We went to a different kind of funeral today. Not odd in any way except this was our first to attend where there was no casket, no body for viewing. There were pictures of the deceased and of his family, although I don't think he was ever an enthusiastic collector of self portraits. There was a digital slideshow created by someone, though I'm not sure who. There was an urn sitting with no particular prominence amongst the flowers. Kay's uncle, Howard Gene Denny Sr., 62, her mom's youngest brother, passed away Sunday morning while trying to escape a house fire here in Clayton.
This was the house purchased many years ago by Wesley and Louise for her Mother, Geneva Denny. It was an older home, purchased for $500 and moved at their expense before Kay's Grandpa Velch Denny passed away. Velch and Geneva lived in a small trailer, similar to an airstream travel trailer, on this same spot when Kay was carrying our youngest son Darrell. We visited Grandpa Velch in his new home several times. He was a fisherman, a skill which he handed down to his boys and theirs, with one of the grandsons JD Denny now owning and operating a successful business on the outskirts of Ferriday.
Howard Gene served two tours of duty in Vietnam, and worked as an oilfield toolpusher before retiring to live as a true sportsman does. Hunting and fishing were his forte. Howard was a decidedly unpolished man, but his generosity was notable. Curtis has one of his trophy mounts dated December 3rd, 1976, mounted on the wall in his room. I also worked for him over 30 years ago before Kay and I were married.
It was his wish to be cremated and his ashes scattered on Fools River, a river where they grew up and he first learned to fish. I've always thought this way of dealing with your remains was a little macabre, but I have learned something today. The preacher, who was his next door neighbor, had a stroke this past October and, with a cane for assistance and a slight slur of speech, he spoke with eloquence about ashes to ashes and dust to dust. The text of that service is adapted from the Biblical text Genesis 3:19 (King James Version):
"In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return."
He spoke of Howard's generosity and his willingness to give to those in more need than himself; he spoke of his strong nature, as he was known to be boisterous at times, a nature he passed to his son Howard Jr.. The pastor says he forgave him for that a long time ago.
His brother Bill who is a veteran as well, got up and said the final words. He spoke about his brother's service to his country, his sacrifice and willingness to give all for the love of his country and, on the President's/Commander-in-Chief and on the US Military's behalf, he presented a folded flag to the son and daughter and gave them a military salute. It could bring a tear to the eye.
All of these things said about him was touching, but not significantly different than others we've heard. It was not until after the service that there was anything especially poignant, after all the condolences had been said, all the kind words and hugging of necks were done. In orthodox funerals it would be time to time to walk away with only the memories and images we have in our minds of yesterdays. Not this time. Howard Gene Jr. walked up and with a determined look on his face picked up his father's ashes and placed the urn in his arms. A few minutes later I saw his daughter holding the urn, and I began to understand that they still hold a physical part of him, and they will not leave empty on this day. Later as we stopped to look at the burned out home, Howard Jr. and his family drove up. There is nothing left.
The preacher said that he believes he would have given you the shirt off his back if you would have asked. Today, with forethought, he gave himself. Who would have thought. They will follow his living wish to be scattered on Fools River later this summer from a barge.
http://www.natchezdemocrat.com/news/2010/nov/23/man-dies-clayton-house-fire/
55 comments:
Beautifully written. I am touch. While i can not say I remember his face, I do remember his name and the shared history, particularly that related to the oilfield and your years ago employment with him. Condolences.
RIP
Sad news. Condolences especially to Sister Louise.
Mmmm, makes me wonder about the body that will rise, it's reason for returning to dust only to rise again, why it will rise again if we are to have a new body, and the need for a body in a spirit world, (if in fact, it will remain a spirit world)
Seems every `answer has a question.
