Funeral Homily Duane Woodhouse 8/25/21

 
Begin with intro

Hear these holy words of scripture from the book of  Ecclesiastes 3:1-11

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to throw away;
a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.


Beloved of God: The steadfast love of the Creator never ceases,
God’s mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is God’s faithfulness.
Though there is grief, God has compassion according to the abundance of steadfast Love;
where there is grief there is love.
Dwell in Love, grief will not prevail.


To love one another as we ourselves are loved and wish to be loved, is generally known as The Golden Rule and this tenet is found throughout religious and spiritual literature:


From the Babylonian Talmud:
What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow: this is the whole Torah; the rest is the explanation; go and learn.
From the Quran
[God has many name]s:
Al-Raḥmān (the Merciful), Al-Wadūd (the Loving), Al-Ghafūr
(the Forgiving), Al-Ra’ūf (the Kind), Al-‘Adl (the Just), Al-Karīm (the Generous)
[God isn’t someone to simply worship, God and God’s ways must be our ways: Live thisway]
From Christian scripture
Behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested him, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"
He said to him, "What is written in the law? How do you read it?"
He answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and love your neighbor as yourself."
He said to him, "You have answered correctly. Do this, and you will live."
Luke 10:25.[43]
Homily
“Do this and you will live.”?
I didn’t know Duane but I have heard a lot about him these past weeks and months since his illness and death. I asked Colleen and Tammy to describe him to me. What came out was clear—Duane was 100% human. He didn’t put on airs, he called it as he saw it. He kept his circle small and in many ways was the typical chef—-demanding, grumpy and particular. But while creating gorgeous and delicious food was a huge part of who he was, he was, above and beyond that, something infinitely more. While not an organized religion kind of guy, Duane got the thing that holds almost all world religions and philosophies together:
Love others as you yourself are loved. Love others as you yourself wish to be loved.
He loved his  people fiercely. What a gift to be loved that way, fiercely. Whether he knew it fully or not he was loved back by them. Fiercely. What a better place this world would be if we all, in all our doings, loved one another. Fiercely. Beyond all measure. Completely.
So why did he have to die? Why did he leave us so soon? Did God need another “angel?” NO. Ws it his time? Maybe….but I am not sure the Creator of heaven and earth has an excel spreadsheet about such things. No he died because we die. The one truth of life is that we all die and that we know not the time. Does that mean we should be ok with the fact that he left you all so soon? Nope, it just means that we all need to take what is given to us this day as all that there is and love it fiercely and fully and without restraint. Whether it’s blasting music, watching cat videos, driving in rush hour traffic, shopping for groceries or wondering if the Emergency squad will make it to Rampart on time, we are to take this day, gift that it is,  and live it with love, forgiveness, kindness and generosity because today is what we have. Live fully, love fiercely and do unto others as you would have done unto you because that is what Duane did and it is what you can still do in his name. Do this my friends and you will live.
Amen.
Let us pray:
O God of grace and glory, we remember before you this day our brother Duane. We thank you for giving him to us, his family and friends, to know and to love as a companion on our earthly pilgrimage. In your boundless compassion, console us who mourn. Give us quiet confidence that we may continue our course in this life, confident in the glorious life to come. Amen.
Creator and Sustainer of All, whose wisdom is beyond our understanding, deal graciously with Tammy, Paul, Colleen, Mary Lou and all who love Duane, in their grief. Surround them with your love, that they may not be overwhelmed by their loss, but have confidence in your goodness, and strength to meet the days to come; in all that is Good and Holy we pray,  Amen.
Into your hands, O God, we commend our brother, Duane. In your infinite goodness, wisdom, and power, work in him the merciful purpose of your perfect will, and bring us, at the last, into the company of all the saints in light, who, this day and forevermore, include your precious son, Duane. Amen and Alleluia.
We close now, holding our memories of Duane in our hearts, ready to live this life given to us in his memory which, for all time, will be a blessing to all who remember.