Funeral of Greg O'Neill, April 21, 2017

+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.

Text: 1 John 1:7
Theme: Cleansed By His Blood




Dear family, friends, and loved ones of Greg, and especially you Bill, his brother;

God puts an end to suffering. Why God permits certain traumas, at particular times, to trouble specific people… we do not know. A conversation with Job might give us more insight. Faith must venture where reason cannot go. Greg, of course, wouldn’t have complained overly much about what he endured. What matters now is that he has been released from every burden of mind and body. The curse of sin and all of its consequences has been broken. His soul has been received into the majestic, peaceful, and awesome presence of the triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Greg celebrates Easter with a joy that we cannot even imagine. He is free. He is home.

The accident that put Greg in a wheel chair radically changed his life but also gave him an entirely new perspective on those things which are most meaningful. Tragedy has a way of sorting out the trivial from the essential. We know how facing mortality through illness or accident quickly sobers us in evaluating our priorities. Greg understood the essentials better than most. He didn’t give up or give in. He didn’t check out of life or become a recluse wallowing in self-pity. He pursued a vocation that made good use of his mind. He was a blessing to others and a benefit to society.

Greg was a nimble conversationalist. The restrictions on his body left no impairment on his mind. He was able to converse intelligently and gracefully about everything from politics to religion to the popular trends of culture. Greg had a sharp wit and a clever sense of humor that carried carefully nuanced tones of sarcasm. His jovialness and positivity in the face of struggle was an inspiration to many. He persevered through long stays in the hospital and was always dependent on others.

Just as damage to his body did not restrict his mind, so too, it did not finally compromise his faith. Oh yes, questions were asked of God. Soul-searching was done. Intense emotions were worked through. We should not imagine that we can empathize with what Greg endured. We don’t know what darkness he faced or what regrets he had. But we do know that, by the mercy of God, he emerged with a vibrant, measured, and articulate faith. Greg knew the Scriptures and that meant he knew the One of whom the Scriptures speak. He knew the Saviour who shed His blood for the atonement for sins. Greg treasured that sacrifice.

Two of Greg’s favourite hymns, ones included in our celebration today, emphasize the forgiveness of sins that comes only by the shedding of Christ’s blood. The crux of the matter is expressed by the Apostle John, “If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.”1Did Greg believe he needed cleansing from his sins? Yes, he knew that no one can enter into the presence of the Father on his own merits. He knew that the tragedy that crippled him didn’t make him a pity-case, an exception due to circumstances. Forsaking all notions of our own worthiness and placing ourselves completely at the mercy of Christ is the only way to God’s favour. Sin cannot be excused, denied, or negotiated. It can only be repented of. Salvation is by grace, through faith. There is no other way.

I’ve spoken to few people that understood the meaning of their baptism as well as Greg did. Baptism is the entry point of the Holy Spirit into a believer’s life. Baptism is the divine covenant which conveys an eternal inheritance. Greg was a conveyancer and he understood how the transfer of important things took place. Greg was attentive to the important things of God, receiving the sacrament of Christ’s body and blood regularly, meditating on His word; witnessing to His truth. And he was not remiss in His prayers.

Greg’s prayers have been answered. For us, there’s grieving left to be done. It’s not something to be made light of, avoided, or denied. Sorrow over death is a particular reflection of the divine image. God did not create death or intend it. In justice, He wields it as a punishment for sin. But death has no final power over His saints. Therefore, the Scripture says, “We do not want you to be uniformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep.”2

In the end, Greg’s body was riddled with cancer. But in relation to Christ’s power to raise the dead that’s neither here nor there. It’s a small matter. We are all riddled with the cancer of sin. It permeates our existence. Yet, it is for the believer, only a temporary affliction. The Scriptures says, “Our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body.”3 Greg’s body will be restored in the great day of the resurrection. Then will come to pass the promise of Isaiah, “Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer.”4 Imagine Greg’s joy when he is again able to leap like a deer, or should we say, a kangaroo!

Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though He dies.”5Greg is celebrating Easter: Life! Life with no encumbrances of sin; unmediated enjoyment of God’s presence. Thanks be to God!

+ In nomine Jesu +

Christian Burial of Greg O’Neill
21 April 2017
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt

1 1 John 1:7
2 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14
3 Philippians 3:20-21
4 Isaiah 35:5-6
5 John 11:25