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Yesterday I posted something written by my friend in June of 2017. Later that month I officiated at the wedding of his youngest daughter. Four months later he went to be with His Lord and Savior.  What follows is the tribute I wrote on the day of his funeral.

Thursday morning I got a phone call that no one wants to get. My friend had died very unexpectedly. Through the numbness I tried to comprehend what I was being told. I would never again in this life be able to pick up the phone and hear the voice that had been my confidant and brother for over 40 years.

Truth be told, we were still trying to adjust to his wife’s death from cancer 17 months earlier, and we saw that one coming. Now this.

Death is an enemy. We don’t like it. It hurts. But we temper that with the assurance that Jesus has conquered death for us.

Jesus lives! And now is death
But the gate of life immortal;
This shall calm my trembling breath
When I pass its gloomy portal.
Faith shall cry as fails each sense:
Jesus is my confidence!

 I met Greg when I transferred to Concordia Lutheran College in Austin in the middle of my freshman year. We quickly became friends. We were both preacher’s kids, and our shared faith in Jesus was part of what made our bond so strong. We sang in the college choir together, along with the girls who would become our wives. We were always at ease with each other. We could and did talk about absolutely everything in our lives.

While I have always loved music, Greg had an enormous gift and talent in that area. I would sit and listen to him play his guitar and sing for hours on end, sometimes singing along. He continued to hone and use that gift throughout his life and used it to share his faith in Jesus. It was a way he expressed himself. And he was always telling me about and teaching me new songs. He introduced me to Big Daddy Weave. And he was excited that he had tickets to go see Crowder on Friday. But just imagine the concert he got to see instead!

Greg was a tremendously gifted wordsmith. Over the years he would share things with me that he had written, and I was always in awe. Like the conversation he had with God that he posted online and was reprinted in his memorial folder. (And I now shared it on my timeline!) He published a book on being a disciple of Jesus, which tied in to his passion for helping college-aged people stay connected to Christ. Writing was cathartic for him, the way he poured out his soul and shared his deepest thoughts and emotions.

We talked about once a month. We would also email each other when a thought struck us that we wanted to share. Our phone calls were rarely less than 30 minutes. We would talk about life, theology, our kids and grandkids, and most of the time we would make each other laugh. Somewhere along the way, at the close of one of our conversations, I said, “Give Deb a hug and tell her it’s from me.” He replied, “You do the same with Cheryl.” That became a regular closing for a while, until one day I said, “You know what to do.” And his response was “And also with you.” And for over 20 years, almost every conversation ended that way. For the last year and a half, I had to catch myself so I didn’t say that to him.

I am about to go to his memorial service. I chose not to speak there today because I know I would not be able to get through it. I doubt I’ll be able to sing any of the songs or hymns. But through my tears I will be rejoicing that another redeemed sinner has received through faith the reward that Jesus earned for him with His life and death and resurrection. And I wanted to share this tribute to my friend. Greg was a blessing from God to me. And I thank God for that. Because of our shared faith in Jesus, I look forward to seeing him again. Auf wiedersehen, Roomie. You know what to do.

The following was written by my friend, Greg Koenig, almost a year after his wife died and just before their youngest daughter was getting married. It is longer than my usual posts, but well worth the read.

Yeah, so here’s the transcript from a conversation God and I had recently. As with the earlier one, God gets a little chatty, but that was okay with me. Weird how these things seem to happen around milestones or upcoming big events, isn’t it?

Me: God? Me again.

God: So it is. What’s up?

Me: I don’t know; just a little thing, I suppose.

God: Hm. So I’m listening.

Me: It really starts with me talking to my best friend back in February. He’s really about the only person who can ask me how I’m doing and get the unabridged story.

God: And he asked you how you were doing. I was there. So…

Me: Well, I remember telling him the winter was getting long.

God: And cold?

Me: Argh! You already know where I’m going with this. Anyway, no, the winter wasn’t literally cold, so I didn’t see any need to throw that in.