So I will be tall the second time around, fulfilling Ruby Cannon's prophetic vision; "I see you as 10 feet tall".
or, something like this fellow says- http://www.livingway.org/library/faq/faq092.html
pretty nice little snippet. heard it all before but thinking of it in this context pretty much looks like we wont be a spiritual body. `mortal’ – – ‘shall put on immortality….’ nothing said abt the spirit putting on immortality.
I think it is referred to as glorified. That means taller, right? :o)
The spirit is already immortal. Unless you want to be a will-o'-the-wisp, you'll be needing something to hang around in.
I want to be a will-o-the-wisp. Tired of headaches and diarrhea, in that order.
I was hoping for the will-o-wisp. The body is tired all the time.
I did not know him but I wish I had.Love to all.Uncle CT
yes aunt lydia.. part of whatv makes humans - human is physical bodies.. jesus the God Man forever has a priesthood.. one mediator between God nad men - the man, Christ Jesus. we will not be merely spirits but humans without the effects of sin. we will touch, hug, love and know the human-God Jesus Christ. God doesnt abandon his prize creation... He redeems it.
Yes, you would have enjoyed many of his traits.
Nicely said.
That means taller, right?
Sounds groovacious! I was really worried abt flying around in the universe. In my dreams I'm still scared of heights. Always afraid to get higher than the wire lines. :)
ha @bryon & lydia... sorry about the loss. peace be with those left.
1Corinthians 15 has a pretty good answer.
Well that pretty much sum it up having the form of man. But where is that great gulf that separates us from the dead? I'd ask if they see us but i'm reminded, "the dead know nothing." Is that a spiritual reference. Haven't given that a thought yet, so haven't studied it to see what the content was abt.
Deleted and rephrased...
A lot of that chapter is type & shadow, but this is convincing enough to believe that what we know as mortal will be changed but yet remain in mortal form. remembering that Jesus body was not yet glorified (whatever that means) so that no one could touch him.
But, this is the thought..,
52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality...,
So that pretty much sum it up having the form of man. But where is that great gulf that separates us from the dead? I'd ask if they see us but i'm reminded, "the dead know nothing." Is that a spiritual reference? Haven't given that a thought yet, so haven't studied it to see what the content was abt.
What convinces me that we keep the body form is the verb content. This mortal `must 'put on', _this mortal `shall have 'put on'.
An interesting point._
Old English did not have a future tense, but because the verbs shall and will hint at one, they became modal verbs used for this purpose. In the simple future usage, the different meanings of shall and will depending on which grammatical person is being used is an example of suppletion, the commingling of words from separate roots into a single paradigm.
According to Merriam Webster's Dictionary of English Usage, the distinction in meaning between shall and will as markers of a simple future arose from the practice of English schools in the fourteenth century and their Latin exercises. It was the custom in these schools to use will to translate Latin velle; because shall had no exact equivalent in Latin, it was used to translate the Latin future tense. The usage of the schools kept shall alive in this role. John Wycliffe used it consistently in this manner in his Bible translation into Middle English. Will was already beginning to predominate as the marker for the simple future through all grammatical persons in English, and is the usual marker for a simple future in Chaucer.
The most influential proponent of the distinction was John Wallis, whose 1653 Grammatica Linguae Anglicanae stated "The rule is... to express a future event without emotional overtones, one should say I shall, we shall, but you/he/she/they will; conversely, for emphasis, willfulness, or insistence, one should say I/we will, but you/he/she/they shall".
[edit] Historic "pure" system
Shall and will are now most often used as auxiliary or modal verbs. However, they have their origins as main verbs and in what is known as the pure system are still used in their original Old English senses, regardless of grammatical person. Thus shall was used with the meaning of obligation and will with the meaning of desire. _wikipedia
continuing with another subject_
This has basis toward interpretations throughout the bible.
You `shall receive the gift of the holy Ghost. Not just will, but you are `obligated to. This completely does away with the 'special gift' theory.
Now I shall have to read it again, and I thought I was paying attention. I will read a little slower.
