TRIBUTE
Roy Piehl's passing is a loss to us all. As husband, father, grandfather, and friend he was, much in the likeness of St. Nick, a jolly old soul, a good soul, a man who appreciated integrity and lived with it. Roy was someone with a real zest for life, and someone fun to know. From what I could see, things did not get him down for long. He bounced back and kept on living as fully these past years as feeble legs would carry him. By God's grace he reached a healthy age and kept a healthy mind. He will be missed but he will not be forgotten.
All of you who are his family and friends will have opportunity to share more personally with each other about what Roy's life and his passing means to you. It is a fine thing when people have much to rejoice about and much to share concerning a loved one. I encourage you to do so and to celebrate Roy's life in your sharing.
I also want to encourage you to share something which is more enduring than good memories. I invite you to share the hope of this season and of this occasion. That hope is centered in Jesus Christ. The same Jesus Christ who is both Emmanuel and the resurrection and the life.
There does not ever seem to be a good time to lose a loved one. Having it happen around Christmas might even make it seem more cruel. Maybe that is so. On the other hand, it gives us a marvelous opportunity to see and feel the hope of Christmas in a new light. You see, Jesus is Emmanuel. He is God-with-us. From our conception and through our life and unto death and even beyond death he is God-with-us. His birth that first Christmas night has served to give us all a hope which transcends life and transcends death.
Eight days after his birth, Jesus was taken to the temple courts. In the courts was a God-fearing wonderful man of advanced years who met the holy family, picked Jesus up into his strong steady arms, and said these words:
"Lord, now let your servant go in peace; your word has been fulfilled: my own eyes have seen the salvation which you have prepared in the presence of all people, a light to reveal you to the nations and the glory of your people Israel." Luke 2:29-32
Aged Simeon had been promised by the Lord that he would not die before he saw his Savior. Upon seeing Jesus, he declared that he was now ready to die. He would die in hope, not in despair. He would die with a future before him and not just a past behind him.
As I see it, that attitude is fitting for Roy as well. He has died with a future still before him. We do not see that future yet, but we will one day. And about that future, we know this, that the Savior has prepared it for Roy and for us. There is a resurrection from the dead.
Aged Simeon, quite possibly as old as Roy or maybe older, waited around until his savior had come. Roy lived and died in the certainty that his Savior already had come 2000 years ago on a Christmas night. Aged Simeon rejoiced in the fact that Jesus was the promised Emmanuel. Roy has also appreciated that Jesus has remained the promised Emmanuel. Jesus is God-with-us. The Christ-child is God-with-Roy.
Understandably, Christmas has many different meanings today and celebrations for different reasons. Let us in this time of grief add one more meaning and reason for Christmas hope. Jesus is God-with-us; in life and in death, in life beyond death, He is Emmanuel both now and forever. Amen.
-Pastor Art Keith
Dec. 26, 1990
Roy Piehl's passing is a loss to us all. As husband, father, grandfather, and friend he was, much in the likeness of St. Nick, a jolly old soul, a good soul, a man who appreciated integrity and lived with it. Roy was someone with a real zest for life, and someone fun to know. From what I could see, things did not get him down for long. He bounced back and kept on living as fully these past years as feeble legs would carry him. By God's grace he reached a healthy age and kept a healthy mind. He will be missed but he will not be forgotten.
All of you who are his family and friends will have opportunity to share more personally with each other about what Roy's life and his passing means to you. It is a fine thing when people have much to rejoice about and much to share concerning a loved one. I encourage you to do so and to celebrate Roy's life in your sharing.
I also want to encourage you to share something which is more enduring than good memories. I invite you to share the hope of this season and of this occasion. That hope is centered in Jesus Christ. The same Jesus Christ who is both Emmanuel and the resurrection and the life.
There does not ever seem to be a good time to lose a loved one. Having it happen around Christmas might even make it seem more cruel. Maybe that is so. On the other hand, it gives us a marvelous opportunity to see and feel the hope of Christmas in a new light. You see, Jesus is Emmanuel. He is God-with-us. From our conception and through our life and unto death and even beyond death he is God-with-us. His birth that first Christmas night has served to give us all a hope which transcends life and transcends death.
Eight days after his birth, Jesus was taken to the temple courts. In the courts was a God-fearing wonderful man of advanced years who met the holy family, picked Jesus up into his strong steady arms, and said these words:
"Lord, now let your servant go in peace; your word has been fulfilled: my own eyes have seen the salvation which you have prepared in the presence of all people, a light to reveal you to the nations and the glory of your people Israel." Luke 2:29-32
Aged Simeon had been promised by the Lord that he would not die before he saw his Savior. Upon seeing Jesus, he declared that he was now ready to die. He would die in hope, not in despair. He would die with a future before him and not just a past behind him.
As I see it, that attitude is fitting for Roy as well. He has died with a future still before him. We do not see that future yet, but we will one day. And about that future, we know this, that the Savior has prepared it for Roy and for us. There is a resurrection from the dead.
Aged Simeon, quite possibly as old as Roy or maybe older, waited around until his savior had come. Roy lived and died in the certainty that his Savior already had come 2000 years ago on a Christmas night. Aged Simeon rejoiced in the fact that Jesus was the promised Emmanuel. Roy has also appreciated that Jesus has remained the promised Emmanuel. Jesus is God-with-us. The Christ-child is God-with-Roy.
Understandably, Christmas has many different meanings today and celebrations for different reasons. Let us in this time of grief add one more meaning and reason for Christmas hope. Jesus is God-with-us; in life and in death, in life beyond death, He is Emmanuel both now and forever. Amen.