God: Lonely, though.

Me: Yeah, okay, just stay a step ahead of me.

God: It’s how I roll. Sure, you were lonely. Most of the time, there was nobody in the house but you, and that was a constant reminder that a big part of you was missing–and it often felt as if there would be no end to that.

Me: Yeah.

God: There’s something more, which you may or may not have thought much about. You know the wife of your youth is here with me–safe, restored, the best she’s ever been. Huh, since Easter, all she does is dance. Anyway, you and I talked about that before, when you were wrestling with why she died–when you were just beginning to heal.

Me: Right; I know she’s with you. And somehow the dancing doesn’t surprise me.

God: Still, when a relationship between humans ends, that’s a death, too. And even if the end of the relationship is for the better, you humans will mourn that death. It’s no less real than the physical death of a loved one, plus you’re still there to lug it around with you, day after day after day. You’re your own reminder of the death of that relationship! You didn’t connect the dots at the time, but you were feeling it back then; you called it a wound.

Me: Whoa, yeah….

God: So anyway…. Long, lonely winter?

Me: Ha, yeah, well, you know my daughter Kate is getting married in a few weeks?

God: Oh?

Me: Stop. You know.

God: They’re a cute couple. I’m gonna bless ’em big.

Me: I know you are. Anyway, this cool, eerie little coincidence happened. Kate came to me one day and wondered out loud if it’d be okay to use the same song for her father-daughter dance that her sister Lexi used at her wedding.

God: Which is … ?

Me: Well, my kids know it’s kind of a signature song for me–and it’s the first song I ever learned to perform really well.

God: Huh, yeah, when you were like 13. George Harrison’s “Here Comes the Sun.” Catchy; it’s one of the better songs that’s not about me.

Me: Wow. You know.

God: You play it all. the. time. (You weren’t very good at first, but you got better.) Anyway–six hundred ninety-two times over the last 45 years! And counting!

Me: Hey, it’s how I roll. Well, when I first heard it back in 1971, on George’s Concert for Bangladesh album, I just knew I had to learn it. The simple but evocative lyrics, the ascending and descending acoustic riffs–so sweet … so sweet.

God: And so what’s the big deal about that?

Me: Heh. Well, when Kate asked that, all the lyrics rushed back to me at once, and it was like seeing that first robin of spring and thinking at last that maybe things could get better. “It’s been a long, cold, lonely winter … the smile’s returning to the faces … I feel that ice is slowly melting … it seems like years since it’s been clear … Here comes the sun … and–”

God: “–It’s all right.” Mm, yeah. And so …?

Me: It begins to feel like maybe it could actually be all right.

God: So what are you going to do–season some old, close friendships, maybe make a couple new close friendships, finish that novel, learn some fancy new stuff on the guitar…?

Me: Ha, well, you never know.

God: No. I always know.

Me: Oh, yeah. Well–AND polish up my two-step. Can’t wait; can’t wait!

God: Mmhm; cool. But let me check something with you–you really think that that question from your daughter about that song, at that time, in that context, was just a coincidence.

Me: Whaaaaaaa? Well, er, … of … course … not …?

God: Ha–gotcha! Remember Who it is Who’s got your back. Stay humble.

Me: So, but, well … it’s all right? Really?

God: It will be. Just stick with me and hold on tight.

Me: Yeah.

Sun, sun, sun. Here it comes.

William Arthur Ward was a long-time columnist for the Fort Worth Star Telegram. A book entitled “Think it Over” was published in 1985, containing a collection of his wisdom, insights and writings. Here is one of those:

Real Religion is a way of life, not a white cloak to be wrapped around us on the Sabbath and then cast aside into the six-day closet of unconcern.

Many followers of Jesus seem to think they can be God-fearing an hour or two on Sunday and that will make up for their actions the rest of the week. Do you think that is what God desires of His children? While it is true we do have a covering of righteousness that makes us white and clean in God’s sight, it is not a covering of our own actions. Our covering is the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Scripture points us to the cover repeatedly.