"that Jesus body was not yet glorified (whatever that means) so that no one could touch him. "
When once Jesus was glorified(whatever that means), he told Thomas to touch his scars saying, Luke 24:39
Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have."
"the dead know nothing. "
Context tells us this is the thoughts of Solomon who had no idea of the nature of man after death. Key words in this book are "Under The Sun". The statement is dealing with the awareness of those who are dead respecting what happens under the sun, that is, among the living. Solomon's understanding caused him to say that the dead don't know what's going on here among the living.
@texasmidget yea .. me too
Actually, without studying too intensely, I believe the holy spirit was given as the sign that Jesus had returned to his Father. And speaking of the dead, that death will be the last enemy for the Son of God to defeat.
My mind thinks faster than my typing.
I believe God already went into Hell and took the keys to death, hell and the grave at that moment of crucifixion.
We die in flesh, but we won't surely die. Can't die in the flesh twice. :)
But you guys missed my train of thought because i jump from one subject to the other. Charles clarified for the most part the earlier one, (thanks for that) except i'm still curious as to why he said don't touch me in one scenario soon after he had risen, then he told Thomas to touch him.
Never-the-less, I just added the other info on old English so you would know where i'm coming from with the other idea. My mind runs 90 to nothing when i hit on another vein of thought. Its just a bad habit to assume everyone else is reading into that.
This might be where you missed me going in the latter one.
"'shall' was used with the meaning of obligation, and will with the meaning of desire. _wikipedia_
i am referring to a possible context change in scripture if in the original language 'shall' referred to obligation which Wycliffe possibly inducted into the scriptures.
exp:_> shall put on immortality_or/ are obligated to put on
then i used the scripture in Acts to make a different point of reference with it.
such as, shall (meaning obligated), does away with the idea that some folks believe that the Holy Ghost is a special gift given only to a few, and not meant for everyone.
Get me now or should i give up? :)
Shall receive the gift of the Holy-Ghost _> or are obligated to receive the gift of the Holy-Ghost.
I knew you were changing subjects. I'm just not agreeing with the shall=obligated theory -Then the scriptures I have read on what happens to the spirit when the body "sleeps" probably isn't fun and was au contraire to the one Charles alluded to. Then I got nappy :)
Jesus spoke to a Jewish audience here. The Israelites could not touch the Ark of the Covenant. Only the High Priest when once his Sacrifice was made. The High Priest could enter the Holiest of All and carry the blood of the sacrifice in for thee people and make intercession for them.
The people Jesus spoke to would immediately understood that Jesus referred in this way to himself as the High Priest, the Blood of the Covenant, and the ark of the Covenant as well as to his ministry of the Intercession. When once the High Priest completed his work in the Holiest of All he could then be handled as any other. Jesus was underscoring the intent of his death, burial, and resurrection.
This is an example of why it is imperative that we understand the mind-set of the people addressed in the Scriptures.
I agree with you, Little Sister.
The point of Ecclesiastes is to highlight the human experience of despair due to the temporal nature of life on the earth. All of Solomon's perspectives are from the standpoint of we live, life has some joys, and a lot of hardship; It is filled with injustices, mistakes, and disappointment, then we die. All is vanity, saith the Preacher". or "All I can say is it is so pointless". Whether or not anyone sees or knows anything here on earth after they die, whether or not they are conscious, asleep, or tip-toeing through the tulips is not of any consequence to the purpose of the Ecclesiastes. It is about Despair over the wasted years of life as expressed by the guy who lived life to the fullness, but did not live it as well as he should. It is a warning to us all to reassess how we conduct our lives before we reach the end and can not redo anything from beyond the grave. In that particular reference Solomon seems to make the point that life goes on when once we're dead without us and we can no longer influence it, nor experience it. Admittedly, it is gloomy, but so is the specter of a wasted life at the roads end.
