Paul Stephenson's Funeral Service is Now Posted

Derek, thanks for the wonderful Spurgeon quote. What a blessing.

Our friend and colleague Doug McCullough has created a place on our First Presbyterian website to host the audio recording of the funeral services for Paul H. Stephenson IV. You can get to it by clicking here. There is also an order of service appended. We hope a video is coming soon, and a transcript.
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Spurgeon's breathtaking entry for March 22

I was glancing through C. H. Spurgeon's Morning and Evening yesterday and just wondered what he might have had for March 22, the day our dear friend Paul was taken from us. It took my breath away:

"Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am."

John 17:24

O death! why dost thou touch the tree beneath whose spreading branches weariness hath rest? Why dost thou snatch away the excellent of the earth, in whom is all our delight? If thou must use thine axe, use it upon the trees which yield no fruit; thou mightest be thanked then. But why wilt thou fell the goodly cedars of Lebanon? O stay thine axe, and spare the righteous. But no, it must not be; death smites the goodliest of our friends; the most generous, the most prayerful, the most holy, the most devoted must die. And why? It is through Jesus’ prevailing prayer—“Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am.” It is that which bears them on eagle’s wings to heaven. Every time a believer mounts from this earth to paradise, it is an answer to Christ’s prayer. A good old divine remarks, “Many times Jesus and his people pull against one another in prayer. You bend your knee in prayer and say ‘Father, I will that thy saints be with me where I am’; Christ says, ‘Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me whereI am.’” Thus the disciple is at cross-purposes with his Lord. The soul cannot be in both places: the beloved one cannot be with Christ and with you too. Now, which pleader shall win the day? If you had your choice; if the King should step from his throne, and say, “Here are two supplicants praying in opposition to one another, which shall be answered?” Oh! I am sure, though it were agony, you would start from your feet, and say, “Jesus, not my will, but thine be done.” You would give up your prayer for your loved one’s life, if you could realize the thoughts that Christ is praying in the opposite direction—“Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am.” Lord, thou shalt have them. By faith we let them go.
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Grieving

The experience of grief can be overwhelming. It comes in waves, sometimes stunning and frightening in its proportions. We discover in ourselves feelings we did not know were there or that we were capable of. One of them is the feeling of crippling lethargy. "I loathe the slightest effort... Even shaving." Thus C. S. Lewis wrote in A Grief Observed testifying to the way grief can debilitate and sap the energy from us. A numbness can set in punctuated with periods of tears . The loss gets worse and not better. The reality of it all: the forlorn hope that it had all been a dream vanishes before the reality of the empty chair at the table, the constant reminder of friends who mean well, but their presence and words merely confirm what you want to be untrue.

Everyone, sooner or later, goes through this experience and the closer we are to the one we lose, the greater the pain will be. Paul anticipated the help Christians need when he wrote to the Thessalonians not to grieve as those who have no hope (1 Thess. 4:13). It is not an admonition not to grieve. It is that we should not grieve without the Christian gospel informing and shaping it.

What lessons are Christians to learn in such times? Three especially:

1. Ask for a habit of a thankful spirit--thankfulness for a life that touched us in so many ways and from which we still draw comfort and encouragement. It is a mistake to blot out every memory of those we have loved, removing pictures and refusing to talk about them. That is a pathway to despair. Give God thanks for every sweet memory, every kind word.

2. Pray for resignation to do his will, the peace that passes all understanding as we bow to his sovereignty and yield to his purposes. Deep down, no matter how hard it is to do, we know this is the only way, the only sure way to relief and healing.

3. Pray for stickability (what the Bible variously calls patience or endurance or perseverance). Surviving the grief process is a long distance race requiring fresh (daily! hourly!) supplies of strength and stamina. Our Father knows what it is to lose a Son. He is able to help us in ways we cannot even imagine.

Christians Grieve Too by Donald Howard (Banner of Truth, 1980) is a small, twenty paged booklet packed full of helpful and practical advice for Christians experiencing grief. J. I. Packer's A Grief Sanctified: Passing through Grief to Peace and Joy is a semi-biographical description of Richard Baxter's memoirs in the loss of his wife. It is chock-full of pastoral wisdom and down-to-earth realism when it comes to the experience of losing a loved one.
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Paul Stephenson's Funeral Service

So many of you have contacted First Presbyterian about the availability of the funeral service in some recorded format, I wanted to give you an update. The Stephenson's have graciously given us permissions to make it available widely. We will have an audio and video recording of the service up on the main church site by Friday, and will have a transcript of the message soon. Stayed tuned for updates here - and do pray for the Stephensons.

Below is an order of service.

A SERVICE OF CHRISTIAN WORSHIP
In Memoriam — Paul H. Stephenson, IV

First Presbyterian Church March 27, 2006
Jackson, Mississippi 11:00 a.m.

