Christian Burial of Tyler Shane Lange 26 May 2017

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

Text: John 14:1-6
Theme: Home

Dear family, friends, and loved ones of Tyler, and especially you Deanne, Andrew, Ebony, Ashlee; and all of you gathered here in their support,

“In My Father’s house are many rooms… I am going there to prepare a place for you.”1 That is the promise of the One who holds the keys to the house. Tyler is home. He has no worries, cares, or anxieties. He has no distresses, demands, or difficulties. He is not burdened with regret. We may be overwhelmed with remorse, and understandably so. We might even be resentful. Not Tyler! His soul has been received directly into the presence of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The power of sin and all of its consequences has been broken for him- for all eternity. He is home.

Tyler no longer needs anything from us. This casket contains only his mortal frame; a frame destined to be raised again on the great day of the resurrection of the dead. No, Tyler needs nothing from us, yet he gives to us more than just memories of times past. The brevity of his life gives us opportunity to refocus our priorities and perspectives. Paying lip-service to our mortality is a dangerous business. Life-expectancy is a statistical calculation. It means nothing for individuals. The order in which things normally happen doesn’t always hold. When expectations are shattered, we can be devastated. Losing those who are young and vibrant challenges our guttural instinct. It raises questions of unfairness and injustice.

Grief has no rules. It only has victims. Shock, numbness, anger, guilt, regret, despair, hopelessness…these swirl around in a complex vortex of darkness and doubt. The heart becomes sick. Foundational convictions are challenged and reviewed in our minds. Can God really be trusted? Does life have purpose? What does it all mean? The details of our futures are not revealed to us. Such knowledge would often cripple our participation in the present. Tyler led a vibrant, active, genuine life. He was not restricted by fear. He lived in the present, valuing each day.

I had the privilege of spending a year with Tyler in 2009 during confirmation instruction. Students were given a 10-point quiz each week as we worked our way through the basic teachings of the Christian faith. It’s nearly impossible to get young, healthy kids to reflect on the frailty and preciousness of life. Life seems too certain, too much a given at that age. But it is possible to teach 13-year-olds that life has a source, a purpose, and a destiny. There’s more to existence than meets the eye. On this particular quiz, for which He received perfect marks, Tyler was answering a question about the very crux of the gospel. Why is the gospel truly good news? It is good news because it resolves the greatest crises of existence. Sin, death, and separation from God are defeated by the One who suffered to serve us. The One who was crucified.

Tyler did not go to a cross for punishment. That debt was already paid. The Substitute has already been sacrificed; for Tyler, for you, for me. Christ understands grief. He entered a darkness from which no human had returned. He entered the crucible of punishment for the collective sins of fallen humanity. He emerged victorious over death. Tyler’s confirmation verse was, “I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”2 Words spoken by Christ, they remind us tomorrow is not guaranteed, so we should hold tightly the promise of God’s grace. It is life to the soul.

We live in an increasingly volatile world. Terrorism, violence, addiction, and despair remind us of the fallenness of humanity. Collectively and individually, we are vulnerable. Life is precious. Every breath is a gift. Nothing temporal is certain. Eternal things, though, are otherwise. Salvation is by grace, through faith. There is no other way. Death wins lots of little victories. It cannot win the war. It causes a lot of pain, but it has no permanent authority over God’s people.

Life at any age involves a contest against the temptation to give up or give in, the struggle against serving ourselves, instead of others. Tyler knew how to compete. His passion involved the thrill of the chase and the determination needed to accomplish the goal. But there is only one race that needs to be completed. Tyler has crossed the finish line. He has done it earlier than most.

We still have valid questions. Why Tyler? Why now? Why in that way? But we won’t pretend to have answers. We won’t pretend to grasp reasons. We won’t offer shallow solutions. No one can know the mind of God? But we do know the work of Christ. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though He dies.”3Tyler is celebrating Easter: Life! Life with no encumbrances. Life as the unmediated enjoyment of God’s presence.

The One who holds the keys to the heavenly mansion says, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in Me. In My Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.”4 The place prepared for Tyler Lange is now occupied. Thanks be to God!

Deanne, Andrew, Ebony, Ashlee; may God Almighty wrap you in His strong but gentle love until the day of your reunion with Ty. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +

Christian Burial of Tyler Shane Lange
26 May 2017
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt

1 John 14:2
2 Revelation 3:11
3 John 11:25
4 John 14:1-2