied with just existing, then I cannot continue to dream and envision what the Lord wants
to do here with our church in Whiteville, with little hope of seeing those dreams and visions come
to fruition.

I am listing two options for us to consider, both of which require a shift in our understanding of
ministry and a shift in the organization and purpose of MAC & CCA. The first is a vision of the
school primarily as an outstanding academic Christian educational institution and the second is a
vision of the school primarily as a ministry of MAC. It is important to understand that I am asking
us to choose one or the other, not both. Trying to pursue both options will result in mediocrity in
both the church and school.

1) Option 1: THE SCHOOL EXCELS AS A CHRISTIAN EDUCATIONAL
INSTITUTION. If we do not merely want a ministry, but rather, and very differently, we
want an educational institution whose academic quality far exceeds the other educational
offerings in our county, we need to “plant” the school and set it free to truly flourish as a
bastion of Christian education managed by experts in that field. What would this look like
and how is this different from what we have now?

a. Under our current organizational structure, the school is so tightly controlled and
managed that it is not allowed to either succeed or fail as an organization.

i. CCA has never had the opportunity to blossom into a full-fledged
educational institution because it has always been supported and managed
by the Christian lay-leaders and pastors of MAC. We are not experts in the
field of education nor do we claim to be. However, by so closely managing
an educational institution, we are limiting its growth potential to that which
we know and can manage. As long as the school is managed and run by the
church, we will never see it grow into what it can become as an educational
institution.

ii. CCA has never had the opportunity to fail, due to the private subsidizing of
the school. I have been told that the school would have gone under several
times if not for the private support of individuals within the church. What
if it is the Lord’s will that the school ceases to exist? Are we comfortable
with that outcome or will we continue to, perhaps, artificially support
something that is unviable? I once heard a saying that altered my view of
ministry: “Where God guides, God provides.” In other words, if God is
leading His people in a certain direction, He will provide the means to
accomplish those purposes. If He is not providing, can we accept that as a
sign that He is not leading us to continue in that direction? Perhaps He is
trying to lead in a new and more glorious direction. (Think Acts 16 where
Paul is prevented from traveling to Asia despite his obvious longing to go.)

b. Our church has not experienced its full growth potential because of the school, and
the school is not allowed to grow to its full potential because of the church. The
statement here is referring to the mission and vision of the church and school, and
does not relate to finances.

i. A church is organized and managed by pastors and lay leaders. A school is
organized and run by educators, teachers, and administrators. The two think
and operate very differently from one another. However, as long as the 
church must always consider the needs and demands of the school, and the
school must always consider the needs and demands of the church, neither
of the two will be able to realize their full potential as organizations.

1. It is important to note that I am not talking about the sharing of space
here. It is completely possible to share space and still accomplish
this objective. Just so long as there are very clear organizational
lines drawn between the two. For example: separate boards making
separate administrative decisions, having separate finances, but
understanding how the two relate to one another.

a. For example, we share the space on campus, which is
efficient and being a good steward of resources. However,
we are constantly juggling the church and school in our
interior building plans. The two utilize space quite
differently. (Churches are laid out and decorated to convey
purpose, mission, vision, etc. Schools are communicating
school events, fundraising, athletics, etc.) By having to
accommodate both, the front of our building is bare for lack
of consensus on a design, the lobby is bare, our walls are
bare, our sanctuary is bare, our fellowship hall is bare, etc.)
The school does not decorate for fear of infringement and
the same is true of the church. But, again, this is only a
symptom of the larger issue of purpose, mission, and vision
of the two organizations.

ii. Financially speaking, as long as the two are joined at the hip, money is
shifted back and forth from one to the other as needed, which only cripples
either organization from spending its own money as it sees fit. Not only is
this financially crippling, but it is also demoralizing to those who wish to
see the fruits of their labor in their given department.