The Rev. Dr. J. Ligon Duncan III, Senior Minister
The Reverend Richard Vise, Campus Minister,
Reformed University Ministries, Auburn University
The Rev. Dr. Derek W.H. Thomas, Minister of Teaching
officiating
______________________________________

The Organ Prelude Mrs. Joseph Wadsworth, Organist
The Processional "A Might Fortress Is Our God"
(Ministers and Family Enter)
The Call to Worship ....................................... Dr. Duncan
The Hymn of Praise No. 100 — “Holy, Holy Holy!”
The Prayer of Adoration, Invocation, and Comfort
The Old Testament Reading — Psalm 103..... Mr. Vise
The Remembrance
The RUF Song — “Isaiah 43”
The New Testament Reading — John 14; Romans 8; Philippians 4:6-7
The Pastoral Prayer ...................................... Dr. Thomas
The Confession of Faith
The Reading of Scripture
The Sermon ..................................................... Dr. Duncan
The Hymn No. 358 — “For All the Saints”
The Benediction
The Recessional (Family Exits)
The Postlude

Mr. Paul H. Stephenson IV
October 16, 1982 — March 23, 2006
Communing Member of this congregation since February 5, 1995
_____________________________________________

The Graveside Service will be at Parkway Memorial Cemetery
Ridgeland, Mississippi
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A Hymn of Trust in Time of Grief

IN CHRIST ALONE

In Christ alone my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song;
This Cornerstone, this solid Ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace, When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My Comforter, my All in All,
Here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone!—who took on flesh,
Fullness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save:
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied—
For every sin on Him was laid;
Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain;
Then bursting forth in glorious Day,
Up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory,
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me,
For I am His and He is mine—
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death,
This is the power of Christ in me;
From life’s first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No power of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home,
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.

—By Stuart Townend and Keith Getty @2001 Kingsway Thankyou Music.
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Providence, Job and sudden trials

As we continue to feel the effects of these past few days, and as our hearts go out to grieving folk in our church, I thought I'd share with you some of my own thoughts over these past few days as I have been shaken to the core and found myself hanging on to God's Word for encouragement in dark places. These are some of the things that I have found healing and hopeful and honoring to God:

• As the the story of Job reminds us, sudden, devastating trials can befall the godliest of folk
• The words of William Cowper's hymn: "God moves in mysterious ways his wonders to perform..." Couldn't help but think that the sight of all those young people around a grave yesterday brought growth and determination to serve God better. And that God allowed this for that purpose. Mystery! Yes, but good came out of it.
• That the story of Joseph reminds us that God isn't doing things in isolation from other things. One event has a million ramifications and it will be like watching dominos fall as this event ripples on through the lives of God's people.
• That it is so often true that what occurs in one can be for the sake of helping someone else. Joseph's trouble was for the good of others--his brothers especially. Naomi's pain brought gospel grace into the heart of Ruth. Death is at work in us so that life may be at work in you, Paul told the Corinthians (2 Cor 4:12).
• That things of this kind cause us to see how much we are dependent upon him. "We are not our own but belong body and soul unto him..." Calvin said in a very famous sentence in his Institutes. Sudden providences teach us that we are creatures and that God is God. His ways are not our ways, his thoughts are not our thoughts (Isa. 55:8-9).
• The fellowship of God's people is the most precious gift he has given to us. The church is the family of God and at no time was that more tangible than the sight of the elderly waiting in line for three hours to pay respects and give assurance of their love and care. It was a beautiful thing.
• That what brings relief is God's inerrant Word. Rock certainty is what we need now and that is what the Bible gives us. Theological liberals have nothing to say in times like this.
• The blood of Christ covers every sin, every sin, yes every sin.
• That, as Ligon said so marvelously yesterday, if we try to seek peace first, we'll fail to find it; it is as we seek Jesus Christ that peace follows in its wake. So very true. Jesus, the very thought of thee with sweetness fills my breast...

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Funeral Service of Paul Stephenson IV

The funeral service of Paul Stephenson IV will be held in the temporary sanctuary of the First Presbyterian Church (in the Study Center on Belhaven Street) at 11 o'clock in the morning on Monday, March 27.

There will be a visitation from 2 until 4 o'clock on Sunday afternoon, March 26, in Miller Hall (entrance off Pinehurst Street). At 5 o'clock on Sunday afternoon, in Patterson Hall (in the Study Center), Dr. Ligon Duncan and Dr. David Elkin will meet with students and others with spiritual questions.

On Monday morning, there will be visitation prior to the funeral from 9 until about 10:45 in the morning in Miller Hall. Immediately thereafter the funeral service will be held in the temporary sanctuary at 11 am. Dr. Ligon Duncan, Mr. Richard Vise, and Dr. Derek Thomas will be officiating.
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What happens to Christian when they die?

One of the ways the Bible refers to death is “sleep” (1 Thess. 4:13). This is not meant to suggest a loss of consciousness in any way because elsewhere, the Bible employs some very graphic illustrations of what happens at the moment a Christian dies. We think immediately of the words of Jesus to the dying thief: “Today you will be with me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43). By “sleep” Paul is trying to convey to us how gentle and restful a thing it is, no matter how violent the departure may have been. When a believer dies, the soul passes into a state of perfect peace and calm and rest. As the Shorter Catechism puts it: “The souls of believers are at their death made perfect in holiness and do immediately pass into glory…” (SC 37). To be “absent from the body is to be present with the Lord” (2 Cor. 5:6).

