Ken Boyd 1945-2015: Eulogy

The weekend before Dad got sick, he, his wife, and I were talking about my cousin, Luke’s, funeral.  Be commented that she didn’t want me to have to do that when she died.  Dad couldn’t understand this.  He was proud of me and loved to hear me preach.  As hard as it was, it was an honor to preach the gospel at his funeral.  

I am here today to do two things. First, I am here to remember my dad. Secondly, however, I am here to do what the apostle Paul said to the young pastor Timothy “Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel.”

So, you are here today because you loved my dad. And I have been thinking how best to remember Dad. I thought of something, and maybe it’s a bit irreverent, but I’ll give it a try anyway. You all know the poem, The Night Before Christmas”? Clement Clarke Moore didn’t describe Santa the way you and I tend to think of him. His Santa wasn’t the coke can Santa that stalks the malls around Christmas time. Listen to what he says, and I think you’ll agree he bears a striking resemblance to Dad.

His eyes—how they twinkled! his dimples, how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry! (That was from the scotch)
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard on his chin was as white as the snow; (Dad’s beard never got white, but he did use Just for Men one time. Bev said he looked like he guy from the Oxyclean Infomercials.)
He had a broad face and a little round belly
That shook when he laughed, like a bowl full of jelly. (Now that’s dad)
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;

Again, I don’t mean to be irreverent or disrespect Dad in any way, but in an odd way it does sort of encompass how I think about Dad. He was a jolly old elf. And he brought a lot of joy and laughter into a lot of lives.

You’re here today because of what Dad meant to you. Perhaps you worked with him at IBM. You saw his competence and his genius. My dad was genuinely brilliant. He could build a car, or a house, or a computer or a radio that could bounce radio waves off the moon. But you may have also seen what I saw, that he worked hard and did his job well, but he never climbed the company ladder, and he never, NEVER, put his career before his family.

The Mount of Disappointment

On the Friday before I preached this sermon, I learned that my dad would likely need to be taken off of life support soon.  I had already begun preparing this sermon in the midst of my dad’s illness, not knowing that he would’t survive.  Although my associate was ready to preach, I decided to go ahead and preach this sermon.  My hope was that as I brought this message of hope in the midst of sorrow other strugglers might believe the wonderful truths of the gospel.  If it is helpful to you, I thank God.  If it can be helpful to others, please pass it along.

In Him,

Iain

http://www.trinitymyrtlebeach.org/sermon/february-15th-2015/

I preach to you today with a heavy heart. Thursday after work, Shelly and I drove up to Charlotte to check on my Dad and my family. For those of you who do not know, Dad went in to the hospital 3 and a half weeks ago with the flu and has been largely unconscious for most of the time since then. He had been showing some signs of progress with improved lung and kidney function. He had even opened his eyes and responded to some pain tests. When we went to go see Dad on Friday, we were told that there was no reason for him to not be awake and so they were going to do an MRI to see if they could find a reason. On the way home, I got a phone call from my brother. The MRI showed that Dad has had a number of strokes. They are on both sides of his brain and up the middle of his brain as well. At this point, his chances of survival are negligible. Even if he does survive, his quality of life will likely be dismal

That news came on the wake of a lot of ups and downs. At several points the medical professionals and we thought Dad was going to pull through, only to have our hopes dashed by another new development in his case. I stand before you today on a Mountain of Disappointment. Not the least point of disappointment is that on Friday when we heard they were going to do an MRI, I had a bad feeling and so I asked you all to pray. After sending that out, I had a sense of hopefulness that God’s people were praying to their loving heavenly father. That prayer was not answered the way I had hoped it would be.

I tell you all that today not for your sympathy. I cannot say how much I appreciate it and how much I need your prayers. I have been encouraged a hundred fold in the way that this church has carried me and my family through this time. Were I to live a hundred lifetimes, I could not pay you back. I tell you this today because I want to take the gravity of this situation and appeal to you to turn your eyes to some wonderful truths.

I know, that you too have stood, are standing, and will stand on the Mount of Disappointment. You have seen the all too early demise of loved ones. You have seen marriages not turn out the way you thought they would. You have lost your jobs and struggled to support your families. You have seen your children walk into pains that you would have given your life to keep them from.

You have stood there and you have wondered where God is. You have wondered if He cares. You have wondered why it has to be this way. You have wondered if you’ll ever be able to be the same again.

I want you to come with me this morning on a trip to some other Mountains of Disappointment. Stand with me if you will on Mount Nebo, the highest point in the Pisgah mountain range just east of the Jordan River. Stand there and see the man Moses.

If ever there was a man who had reason to hope in God, it was Moses. Imagine him thinking back through the years when he climbed Mt Sinai to meet with the Lord. He and the people of Israel had seen God do wondrous and powerful things in Egypt. Imagine as he speaks face to face with God and dreams of entering into the Promised Land as the people of God.