1. Last summer, the church loaned tens-of-thousands of dollars to the
school in order to help it exist into this year. While that is not
necessarily a bad thing, it financially cripples the church from using
its funds on anything other than the school – mission trips, taking
youth to the LIFE conference, community outreach, investing
money into strategic discipleship programs, hiring staff, etc.

2. From the standpoint of being demoralizing, if the CCA Athletic
Department was, for example, making thousands of dollars per year
from our teams and facilities, but that money is taken from them and
poured into church functions or other school uses (paying staff,
lights, or mortgage). This demoralizes the very individuals who
have worked so hard to make that money for the athletic department.
This leads to apathy of our volunteer base and a high turnover rate.

c. If we truly wish to see both the school and church set free to grow into all that they
can be, we must adopt this mindset of “planting” a Christian school into our
community and trust the results to the Lord. Doing this would free up the church
from constantly discussing educational matters like accreditation, tuition costs,
scholarships, dress code, athletics, and a variety of other educational issues. Being 
obligated to discuss school matters at the church board level soaks up valuable time,
which could be used to further the mission of the church.

2) Option 2: THE SCHOOL FUNCTIONS AS A MINISTRY OF THE CHURCH. This
option involves having the school truly function as a ministry of the church to the point
where the school is used by the church to further the mission and vision of the church.
What would this look like and how is this different from what we have now?
a. Right now, the school is a ministry of the church in name. However, other than a
couple of families who trickle into the church body from the school, it does not
serve to further the mission of the church in a profound way.

i. For example, a friend of mine serves at a church in Georgia that has a
Christian school as a ministry of the church. Like us, their school is
unaccredited. Therefore, they intentionally use their staff positions to hire
church personnel rather than qualified educators. Their worship leader,
youth pastor, and children’s director are all teachers at the school. In other
words, their teaching roles are a part of their official church duties. In this
sense, they leverage the school to further the mission of the church. What
would this look like for us? Consider this: We are an unaccredited school.
If we remain in this standing, we need to use our teaching positions as a
means of furthering the mission and vision of our denomination and our
church. The Alliance has a great vetting process and does most of the hard
work for us. If we truly wish to see the school serve as a ministry of the
church, we need to hire Alliance personnel (future missionaries, pastors,
and chaplains), which would not only bring more cohesion into the
church/school relationship, but also would certainly further the mission of
the church in our community.

b. Our goal would not simply be to continue to exist. I hear often, and it is said
proudly, that we have existed for 40 years. While that is a form of accomplishment,
we should not strive to simply continue to exist. This shift in thinking would
radically change our identity as a church and school. We would go from being “the
Christian school church” to a focused, missionary training and sending institution
the likes of which this region has never seen. Not only that, but the cohesion of our
staff would only increase as people of one heart and mind come together toward a
common vision. Furthermore, we could also leverage these fine men and women
for service in the church for the duration of their time in Whiteville. This would
prevent the pastor from serving as the Senior Pastor, Youth Pastor, and Worship
Pastor and hopefully, re-energize the body and increase personal involvement in
the local mission. In this sense, the school would truly serve as a ministry of the
church in every sense of the word, and not in name only.

I am, like each of us, invested in the work of Christ in this community. However, I have the lonely
task of being held accountable before God to a greater degree (James 3:1), regarding the ministry
here at Whiteville. This is a burden that I feel daily and that I take very seriously. This is the
reason for my grave concern for both the church and the school. As the pastor of the church, I am
held responsible and accountable for the fruit of both for as long as I am here. While I do not
intend this to sound threatening or combative, I have felt the effects of trying to work within a
system that I believe is fundamentally broken and that I constantly debate whether or not can be
changed. Furthermore, I just cannot lead an organization that is not moving toward any other
specific goal than the continuance of existence. It is maddening and I can feel my frustration often
come out in unfair and unreasonable ways in my home.

I am simply asking you to consider if you are willing to do two things. The first is to address those
issues that I feel are systemic problems. This requires agreement on the fact that they are problems
to begin with. The second is to take a very specific course of action with regard to the church and
school. Either of these two options is acceptable, but, as I have stated, I cannot continue to lead
an organization that I am so seemingly at odds with the direction, or lack thereof, that it is going.