Psalm 32:1 Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.

Revelation 7:13–14 Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?” I answered, “Sir, you know.” And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

Ephesians 6:14 Stand firm then … with the breastplate of righteousness in place

Romans 13:14 Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ…

Thank God we have a covering that makes us clean in God’s sight, a covering we obtain through faith in our Lord Jesus. Having such a covering, make full use of it. Don’t treat it like your “Sunday best,” reserved only for a short period each week. Wear it proudly every day, bearing the name of Christian, one who is confident in Christ, letting your light shine for others to come to know Him as well.

Psalm 98:4-6 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music; make music to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing, with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn– shout for joy before the LORD, the King.

Joy to the world, the Lord is come! Let earth receive her King!
Let ev’ry heart prepare Him room And heav’n and nature sing…

Yes, I know it is not yet Christmas time. It is not even Advent yet, although I have seen Christmas decorations on homes and in stores since September. But this hymn was not originally written as a Christmas hymn. It fits that season well, but did you ever stop to think about the things this hymn does not mention: shepherds, angels, wise men, the stable, Mary, Joseph, Bethlehem, the manger. None of those things are in what most people think is a Christmas hymn.

The emphasis is on the joy that Christ brings to this world, and that certainly started with His birth. God’s people, at least those who faithfully believed His promise, had been waiting for centuries for God to reveal Himself. It finally happened when “the Word became Flesh and dwelt among us.”  The Lord is Come! But the Joy that is ours is more than just His birth. We have Joy because of what He did while He was here on earth.

Psalm 98 is a song of rejoicing that God has protected His chosen people. It also anticipates the time when He will be accepted as God by the whole earth. The hymn author, Isaac Watts, was known for writing what he called “New Testament hymns.” He would take an Old Testament text, something written before Christ was born, and reflect on what it means for those of us living in the New Testament age. “Joy to the World” turns Psalm 98 into a New Testament song of praise. It exalts the salvation that started with the birth of our Savior and King. Listen to how this Psalm begins:

Psalm 98:1-3 Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. The LORD has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations. He has remembered his love and his faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

The key here is the recognition of God’s activity. He is the one who has done marvelous things, having rescued and worked salvation. Just as that was true throughout the Old Testament, it is true for us. We have not saved ourselves or accomplished what was necessary to pay for sins. God has. He did everything, marvelous things. It started with the birth of Christ, and was played out through His life of perfect obedience, His suffering and dying in your place, and His resurrection as the Conqueror! God did this for you and now He has made this salvation known to you, showing it to all people in fact, so that whoever believes in Jesus shall not perish, but have eternal life. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. There should truly be “Joy to the World” for this reason.

Recently I came across something I had clipped out of a church newsletter forty years ago. The title was “A Prayer for More Rattlesnakes” by T.A. Raedeke, D.D.

Once upon a time there was a family of wayward members of a church. At one time they were active members but they had lost all interest and had fallen away. The deacons had talked to the father and three sons – Jim, John and Sam – about their condition. The preacher had visited them and many of the members had tried to get them to come back to church, but all had failed.

One day when the boys were out in the pasture, a large rattlesnake bit John and he became very ill. A physician was called, and after an examination he pronounced John to be in critical condition. The doctor said, “About all you can do now is pray,” and then went on his way. The father called the preacher and told him of John’s condition and asked him to pray for John. This the was preacher’s prayer.

“Oh wise and righteous Father, we thank Thee that in Thy wisdom Thou hast sent this rattlesnake to bite John in order to bring him to his senses. He has not been inside the church house for years, and it is doubtful that in all that time he has felt the need of prayer. Now we trust that this will be a valuable lesson to him and that it will lead him to genuine repentance.”