This condition is sometimes referred to as the “intermediate state” because this is not the final condition of our future existence. At the end of the age, there will be a glorious reunion of body and soul. The body will be raised from death (unless they happen to be alive when Jesus returns and in which case their bodies will pass into another mode of existence—“caught up,” Paul says, “to meet the Lord in the air” (1 Thess. 4:17). Our ultimate existence in glory—in the new heavens and new earth—is a bodily one, a physical one. But even in the intermediate state there is consciousness and awareness of one’s surroundings. It is a condition far more wonderful than anything we experience here.

It is worth thinking about: that believers at death go into the presence of Jesus Christ. Everything the Bible teaches on this suggests that we will be able to see and know and hear and feel. It is difficult to know how this can be without a physical body but this is what the Bible teaches and we must believe it! We will be conscious of being in the presence of others, too: loved ones who have died and gone to heaven before us; Christians that we have read about in church history (Martin Luther, John Calvin, Augustine of Hippo and so on). And the great saints of the Bible—Paul, Peter, John the Baptist. Mary the mother of Jesus, Elizabeth, Isaiah, Elijah, Abraham)—all these are there to greet us.

And angels—who carry the soul into the presence of Jesus. Jesus spoke about this in the story of Lazarus: “the poor man [Lazarus] died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side” (Luke 16:22). Lazarus died and the angels came. They were already fluttering about him when he died. They were gathered around waiting. What a wonderful thought!

And there will be immediate perfection. All the sin that has marred and hobbled our existence here (even as forgiven, redeemed Christians) will be gone. For the very first time we will experience what it is to be totally free from sinful thoughts and ambitions. Even the sin that may have resulted in our death will be forgiven. The blood of Jesus will prevail and we will be with the Lord. For ever! Our faith here below may give way. We may lose sight of Jesus but Jesus never loses sight of us. We may say: “But why doesn’t Jesus step in and prevent us from falling?” And I have no answer to that except to say that heaven is better for us and that God knows exactly what he is doing and is under no obligation to explain to all to us.

As First Presbyterian Church grieves today, our hope and confidence lies in God’s Word, God’s covenant, God’s redeeming mercy in Jesus Christ. These are the certainties, the tried and trusted truths that sustain when our hearts are breaking.
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Grieving hearts and hopeful souls

The souls of believers are “made perfect in holiness” and enter into the worship that redeemed souls experience in heaven (Heb. 12:22-24).

In times of sudden grief and the loss of a loved one “in Christ” nothing can compare to this beautiful thought. Whatever the tragic circumstances that may have occurred here “below,” in heaven, all is at peace and rest. The transition from here to there is immediate, a bit like falling asleep here and waking up there the Bible seems to say. That’s why death is called “gain” (Phil. 1:21), because after death, the believer is closer to Jesus than ever before. True, the body must wait awhile—until the morning of the resurrection. That’s why we as Christians show the body such respect. Then, as Paul says, the soul will be “clothed” again (2 Cor.5:1-4).

Jesus wanted his closest disciples to know this before he died. “Let not your hearts be troubled…” he said to them in the Upper Rom (John 14:1). Jesus is concerned to minister to troubled hearts. He knows how easily we fall into despair. And thus he talked about “many mansions” in heaven. It was meant to be a word of solace to grieving hearts who were about to lose a loved one. He went to prepare a place for his won that where he is, there they will be also one day.

Thou art gone up before us, Lord,
To make for us a place,
That we may be where now
Thou art,And look upon God’s face.

Lift up our hearts, lift up our minds:
Let Thy dear grace be giv’n;
That, while we wander here below,
Our treasure be in Heav’n.

That where Thou art, at God’s right hand,
Our hope, our love, may be:
Dwell Thou in us, that we may dwell
Forevermore in Thee.

Cecil F. Alexander
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PCRT Jackson is Here!

The Jackson edition of the PCRT—the Philadelphia Conference on Reformed Theology—is here! This weekend, starting tonight and continuing all day Saturday (and with a Sunday morning message by Bob Godfrey at Trinity PCA), the PCRT will be hosted at the site of our sister-congregation, the Trinity Presbyterian Church on Old Canton Road (they are in the old Christ United Methodist Church facility).

So, if you haven't already signed up, and you’ve no plans, pick up and go, and register at the door! The cost is less than $100.

This year’s speakers include: Sinclair Ferguson (Senior Minister of First Presbyterian Church in Columbia, SC, and professor at Westminster Seminary), Robert Godfrey (President of Westminster Seminary in California), Philip Ryken (Senior Minister of the Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, PA, successor to Jim Boice, and preacher for the national radio program “Every Last Word”), Richard Phillips (Senior Minister of the First Presbyterian Church of Coral Springs in Margate, Florida), our own Derek Thomas, and yours truly.
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