​I say all of this with malice toward none, but simply wanting to honor God and use our abilities in
a way that would see Him glorified like never before here in Whiteville.

Memorial Service – Elmer Joseph Miller
Schmidt Dhonau Kucner Funeral Home
Sharonville, OH
30 November 2016


Good afternoon.  For those of you with whom I have not had the pleasure of making your acquaintance, please allow me to introduce myself.  My name is Justin DuBose and I married into the Miller family – which could make you feel one of two ways about me.  Depending on how you feel about being a part of this great family, that decision either communicates to you that my decision-making ability is either far superior or extremely questionable.  In either case, when I chose to marry one of Elmer’s granddaughters, Alanna, I still consider it one of the greatest decisions of my life and I truly consider myself an immeasurably blessed man because of my connection to this remarkable family.  Thank you for letting me be a part of the family and thank you for inviting me and allowing me the privilege of speaking here this afternoon on behalf of Elmer.
In many ways, I feel rather inadequate standing before you this afternoon.  Not only am I charged with speaking about a man whose life was full of great accomplishments, but I also feel as though many of you, because of your deep connection to Elmer, are probably more capable of speaking to his life than am I.  So, if you'll grant me a healthy measure of grace, I am going to give my best effort to take a full 91 years of accomplished life and condense it into the length that our attention spans can endure, which studies suggest is not very long!  I'll give you my very best in honoring the man that Elmer was, look at the larger question of the purpose of life, and constrain each of us to evaluate ourselves in the light of our own mortality.
    As you all know, and as his obituary so eloquently stated, Elmer Miller was a member of America’s “greatest generation”.  Coined by the television journalist Tom Brokaw, this term is fitting not only of a faceless and nameless generation of millions of Americans, but also specifically and especially of Elmer Miller.  Brokaw settled on this moniker not because there were any inherent characteristics of these men and women that somehow elevated them above previous and future generations, but very simply, as he said, because they “fought not for fame and recognition, but because it was ‘the right thing to do’.”
    Although I did not know Elmer Miller near as long as many of you, I did have the distinct privilege of getting to know him over the last almost fifteen years.  Elmer and I had several conversations about his life and experiences, and each of those conversations have allowed me to draw out some special characteristics from his life that not only made him the extraordinary human being he was, but most certainly placed him into the category of the “greatest generation” whose life can be encapsulated by simply “doing the right thing.”
    Back in April of 2011 I was having a conversation with Elmer about his life and I realized that this setting provided the perfect opportunity to record our conversations so that my children – his great-grandchildren – might know of his life from Elmer himself even if they never had the privilege of having these conversations with him personally.  So, over the next two days I asked him everything from his family history, to his life in grade school, to his wartime experiences, and into his adult life.  I asked him as many questions as he was gracious enough to entertain in an effort to know, understand, and appreciate this man who now kindly let me call him “grandpa”.  This week, in preparing for today, I went back and watched that footage and was reminded why there was a “greatest generation” and why Grandpa Miller was certainly a part of it.
    Grandpa’s life was undeniably rooted in a deep and unwavering work ethic.  What immediately comes to mind for most is his selfless service in World War II.  He flew almost 25 missions in the Pacific Theatre over Japan, the Philippines, and the Palau Islands.  This type of work was not only incredibly dangerous and often even fatal, but it was also just plain old hard.  Being responsible, as he was, for thousands of pounds of munitions meant a day-in and day-out routine of repeatedly loading and unloading thousands of pounds of bombs, not to mention accomplishing all of this in a variety of locations that lacked any form of modern comfort and convenience.  He did it because it needed to be done and because it was the right thing to do.  But, travel with me upstream of his wartime service and we will discover together that this was no isolated incident but rather, and very differently, a characteristic that made grandpa who he was and provides a defining distinctive of his life.