“And now, O Father, wilt Thou send another snake to bite Sam, and another to bite Jim, and a BIG ONE to bite the old man. We have been doing everything we know for years to restore them but to no avail. It seems that all of our combined efforts could not do what this snake has done. We thus conclude that the only thing left that will do this family any good is more rattlesnakes. So Lord, send us bigger and better rattlesnakes. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

I’m sure you all know people who need a rattlesnake, a wake-up call, something that will cause them to turn back to God. Don’t give up on them. It will not be too late until they die.

God has sent His messengers, like John the Baptizer, to call people to repent and turn back to God.

Luke 1:17 And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

He continues to send those who have turned to Him to be His witnesses to those who still need to turn to the Lord. Let Him use you as a “rattlesnake” and an wake up call, pointing people to Jesus and His love, ensuring they will be with us in the throng around the Lamb in His kingdom singing His praises.

1 Kings 8:58 May he turn our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways and to keep the commands, decrees and regulations he gave our fathers.

The perfect pastor preaches exactly twenty minutes, then sits down. He condemns sin but never hurts anyone’s feelings. He works for 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. in every kind of job from preaching to custodial services.

He gets paid $3000 per month, has good clothes, a nice family, a complete library along with his own computer and all the resources he needs, drives a new car and gives $1500 a month to the church. He also generously supports all the local charities with his time and his money.

He is in his early thirties and has been preaching for 40 years. He is both tall and short, thin and heavy set, and very handsome. His hair is parted in the middle, the left side blond and straight, the right side dark and wavy.

 He had a burning desire to work with the youth and spends all his time with the older folks in the congregation. He always has a straight face because he has a sense of humor that keeps him dedicated to his work. He makes fifteen visits a day on his members, spends his time evangelizing the lost in his community, and is never out of the office.

This may or may not match your definition of a perfect pastor. Everyone has their own ideas about what a pastor should do and who he should be.

The congregation I am helping this month in Frankfurt is currently searching for their next pastor. So are the many of the congregations in the U.S. where those of you reading this attend. The number of pastors in our church body has been declining sharply for many years now. What can you do?

Pray. If you have a pastor, thank God for him, ask God to strengthen, bless, sustain and uphold him as he strives to serve you, your congregation and your community. Give your pastor support and encouragement in his work. And ask the Lord of the harvest to lead more workers to serve Him in this way.

You can also consider serving in ministry yourself. You can encourage others to ask themselves if God is calling them to this task. You can support our colleges and seminaries that train church workers.

For the record, there is no perfect pastor. What you should hope for and expect from your pastor is that He keeps pointing you to the Cross and the empty tomb, sharing the message of God’s love for the world in Christ Jesus that bought us back from sin and death so that we could have the assurance of forgiveness for sins and life eternal with Him.

A member of a congregation who had previously been attending worship services regularly suddenly stopped coming to church. After missing services for several weeks in a row, the pastor decided to pay a visit to this member.

It was a chilly evening. The pastor found the man at home, alone, sitting in front of a blazing fire. Guessing the reason for the pastor’s visit, he welcomed him and led him to a seat near the fireplace, and waited. The pastor settled into his chair making himself comfortable, but said absolutely nothing. He just sat there watching the flames at play around the logs in front of him. After a few minutes, he grabbed the fire tongs and carefully picked up a brightly burning ember, setting it down at the end of the hearth away from the rest of the fire. The pastor set back in his chair again, still silent.

The two men watched the ember together. As the lone ember’s flame diminished, there was a momentary glow, and then its fire was no more. Soon it was cold and “dead as a doornail.” Still no words were spoken between the two men since the initial greeting.

The pastor rose to leave, but before doing so he once again grabbed the fire tongs. He took the cold ember and placed it back in the fire.  Almost immediately it began to glow with the light and warmth and fire of the coals all around it. As the pastor walked toward the door, his host said, “Thank you so much for your visit, and especially for the fiery sermon. I’ll be back in church next Sunday.”

Hebrews 10:25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Psalm 122:1 (ESV) I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord!”