Funeral Service for Michael Patterson

The Gathering

I am the Resurrection and I am the Life, says the Lord.
Whoever has faith in me shall have life, even though he die.
And everyone who has life, and has committed herself to me in faith,
shall not die forever.

As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives
And that at the last he will stand upon the earth.
After my awakening, he will raise me up;
And in my body I shall see God.
I myself shall see, and my eyes behold him
Who is my friend and not a stranger.

For none of us has life in himself.
And none becomes his own master when he dies.
For if we have life, we are alive in the Lord,
And if we die, we die in the Lord.
So, then, whether we live or die,
We are the Lord’s possession.

Happy from now on
Are those who die in the Lord!
So it is, says the Spirit,
For they rest from their labors.

Hymn: Amazing Grace

Eulogy and Time of Sharing

Michael Patterson was born on April 17, 1953 in Hope, Arkansas; he was born into life eternal on August 26, 2005. Michael is survived by his sister, Sharon, and his brother, William, better known as Buddy.

Born in Hope – that might make a good slogan for a presidential campaign. But it was not just Bill Clinton’s story – it was Mike’s. Born in the south in the 1950’s, hot summer days, learning to live with humidity. No air conditioning. But that was probably nothing as learning to live with one’s mother having cancer, her premature death while the kid’s were all teenagers. Moving to Grandma’s house to be raised. Such were Mike’s early days.

Then there were the lost years, years of drugs, alcohol, but not years without the ability to form friendships, to learn survival skills, to learn how to bind together with others in the face of often hostile authorities.

The Mike we knew, however, put aside the addictions. He became known for his wisdom. Of yes, he had that streak of stubborn independence that could still arise. But the virtues learned during the tough years became tremendous gifts to all who knew him in these last years.

Of course, we didn’t know that these were Mike’s last years. He miraculously recovered from liver programs. God had done miraculous things in Mike’s life. We trusted him for help, for knowledge, for his steady, stable presence. We witnessed his life transformed by the love of God as he became enfolded into the body of Christ, the church. Unimposing, undemanding, Mike, knowing that SSI was a possibility for those with money for lawyers, re-entered the work force – and quickly was named employee of the month.

Then came the flu. But it was July; and it wasn’t the flu. We listened as he told us the diagnosis of terminal cancer. We marveled at the dignity and grace as he met the news, full of faith and hope and love in God: “I feel sorrow for you guys; I’m going home; you will have to stay here and grieve.”

We rejoiced as Buddy and Sharon joined him. We watched the cancer decimate his body. Charlee’s house was open to spend the time; Liz so patient and loving in care. As I got up to leave from spending a few minutes last Friday afternoon, I said, Mike, “I’m sorry. I love you.” He responded, audibly, “I love you too.” I was not worthy of such love.

A little over six hours later Liz called – Mike had stopped breathing – but a soft pulse remained. Just like Mike, contrary to the end! As we gathered in the apartment to commend his body to God, we laughed and cried. We knew that he had entered into a great mystery; we had witnessed that life is ultimately about one’s faith, hope, and love in God as we face death. And in his death, as in his life, Mike had been a great gift to us all.

Prayers

O God, who by the glorious resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ, destroyed death, and brought life and immortality to light: Grant that your servant Michael Patterson, being raised with him, may know the strength of his presence, and rejoice in his eternal glory; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Most merciful God, whose wisdom is beyond our understanding: deal graciously with Sharon and Buddy and us all in our grief. Surround us all with your love, that we may not be overwhelmed by this loss, but have confidence in your goodness, and strength to mee the days to come; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Hymn: It is Well with my Soul

Gospel Reading: John 10:11-16

Homily

I am the God Shepherd. The Good Shepherd gives his life for his sheep.

The Gospel reading presents us with an interesting image – not many people in San Diego watch flocks. I don’t see many sheep spread out here along the beach. But the interesting point about this passage is how aggressive the shepherd is for the sake of the sheep. The shepherd lays down life for these stupid animals.

We see in this passage God’s relentless hunt for us in Jesus Christ. God became human for us in Jesus Christ, to call us into God’s own Life. We can have confidence in this aggressive Shepherd, for we were made for God; in faith, we return to where we belong. We no longer need to hide. The Good Shepherd finds us, and we recognize that we no longer need to run away. In Jesus Christ we hear the voice of God, and we know that we belong.

We have witnessed this passage in the life of Mike Patterson. Mike had known Jesus, but as life unfolded, he had run from the church. Somewhere a deep pain had wrestled his life from God. Yet this Good shepherd is relentless. God pulled Mike into the flock, a little congregation in Mid-City San Diego. I remember when he joined church. He surprised me when he said, “I can’t believe this is happening.” And we watched with thankfulness and amazement at the depth of life that opened for him. God brought forth an amazing witness in Mike.