    He told me of his experience delivering newspapers as a “newsie” in the years immediately following the Great Depression.  “Why, when I was in high school”, he said, “we earned $1 for delivering newspapers around the neighborhood.”  “How many newspapers would you deliver before you could collect your dollar?” I asked.  His answer: about 400.  And, though math is not my strong suit, even I can calculate that the algebra for that equation equals a quarter of a cent per newspaper.  Now, if I were in grandpa’s shoes as a young opportunistic teenager, I would be very tempted to rationalize why this endeavor was not worth my time, but it needed to be done and it was the right thing to do, and so he did it.
    He also told me that they would collect papers from the same neighborhoods after they had been read.  These “newsies” were charged with collecting an entire wagonload of old newspapers, which they would then return for recycling.  It took them an entire workday to gather a wagonload of these discarded papers and, once they brought a wagonload in, they were rewarded with a whole quarter for their efforts.  After he shared that with me, I asked what I thought was a fairly logical question: “What would you spend your quarter on, grandpa?”  He looked at me, puzzled, for a moment, as if to say, “I don’t understand the question.  What do you mean spend my quarter?”  Then he responded, “Oh, we saved it.”  And, thus, our conversation about spending money ended as quickly as it began.  He worked all day for a quarter, because it was the right thing to do and he saved whatever money he earned, because it was just the right thing to do.
    Another distinctive of grandpa’s life that surfaced in our conversation was his deep love and concern for people; for his fellow man.  Periodically, I would cease my interviewer role and simply listen and see what nuggets of wisdom would surface with no prompting.  Almost without exception, he spoke of the people in his life and his love and concern for them.  His mother, Louanna, was not an infrequent guest in our talks.  On several occasions, he mentioned to me that he was 15 years old when she died of pneumonia and would reference the date of her passing: February 5, 1941.  I learned of how he helped care for his younger sister, Ruth Ann, for three years and bore much of the burden of care for his younger brother, Donald, when he fell deathly ill for two weeks with spinal meningitis.  He had to feed him, I learned, with an eye dropper and he could only take water and corn syrup.  
After his beautiful wife of 61 years, Belle, passed in 2010 (after whom we named our second daughter) he spoke so fondly and tenderly of her that his deep love and concern could not go unnoticed.  He told me of how amazingly intelligent she was and, through teary and misty eyes, remarked that if our Belle was half as smart as his Belle that she certainly had a bright future ahead of her.  And he talked of his boys, all five of them, and how, each in their own way, he was proud of them and the lives they led.
This deep love and concern for people surfaced not only when speaking of his family, but also of his experience in World War II.  On one occasion, a password or “safeword” was given out to all the troops so that the sentry, in the dark hours of evening, would be able to discern who was a “friendly” and who was “the enemy.”  Well, as grandpa told the story, he was down by the ocean and didn’t hear the password.  So, when questioned by the sentry about the password, he of course couldn’t supply him with this magic phrase because he never heard it to begin with.  Through a series of events, he somehow got shot in his foot.  He didn’t realize this until later when his boot was full of blood.  I said to him, “Grandpa, you could have received a purple heart for that wound!”  “I suppose I could have”, he said.  “But, I didn’t say anything about it because I was afraid he would have gotten in trouble for shooting me.”  Once again: love and concern for his fellow man.
Most expressive and telling to me, though, was a story he told of a bombing mission over a particular city in Japan.  He was responsible for dropping the bombs when he was instructed.  He received the order to “kick the bomb”, as they called it.  He pulled the lever, but the explosive was momentarily hung up on something.  This brief delay caused him to miss his target by about 100 yards, thereby dropping the 1,000 pound bomb in a field just outside of the city rather than directly on top of it.  His love and concern for people surfaced most beautifully when he then said, “I’m glad we missed because we would have killed a lot of people.”  Even in war against an unrelenting enemy, grandpa never lost his concern for humanity.  This love and concern, no doubt, compelled him to devote his adult life after the war to education and public service.