-Pastor Art Keith
Dec. 26, 1990
TRIBUTE
Roy Piehl's passing is a loss to us all. As husband, father, grandfather, and friend he was, much in the likeness of St. Nick, a jolly old soul, a good soul, a man who appreciated integrity and lived with it. Roy was someone with a real zest for life, and someone fun to know. From what I could see, things did not get him down for long. He bounced back and kept on living as fully these past years as feeble legs would carry him. By God's grace he reached a healthy age and kept a healthy mind. He will be missed but he will not be forgotten.
All of you who are his family and friends will have opportunity to share more personally with each other about what Roy's life and his passing means to you. It is a fine thing when people have much to rejoice about and much to share concerning a loved one. I encourage you to do so and to celebrate Roy's life in your sharing.
I also want to encourage you to share something which is more enduring than good memories. I invite you to share the hope of this season and of this occasion. That hope is centered in Jesus Christ. The same Jesus Christ who is both Emmanuel and the resurrection and the life.
There does not ever seem to be a good time to lose a loved one. Having it happen around Christmas might even make it seem more cruel. Maybe that is so. On the other hand, it gives us a marvelous opportunity to see and feel the hope of Christmas in a new light. You see, Jesus is Emmanuel. He is God-with-us. From our conception and through our life and unto death and even beyond death he is God-with-us. His birth that first Christmas night has served to give us all a hope which transcends life and transcends death.
Eight days after his birth, Jesus was taken to the temple courts. In the courts was a God-fearing wonderful man of advanced years who met the holy family, picked Jesus up into his strong steady arms, and said these words:
"Lord, now let your servant go in peace; your word has been fulfilled: my own eyes have seen the salvation which you have prepared in the presence of all people, a light to reveal you to the nations and the glory of your people Israel." Luke 2:29-32
Aged Simeon had been promised by the Lord that he would not die before he saw his Savior. Upon seeing Jesus, he declared that he was now ready to die. He would die in hope, not in despair. He would die with a future before him and not just a past behind him.
As I see it, that attitude is fitting for Roy as well. He has died with a future still before him. We do not see that future yet, but we will one day. And about that future, we know this, that the Savior has prepared it for Roy and for us. There is a resurrection from the dead.
Aged Simeon, quite possibly as old as Roy or maybe older, waited around until his savior had come. Roy lived and died in the certainty that his Savior already had come 2000 years ago on a Christmas night. Aged Simeon rejoiced in the fact that Jesus was the promised Emmanuel. Roy has also appreciated that Jesus has remained the promised Emmanuel. Jesus is God-with-us. The Christ-child is God-with-Roy.
Understandably, Christmas has many different meanings today and celebrations for different reasons. Let us in this time of grief add one more meaning and reason for Christmas hope. Jesus is God-with-us; in life and in death, in life beyond death, He is Emmanuel both now and forever. Amen.
-Pastor Art Keith
Dec. 26, 1990
Roy Piehl's passing is a loss to us all. As husband, father, grandfather, and friend he was, much in the likeness of St. Nick, a jolly old soul, a good soul, a man who appreciated integrity and lived with it. Roy was someone with a real zest for life, and someone fun to know. From what I could see, things did not get him down for long. He bounced back and kept on living as fully these past years as feeble legs would carry him. By God's grace he reached a healthy age and kept a healthy mind. He will be missed but he will not be forgotten.
All of you who are his family and friends will have opportunity to share more personally with each other about what Roy's life and his passing means to you. It is a fine thing when people have much to rejoice about and much to share concerning a loved one. I encourage you to do so and to celebrate Roy's life in your sharing.
I also want to encourage you to share something which is more enduring than good memories. I invite you to share the hope of this season and of this occasion. That hope is centered in Jesus Christ. The same Jesus Christ who is both Emmanuel and the resurrection and the life.
There does not ever seem to be a good time to lose a loved one. Having it happen around Christmas might even make it seem more cruel. Maybe that is so. On the other hand, it gives us a marvelous opportunity to see and feel the hope of Christmas in a new light. You see, Jesus is Emmanuel. He is God-with-us. From our conception and through our life and unto death and even beyond death he is God-with-us. His birth that first Christmas night has served to give us all a hope which transcends life and transcends death.
Eight days after his birth, Jesus was taken to the temple courts. In the courts was a God-fearing wonderful man of advanced years who met the holy family, picked Jesus up into his strong steady arms, and said these words:
"Lord, now let your servant go in peace; your word has been fulfilled: my own eyes have seen the salvation which you have prepared in the presence of all people, a light to reveal you to the nations and the glory of your people Israel." Luke 2:29-32
Aged Simeon had been promised by the Lord that he would not die before he saw his Savior. Upon seeing Jesus, he declared that he was now ready to die. He would die in hope, not in despair. He would die with a future before him and not just a past behind him.
As I see it, that attitude is fitting for Roy as well. He has died with a future still before him. We do not see that future yet, but we will one day. And about that future, we know this, that the Savior has prepared it for Roy and for us. There is a resurrection from the dead.
Aged Simeon, quite possibly as old as Roy or maybe older, waited around until his savior had come. Roy lived and died in the certainty that his Savior already had come 2000 years ago on a Christmas night. Aged Simeon rejoiced in the fact that Jesus was the promised Emmanuel. Roy has also appreciated that Jesus has remained the promised Emmanuel. Jesus is God-with-us. The Christ-child is God-with-Roy.
Understandably, Christmas has many different meanings today and celebrations for different reasons. Let us in this time of grief add one more meaning and reason for Christmas hope. Jesus is God-with-us; in life and in death, in life beyond death, He is Emmanuel both now and forever. Amen.
-Pastor Art Keith
Dec. 26, 1990
