Advent Lutheran Church

"Celebration of Grace in the Life of Charlie Gardner"

“Good Time Charlie”

Grace and peace to you from God, our Creator, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Amen.

 

Last Sunday evening we lost another member of “The Greatest Generation” - Charles E. “Charlie” Gardner – 88 years young - husband, Navy pilot, brother, world traveler, uncle, cousin, golfer, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, honorary Warrior in the Tribe of Mic-O-Say, caregiver, care-receiver, friend and child of God. 

You have heard some of the stories of how Charlie impacted the lives of others, and all of you, I’m sure, have tales that could be told about pieces of Charlie’s journey from his childhood until today.  And I would imagine if we were to put aside our sadness and share those stories, there wouldn’t be enough Kleenex in the room to dry our eyes from the tears of laughter that would be shed as we recall Charlie - his life, his sense of humor, and his deep and abiding love for family and friends.

            Kay told me that “Charlie was sweet on me” - which I knew, and treasure as a great compliment – but I also surely know that Charlie was sweet on most people.  Because Charlie loved life.  He loved his family.  He loved his work.  He loved golf.  And he loved God.  That’s just who he was.  The man was always smiling, always winking, always bringing joy with him regardless of his own personal situation.  And Charlie certainly had his share of challenges in his long and fruitful life. 

            But he never let the world, or cancer, or challenges or frustrations get the better of him.  Even in his last days, when communicating was difficult at best, he could still convey his love to Kay and each and every member of his family.  He could still respond with the eyes of gratitude to the many who cared for him so well.  He could still appreciate sitting on Sue’s porch, soaking in the sun and the sounds of nature at the lake.

This was a man who knew happiness – no, not just happiness, but deep joy that comes only when you accept that life takes unexpected turns, but love and laughter make all those detours worth the journey. 

            And what a journey it was!  Kansas born and bred, military service and a long career.  Sixty-one years of wedded bliss with the same woman and three (yes, I said THREE) holes-in-one!  All that, and a chance to return to the sky in a vintage WWII airplane on his 80^th birthday.  Love, faithfulness and adventure:  symbols of a life well-lived. So it is fitting that the Scripture readings and songs that Kay chose to be sung as his favorites, even the colors in the church today are symbols, reflections in which you can just see Charlie in every piece of today’s celebration of grace in his life:

            First, it is the end of the long, green season of Pentecost in the church.  This is fully half of our year, a time when we reflect on the question, “Now that Easter is past and we know we have eternal life with God, how then, shall we live?” Charlie was intentional about every day he drew breath, and even as the season of his life winded down, he lived on his own terms.  I believe that Charlie was intentional about being here to mark his 61^st anniversary with Kay.  I believe that Charlie wanted to make sure that everyone got to say their goodbyes to him.  And Kay, in answer to why he lingered so long, I believe that Charlie loved every minute of the time of gathering, as folks came and went around your little apartment home, stopping to speak to him or to give him a little kiss on their way out the door.  Charlie loved a good time. 

And Charlie loved.  But today is not just about Charlie’s love, it is about God’s love through Charlie, and to and through all of us. 

+ Love that comes through the blessing of Aaron, from Numbers 6) which here at Advent we confer upon a newborn child of God on the day of their baptism, reminding us all that first and foremost, we are claimed as God’s beloved even before we are born. 

+ Love that comes through the amazing comfort of the well-known Psalm 23 – God is with us, and has a place in his house just for us. 

+ Love that Paul described to the Christians in Rome, when he reminded them that there is nothing, nothing, nothing that will ever separate us from God’s love in Christ Jesus.  And finally, the beloved words from Our Savior himself, that “God so loved the world.” 

Charlie took these scriptures to heart and lived them out, and in so doing he brought his own special kind of joy to the very heart of God.  As Mother Teresa reminded us, “Death is nothing else but going home to God, the bond of love will be unbroken for all eternity.” And now Charlie and God are together again, and we can rejoice in the promise that now there is no pain, no sickness, no suffering.  Charlie is once again, whole and strong and just waiting to have a long conversation without physical restrictions.

Charlie’s earthly body has been cremated, and he was clear that he wanted to be buried at some point.  It was his desire to make sure that folks “knew he had been here on this earth.”  For now, Kay will keep Charlie with her, for a time.  But finally, Charlie’s ashes will go into the ground with an appropriate marker, so that his last wishes may be honored.  In witness to his presence, are all of us – those who worshipped with him or golfed with him, cherished members of his family who knew him the best – all of the many caregivers whose lives were brightened by Charlie over the years – and anyone who ever encountered God’s joy in the person of Charlie Gardner, will most definitely remember that he was here on this earth.  Because Charlie was the poster boy for Tielhard de Chardin’s quote, “Joy is the most infallible sign of the presence of God."

            So now we gather in one more celebration around him and remember who we are and whose we are.  Listen to a word from I Thessalonians 4:13 “…we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who have died, so that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.”  We have hope in the next great party where we will be reunited with Charlie and all the saints in the Church Triumphant.  But for today, an old-fashioned prayer by William Penn for all of us who are feeling his loss:

 

We give them back to you, dear Lord, who gave them to us.

Yet you did not lose them in giving, so we have not lost them by their return.

What you gave you do not take away, O Lover of souls;

for what is yours is ours also if we are yours.

And life is eternal and love is immortal, and death is only an horizon,

and an horizon is nothing save the limit of our sight.

Lift us up, strong Son of God, that we may see further;

cleanse our eyes that we may see more clearly;

and draw us closer to yourself that we may know ourselves

            to be nearer to our loved ones who are with you.

And while you prepare for us, prepare us also for that happy place,

that where they are and you are, we too may be for evermore.  Amen.