These are just a few of the characteristics that surfaced about grandpa’s life that highlighted, for me, the type of person he was and the life he lived.  And, while it is impossible to encapsulate a full 91 years of life in such a short period of time, this is just some of what endeared me to him and caused his life to inspire and shape my own in a significant way.
It is really a testament to the inherent value that life has that brought us all here today.  Sure – this is a memorial service for Elmer Miller, but is a memorial to his life and a celebration of that life that brings families and friends together for occasions such as this.  We understand that life itself is precious, immeasurably valuable, and, above all, worthy of remembering and celebrating together.  It’s life, not death, that brought us here today and, if you’ll indulge me for a few moments longer, I’d like to share with you a truth that radically transformed my own view, understanding, and appreciation of the gift of life.  As you ponder your own life, I would ask you to please consider what I mentioned earlier – the meaningfulness of your life, the purpose for which you live now, and the words which, one day, some person will utter from a podium while you lie eternally still surrounded by your own loved ones.
During my teenage years I came across a poem by a man named C.T. Studd who was a famous British cricketer before he devoted his life to Christ and served as a missionary to China from the 1880’s until his death in the 1930’s.  The course of his life was radically altered when his brother became deathly ill and Studd, at the height of his athletic fame, was forced to address the question, “What is all the fame and flattery worth when a man comes to face eternity?”  In pondering that question, he immediately gave up his athletic fame and flattery for a life on the mission field.  While on the mission field he wrote the poem, “Only One Life.”  This poem radically changed not just my own understanding of life, but even my life itself.  The poem reads like this:


Two little lines I heard one day,
Traveling along life’s busy way;
Bringing conviction to my heart,
And from my mind would not depart;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.


Only one life, yes only one,
Soon will its fleeting hours be done;
Then, in ‘that day’ my Lord to meet,
And stand before His Judgement seat;
Only one life,’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.


Only one life, the still small voice,
Gently pleads for a better choice
Bidding me selfish aims to leave,
And to God’s holy will to cleave;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.


Only one life, a few brief years,
Each with its burdens, hopes, and fears;
Each with its clays I must fulfill,
living for self or in His will;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.


When this bright world would tempt me sore,
When Satan would a victory score;
When self would seek to have its way,
Then help me Lord with joy to say;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.


Give me Father, a purpose deep,
In joy or sorrow Thy word to keep;
Faithful and true what e’er the strife,
Pleasing Thee in my daily life;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.


Oh let my love with fervor burn,
And from the world now let me turn;
Living for Thee, and Thee alone,
Bringing Thee pleasure on Thy throne;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.


Only one life, yes only one,
Now let me say,”Thy will be done”;
And when at last I’ll hear the call,
I know I’ll say “twas worth it all”;
Only one life,’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.


What was Studd saying here?  He was highlighting  a deep, amazing biblical truth about life: our lives, as short or long as they may be, when surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus Christ can make a difference for all eternity.  Studd understood, and I urge you to understand, the words of Christ from John 11:25-26.  Jesus here was speaking to a woman about what real, true life was, and he uttered these timeless words.  He said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.”
The Bible speaks frequently about life.  James 4 says very pointedly, “Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.”  Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow.  What is your life?  You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.  Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”  Our lives, the Bible tells us, are like mists of water that are here for a little while and then vanish.  Psalm 90 even quantifies that word “life” for us.  It reads, “The length of our days is seventy years – or eighty, if we have the strength; for they quickly pass, and we fly away.  Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”  At the ripe age of ninety-one, Grandpa Miller had some serious strength!
Even with the few Scriptures we have read already, the Bible is very clear about two things: life is short, but, through our Lord Jesus Christ, we may have eternal life and blessed rejoicing in His presence.
But what about us who remain?  What about those of us here today who carry on in this world until the Lord calls us home?  How may we experience that true life on Earth that Jesus was addressing?  Is it even possible, or is it reserved only for life beyond the grave?  I would suggest to you this afternoon that just as a physical Jesus was speaking to a physical woman about her life, so He would say the same to you: this day, because of the resurrected Lord, you too may experience this true life.  Your life, today, can be an experience of life the way our Creator intended it to be both now and for eternity – a walk that involves loved and being loved, known and being known by an eternal God.
On one of the many occasions when the Pharisees were questioning Jesus, He responded to them in John 5:24 and said, “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.”  Don’t overlook the fact that Jesus uses that verb in the past tense.  You HAVE eternal life; you HAVE crossed over from death to life.  Jesus is telling us something of immeasurable importance here: it has already happened!  True life, REAL life, as the Lord intended it to be is available now and not just after we die.  What amazing truth that the Lord would have you receive this afternoon!  Real life – true life – life as it was intended to be experienced is available for this life, today, and the life to come.  How does this life that Jesus speaks of contrast to life that so many lead apart from him?
As strange as this may sound, I’d like to demonstrate this contrast of true life as compared to just living using an illustration from the famous children’s book, “The Velveteen Rabbit”.  This famous children’s book, published almost 100 years ago now, chronicles the story of a little stuffed rabbit and his desire to become real through the love of his owner.  As I read a section of this book, you can imagine the difference in a life lived without Christ, which is void of any real life, as compared to an authentic, dynamic personal walk with our Lord.