Solomon stands in for all of humanity who stand at the end of life's road staring at the inevitability of death loaded up with regrets. So he warns us, "Remember now the Creator in the days of thy youth..."
ahhhhhhhh....... there are lots of SHALLs in the bible.. i dare say not all are directly linked to Hell Fire or Heavens splendor. on the other hand, Jesus spoke in tongues.. since he was filled with the Holy Spirit also :) isnt He our example? ha Jesus talked in tongues and was baptized in Jesus Name or something
Big leap. Context.
context was my point... key word studies rarely work.. words meanings change based on context otherwise words would only have one defination.
okay
I agree to an extent, but with that in mind, we couldn't ever use the Greek and Hebrew (as) keywords to make a contextual point within the scripture. Such as, this word means this, that and the other. I'm only saying that according to that topic of old english, it refers to it. So wouldn't it be fair to say, we should also assess this keyword 'within its context'? Or is that too much info for the ordinary bible reader?
I don't think we should rule that out just because it happens to be a key word if in fact there is a legitimate measure of strength in the usage of old the English.
(it was just an interesting article i happened upon, so i can take it leave it.) :)
Maybe the old adage there is more than only black or white, there are also shades of gray :)
I was just contemplating the use of latin to translate hebrew to clarify some word usage used in Buddy's thread but figured it was too recent to be close to the original language.
yea, its just like our dictionary meanings... usually there is several definations. we cant pick the defination that suits our fancy .. instead we must look at how it is used in the sentence, paragraph and extended context. this same logic must be used with original langs of the Bible.
modern quality bible software actually give original lang sentence diagrams to discover what is linked to what... really helps in understanding that some verses are linked back to subjects 3 verses back. our modern verse brakedowns are horrible for conveying the original intent of meaning. imagine any current book or newspaper that tore apart paragraphs to make verses out of each orparts of sentences.
Which one are you using?
Logos Bible Software 4 Scholar edition
Logos Bible Software 4 Scholar edition
Cool! then your all set once you reach 10,000 hrs. :)
You know we never did get back to your question on the great gulf after you sidetracked us with that shall English :) I am going to follow up a little further eventually.
ha ha yea.. im not doing to good on that.. but it would be binteresting to know exact how much study i have done in my life... or maybe not... i heard this in the context of Jesus becoming a rabbi .. how uncommon it was for a poor boy from a back woods area to be one.. as when He took the book of isaiah and turn it without chapters or verses to the exact place to read. it wasn't his scroll but one that he had to travel to synagogue each time study. he grew in wisdom.... such an example of a love for Scripture.
moving . . .
yeah.
yeah, i even side tracked myself. haha. looking forward to it, eventually. :)
I have today discovered the mystery behind Ruby's vision -"A man is only as tall as the sum of his deeds".
I will have to continue to work hard to measure up.
cue us in?
Its metaphorical, not any specific event. I was only referring to my earlier comments on being taller :0)
I watched "Secret Santa' today where I borrowed the quote adapted from Gandi's "A man is the sum of his actions, of what he has done, of what he can do, Nothing else".
Goes along with your train of thought on Soloman's take in Ecclesiastes.
Ah, I see.
If you use a short measuring stick perhaps it won't be so hard.
Excellent thought. Sounds like a very present help in the time of trouble. :) I'm Saved!
Actually it's a fundamentally sound idea. Jesus tells us to be aware of the length of the the stick by which we measure others as it will be used to measure us.
If we have less stringent expectations of others, then we can be more forgiving of ourselves. We know that love for ourselves is the basis of our ability to love others. It stands to reason that those who are too demanding of themselves have no mercy for others. Although we should never be so tolerant of our own short comings as to neglect opportunity to grow, we should be kinder to ourselves than we often are. The difficulty we encounter dealing with our own issues is meant to teach us mercy. So, use a shorter stick. You'll find more peace.
awesome, dad!
I keep `saying that! :D
Maybe that's where I got it from . . .
Yes, Byron, we will be taller. ;o)
We all love you too, Uncle.
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