Carl D. Pennington

The Burial of Carl D. Pennington
January 15, 1930-November 29, 2018
Isaiah 25:6-9
Psalm 23
Revelation 21:2-7
John 6:37-40

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Amen.

You are all here because you knew and loved Carl Pennington.  Unlike nearly everyone in this room, I did not get to know Carl Pennington.  I met him, of course, but it was long past the time when he would have known who I was, or why I was there.  I can’t tell you anything about Carl that you don’t already know.

I do find it quite interesting that he enjoyed hunting for arrowheads.  And that he was a member of the Archeological Society of Ohio, which has been “Striving to Preserve Ohio's Archaeological Heritage Since 1942.”  I admit, I’d never heard of the Archeological Society of Ohio before, but I appreciate that they do strive to preserve the past for the rest of us.

In many ways, you all share their desire to preserve the past, as you remember Carl, and all that he means to you.  Over time, you had to hold on to memories for Carl, because he could not hold onto them for himself.  And together today you remember the life of the one you loved.  And just like the arrowheads that Carl hunted, you cherished Carl as you found him, diminished though he might have been from the peak years of his life.

I hope that you will continue to share stories and memories of your time with Carl on this earth in the days and years ahead.  But here is what I really want you to hold onto as you leave this place today . . .

Jesus said, "Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and anyone who comes to me I will never drive away . . . And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.”

The Carl you knew in his prime might have seemed lost to you in his latter days, but he was not lost to God.  No one is lost to God.  Though the Carl you once knew was hidden from you, much like an arrowhead is hidden in the earth, Carl was always known to God, always cherished by God, and always redeemed by God.

One day you will see Carl again, and it will be a glorious reunion indeed.  And in the meantime, hold on to that promise from Jesus:  I will lose nothing that has been given to me, but will raise them up on the last day.

Amen.