“The Skin Horse had lived longer in the nursery than any of the others.  He was so old that his brown coat was bald in patches and showed the seams underneath, and most of the hairs in his tail had been pulled out to string bead necklaces.  He was wise, for he had seen a long succession of mechanical toys arrive to boast and swagger, and by-and-by break their mainsprings and pass away, and he knew that they were only toys, and would never turn into anything else.  For nursery magic is very strange and wonderful, and only those playthings that are old and wise and experienced like the Skin Horse understand all about it.  “What is REAL?” asked the velveteen rabbit one day, when they were laying side by side near the nursery fender, before nana came to tidy the room.  “Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?”  “Real isn’t how you are made,” said the Skin Horse.  “It’s a thing that happens to you.  When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real.”  “Does it hurt?” asked the rabbit.  “Sometimes,” said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful.  “When you are real, you don’t mind being hurt.”  “Does it happen all at once, like being wound up,” he asked, “or bit by bit?”  “It doesn’t happen all at once,” said the Skin Horse.  “You become.  It takes a long time.  That’s why it doesn’t often happen to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept.  Generally, by the time you are real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby.  But these things don’t matter, at all, because once you are real, you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.”


    Is that not a magnificent illustration of the difference in experiencing REAL life and just living?  Real life is something that happens to you, as the Skin Horse told the rabbit, and the Scripture tells us that this “something” is the overwhelming presence of Christ Jesus our Lord.  Real life is not even understood apart from the love of Christ present in our lives.  And, what is most spectacular to me in all of this, is that Jesus tells us that this real, true life is available to us on this side of eternity.  Today, Jesus tells us, if we simply confess with our mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord and surrender our life to Him, then we can finally, truly, and personally experience real, true life.  And, like the Skin Horse intimated to the velveteen rabbit, once you are real you can never be unreal again, nor would you ever want to.
You see, this is the difference in life with Christ and life without.  A life with Jesus is not just for life beyond our final earthly breath, it is very much for every day of this “mist” that the Lord gives you.  The difference is in being one amongst a crowd of faces and one who truly knows and understands love and can rest in such love.  He speaks to you today, “I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.”
I’ll ask that we all take a few moments and meditate on our own lives.  What kind of life are we leading?  What significant purpose is our life serving?  Based on today, what words would we expect uttered at our funeral?  And, ultimately, what is our eternal destiny?  I’m going to ask that we take thirty seconds of quiet meditation and go before the Lord and examine our own hearts and lives in light of this truth.


Let’s take 30 seconds.  I’ll watch the time.


“Father, we thank you for the gift of life. We know, because we are created in your image, that each moment of each life is immeasurably valuable to You. We thank you that you formed Elmer, and fashioned him, and blessed him with life and allowed us to share in that life.