Who would have known that last years were to be the last years of his life? Who could have predicted that the Good Shepherd was laying down His life, preparing Mike for death? How could any of us have predicted that God called at this time to enfold Mike into a profound love of God and neighbor as a member of a congregation, a part of the true body of Christ made visible in the world.

In Mike’s life, in his death, we see Christ the Good Shepherd – the aggressive Love that is God. In Mike’s story, we find the strength to give our self over to God in faith, hope, and love, to find his true home in God. For in the resurrection of Jesus, we discover that death does not have the last word, but God does. And God has shown us God’s own self in the sending of the Son, the Good Shepherd.

The same love of God that we see in Mike is also for us. We can stop running. We can let the Shepherd enfold us; we can learn to listen to the Shepherd’s voice. We need to understand that we live life for its end – God. And through faith in Jesus Christ, in responding to the Spirit’s call, we too can live life knowing that nothing, not even death, can separate us, as it has not Mike, from the love of God.

Litany of the Saints

Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.

Mindful that we do not make our journey of faith alone, but that we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, those who have gone before us, whose prayers rise from under the altar in heaven to our God, we remember those who have gone before us, asking, God, that those who come after us find us faithful as well:

Holy Mary, Mother of God.
Saint Joseph,
Saint John the Baptist
Saint Peter and Saint Paul
Saint John, Beloved of our Lord
Saint Mary Magdalene
Saint Stephen
Saint Ignatius
Saint Perpetua and Saint Felicity who gave their lives in martyrdom
Saint Augustine
Saint Athanasius
Saint Basil
Saint Benedict
Saint Francis and Saint Clare
Saint Thomas Aquinas
John and Charles Wesley and those early Methodists
Phineas Bresee and the faithful who have come afterwards in the Church of the Nazarene
Brother David Sheets
Brother Buay Tang
Brother Michael Patterson

(Pause)

Lord, be merciful,
Lord, save us.
From all harm,
From every sin,
From all temptations,
From everlasting death,
Lord, save us.
By Your coming among us, .
By Your death and rising to new life,
By Your gift of the Holy Spirit,
Lord, save us.
Be merciful to us sinners,
Guide and protect Your Holy Church,
Keep all the clergy in faithful service to Your Church.
Bring all people together in trust and peace.
Strengthen us in Your service.
Lord, hear our prayer.
Shall we pray together the prayer that our Lord taught his disciples to pray?

The Lord’s Prayer

The Prayers of the People

For our brother, Mike, let us pray to our Lord Jesus Christ who said, “I am the Resurrection and the Life.”

Lord, you consoled Martha and Mary in their distress; draw near to us who mourn for Mike, and dry the tears of those who weep.

You wept at the grave of Lazarus, your friend; comfort us in our sorrow.

You raised the dead to life; give to our brother, Mike, eternal life.

You promised paradise to the thief who repented; bring Mike to the joys of heaven.

Mike was washed in Baptism and anointed with the Holy Spirit; give him fellowship with all your saints.

He was nourished with your Body and Blood; grant him a place at the table in your heavenly kingdom.

Comfort us in our sorrows at the death of our brother; let our faith be our consolation, and eternal life our hope.

(Silence)

Father of all, we pray to you for Mike, and for all those whom we love but see no longer. Grant to them eternal rest. Let light perpetual shine upon them. May Mike’s soul and the souls of all the departed, through the mercy of God, rest I peace. Amen.

The Commendation

Give rest, O Christ, to your servant with your saints, where sorrow and pain are no more, neither sighing but life everlasting.

You only are immortal, the creator, and make of humankind; we are moral, formed of the earth, and to earth shall we return. For so did you ordain when you created me, saying, ‘You are dust, and to dust you shall return.’ All of us go down to the dust; yet even at the grave we make our song: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Give rest, O Christ, to your servant with your saints, where sorrow and pain are no more, neither sighing but life everlasting.

(Celebrants face the picture of Mike)

Into your hands, O merciful Savior, we commend your servant Mike. Acknowledge, we humbly beseech you, a sheep of your own fold, a lamb of your flock, a sinner of your own redeeming. Receive him into the arms of your mercy, into the blessed rest of everlasting peace, and into the glorious company of the saints in light. Amen

The Committal

Everyone the Father gives to me will come to me; I will never turn away anyone who believes in me.

My heart, therefore, is glad, and my spirit rejoiced; my body also shall rest in hope.

You will show me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy,
And in your right hand are pleasures for evermore.

(While turning the picture of Mike backwards on the easel)

In sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life, through our Lord Jesus Christ, we commend to Almighty God our brother, Mike, and we commit his body to the ground, earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust. The Lord bless him and keep him, the Lord make his face to shine upon him and be gracious to him, the Lord life up his countenance upon him, and give him peace. Amen.

Benediction

The God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, the great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant: Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight; through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.