Ecclesiastes 7:2 It is better to go to a house of mourning
Than to go to a house of feasting,
Because 1that is the end of every man,
And the living takes it to heart.
I want to Cody Sevier’s memorial service yesterday (Wednesday, January 28). Cody was 24, attended Journey for the last few years. His parents are Journey peeps, Roger & Catherine. I was asked to open the service & pray which I was honored to do. Then I just enjoyed the service. Strange word, but in an odd sense “enjoyment” is apropos.
* There was a very long wonderful worship set with an amazing band of Cody’s friends. Cody loved music. He was a drummer & his drum kit sat on the stage while his friends led us in worship.
* Lots of friends, family & family friends shared tribute & memories. Each one was poignant & inspirational.
* Then his old youth pastor Charlie Alcock shared a great message from passages in Cody’s bible that he had underlined & wrote comments in. Cody struggled more than most of us. He had to fight serious set backs & borderline personality disorder.
There are certain strange things about being a pastor. One of them is that you are at more funerals & memorial services than the average person. It’s harder to pretend that death will never come or that nothing bad ever happens if you just live according to some divine formula. It’s harder to look at a crowd and not see lots of hurt. This is one of the main differences of being at this a while. When I was in my 20s I didn’t get this, I mean really get it.
Ecclesiastes 7:4 The mind of the wise is in the house of mourning,
While the mind of fools is in the house of pleasure.
I heard from a couple of people last Wednesday about Cody, about Roger & Catherine’s loss. I was at their house that afternoon. I haven’t gone very long without thinking of them & praying for them this last week. Would you pray for them too? They are feeling loved, wonderfully supported by the body of Jesus. The “weep with those who weep” scripture is very real.
They wrote this marvelous God-glorifying note on the program for the service:
We want to give thanks to all the wonderful friends & family, near & far, who supported us with their prayer & love. Than you also to Journey Community Church. Above all, we thank the Father who holds our precious son in His loving arms & who carried us through these difficult days.
But I know there is a place in their soul that only God can go and I pray that He goes there.
One more note: This was on the back of the program for the service…
“Cody highlighted, underlined & drew 20 stars around this verse in his Bible –
“If we live, we live to the Lord; & if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.” Romans 14:8 NIV