As we have committed his spirit to you, we know from Scripture that you are a righteous God, and that you will do what is right. And now, in this moment, I pray that we would each commit our own spirit to you as we also have your gift of life within us. You, oh Lord, are the Prince of Peace, and you promise to comfort those who seek you in their hour of need. So, Lord, in this hour of need, and in the many hours to come, I ask that you give us the boldness to approach your throne of grace and rely on your comfort to carry us through these times of sorrow and adjustment. We need you every hour, oh Lord, but in this hour remind us of our need for You and the comfort that comes from a relationship with You.  May we, today, experience the fullness of life for which you created us and, one day, enjoy your blessed presence forevermore.


We rest our hearts, now, in fresh confidence upon the sure and certain hope of the resurrection to life eternal through Jesus Christ our Lord.  AMEN.”


MILITARY GRAVESIDE SERVICE IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING AT REST HAVEN CEMETERY.  ALL ARE INVITED AND ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING OUR DEPARTURE FROM HERE.

Memorial Service – Annie Ruth Ward
Worthington Funeral Home
Chadbourn, NC
14 November 2016


Good afternoon.  My name is Justin DuBose and I have the privilege of being the pastor to some of the Ward family at Missionary Alliance Church in Whiteville.  It is my honor, today, on behalf of the family to be here with you as we celebrate the life of Mrs. Annie Ruth Ward.  Would you bow with me in prayer, please?


"Our Father in heaven, as we gather this afternoon to remember one who is now rejoicing in Your presence forevermore, we would ask that Your name be honored as holy.  We ask that Your kingdom come and Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us today our daily bread and, please, forgive us our sins, as we also have forgiven those who have sinned against us.  And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.  For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.  Minister to us now, Father, as we are gathered here today before You in celebration of a life that You fashioned in Your own image just as You have done for each of us here.  We ask this in the name of your Son, our advocate and redeemer, Jesus Christ.  Amen."




We are all gathered here today for the same purpose, to celebrate life; specifically the life of Mrs. Annie Ruth Ward.  And, since we are here to celebrate her life, I would like to share with you for a few moments about that subject from the Scriptures.
  
Let me read to you first from John 11:25-26.  Jesus here was speaking to a woman about what real, true life was, and he uttered these timeless words.  He said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.”


The Bible speaks frequently about life.  James 4 says very pointedly, “Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.”  Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow.  What is your life?  You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.  Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”  Our lives, the Bible tells us, are like mists of water that are here for a little while and then vanish.  Psalm 90 even quantifies that word “life” for us.  It reads, “The length of our days is seventy years – or eighty, if we have the strength; for they quickly pass, and we fly away.  Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”  At the ripe age of eighty-eight, Annie Ruth had some strength!


Even with the few Scriptures we have read already, the Bible is very clear about two things: life is short, but, through our Lord Jesus Christ, we may have eternal life and blessed rejoicing in His presence – both in this life as well as the eternal life to come.  What a comfort it is to know that Mrs. Annie Ruth is now experiencing that eternal life of no more sorrow and no more pain that is so gloriously spoken of in Revelation 20!


But what about us who remain?  What about those of us here today who carry on in this world until the Lord calls us home to join her in His presence?  How may we experience that true life on Earth that Jesus was addressing?  Is it even possible, or is it reserved only for life beyond the grave?  I would suggest to you this afternoon that just as a physical Jesus was speaking to a physical woman about her life, so He would say the same to you: this day, because of the resurrected Lord, you too may experience true life – just as Mrs. Annie Ruth did.  Your life, today, can be an experience of life the way our Creator intended it to be both now and for eternity – a walk that involves loved and being loved, known and being known by an eternal God.


On one of the many occasions when the Pharisees were questioning Jesus, He responded to them in John 5:24 and said, “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.”  Don’t overlook the fact that Jesus uses that verb in the past tense.  You HAVE eternal life; you HAVE crossed over from death to life.  Jesus is telling us something of immeasurable importance here: it has already happened!  True life, REAL life, as the Lord intended it to be is available now and not just after we die.  What amazing truth that the Lord would have you receive this afternoon!  Real life – true life – life as it was intended to be experienced is available for this life, today, and the life to come.  How does this life that Jesus speaks of contrast to life that so many lead apart from him?


As strange as this may sound, I’d like to demonstrate this contrast of true life as compared to just living using an illustration from the famous children’s book, “The Velveteen Rabbit”.  This famous children’s book, published almost 100 years ago now, chronicles the story of a little stuffed rabbit and his desire to become real through the love of his owner.  As I read a section of this book, you can imagine the difference in a life lived without Christ, which is void of any real life, as compared to an authentic, dynamic personal walk with our Lord.




“The Skin Horse had lived longer in the nursery than any of the others.  He was so old that his brown coat was bald in patches and showed the seams underneath, and most of the hairs in his tail had been pulled out to string bead necklaces.  He was wise, for he had seen a long succession of mechanical toys arrive to boast and swagger, and by-and-by break their mainsprings and pass away, and he knew that they were only toys, and would never turn into anything else.  For nursery magic is very strange and wonderful, and only those playthings that are old and wise and experienced like the Skin Horse understand all about it.  “What is REAL?” asked the velveteen rabbit one day, when they were laying side by side near the nursery fender, before nana came to tidy the room.  “Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?”  “Real isn’t how you are made,” said the Skin Horse.  “It’s a thing that happens to you.  When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real.”  “Does it hurt?” asked the rabbit.  “Sometimes,” said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful.  “When you are real, you don’t mind being hurt.”  “Does it happen all at once, like being wound up,” he asked, “or bit by bit?”  “It doesn’t happen all at once,” said the Skin Horse.  “You become.  It takes a long time.  That’s why it doesn’t often happen to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept.  Generally, by the time you are real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby.  But these things don’t matter, at all, because once you are real, you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.”


    Is that not a magnificent illustration of the difference in experiencing REAL life and just living?  Real life is something that happens to you, as the Skin Horse told the rabbit, and the Scripture tells us that this “something” is the overwhelming presence of Christ Jesus our Lord.  Real life is not even understood apart from the love of Christ present in our lives.  And, what is most spectacular to me in all of this, is that Jesus tells us that this real, true life is available to us on this side of eternity.  Today, Jesus tells us, if we simply confess with our mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord and surrender our life to Him, then we can finally, truly, and personally experience real, true life.  And, like the Skin Horse intimated to the velveteen rabbit, once you are real you can never be unreal again, nor would you ever want to.


You see, this is the difference in life with Christ and life without.  A life with Jesus is not just for the world that Mrs. Annie Ruth now lives in and will continue to live in for all eternity, it is very much for every day of this “mist” that the Lord gives you.  The difference is in being one amongst a crowd of faces and one who truly knows and understands love and can rest in such love.  He speaks to you today, “I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.”


Pray with me, please.


“Lord, we thank you for the gift of life. We know, because we are created in your image, that each moment of each life is immeasurably valuable to You. We thank you that you formed Mrs. Annie Ruth, and fashioned her, and blessed her with life and allowed us to share in that life.


As we have committed her spirit to you, we know from Scripture that you are a righteous God, and that you will do what is right. And now, in this moment, I pray that we would each commit our own spirit to you as we also have your gift of life within us. You, oh Lord, are the Prince of Peace, and you promise to comfort those who seek you in their hour of need. So, Lord, in this hour of need, and in the many hours to come, I ask that you give us the boldness to approach your throne of grace and rely on your comfort to carry us through these times of sorrow and adjustment. We need you every hour, oh Lord, but in this hour remind us of our need for You and the comfort that comes from a relationship with You.  May we, today, experience the fullness of life for which you created us and, one day, enjoy your blessed presence forevermore.


We rest our hearts, now, in fresh confidence upon the sure and certain hope of the resurrection to life eternal through Jesus Christ our Lord.  AMEN.”