The Death Of A Son (Psalm 22/69) by Michael Card

Eli, Eli, Lama Sabachthani
Eli, Eli, Lama Sabachthani
Why are you so far from saving me?
So far from the words of my groaning
By night and by day I cry out in pain
So why do you not answer?
Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One
And you our fathers trusted
They cried out to you and were saved
They were never disappointed
I am a worm and no longer a man
Lama Sabachthani
They have pierced my feet and hands
Lama Sabachthani
I look for comforters but found none
Oh how could you forsake me?
Oh my strength come quickly come
Come now O Lord and save me
For you would never despise or disdain
The suffering of the afflicted
In the congregation I will proclaim
That from the grave you lifted me
In the miry depths I sink
Lama Sabachthani
They gave me vinegar to drink
Lama Sabachthani
Lama Sabachthani

With Hope by Steven Curtis Chapman

This is not at all how
We thought it was supposed to be
We had so many plans for you
We had so many dreams
And now you've gone away
And left us with the memories of your smile
And nothing we can say
And nothing we can do
Can take away the pain
The pain of losing you, but ...

We can cry with hope
We can say goodbye with hope
'Cause we know our goodbye is not the end, oh no
And we can grieve with hope
'Cause we believe with hope
(There's a place by God's grace)
There's a place where we'll see your face again
We'll see your face again

And never have I known
Anything so hard to understand
And never have I questioned more
The wisdom of God's plan
But through the cloud of tears
I see the Father's smile and say well done
And I imagine you
Where you wanted most to be
Seeing all your dreams come true
'Cause now you're home
And now you're free, and ...

We have this hope as an anchor
'Cause we believe that everything
God promised us is true, so ...

So we can cry with hope
And say goodbye with hope

We wait with hope
And we ache with hope
We hold on with hope
We let go with hope

My variation on a quote from Romans

Paul - "where sin did abound, grace did more abound"

Mike - "where grief did abound, love and comfort did more abound"

Requiem: Eric Wolterstorff in Memoriam

By Cary Ratcliff

Given on May 18^th, 1986

Part 1

Truly terrible is the mystery of death.

I lament at the sight of beauty

created for us in the image of God

which lies now in the grave

without shape, without glory,

without consideration.

What is this mystery that surrounds us?

Why are we delivered up into decay?

Why are we bound to death?

John of Damascus

There is hope for a tree if it be cut down,

that it will sprout again.

And its shoots not cease.

But we die and disappear.

We breath our last and where are we?

Job 14

Never again do we return home.

Our dwelling place knows us no more.

Job 7

Part 2

Like an bird alone in the desert

or an owl in a ruined house

I lie awake and groan,

like a sparrow lost on a roof

Ashes are the bread I eat,

I mingle tears with my drink.

Psalm 102

From the depths I cry to you, oh Lord,

give head to my lament.

Psalm 140

Does the grave declare your great love?

Is your truth proclaimed in the tombs?

Are your wonders admired in the dark

or your mercy where all is forgotten?

Psalm 88

Why do you turn away?

Why do you hide your face?

I wait for you, my soul waits,

and in your word I have hope.

Psalm 130

Restore me oh God my savior.

Psalm 85

Part 3

In all our afflictions he is afflicted,

and the angel of his presence saves us;

in his love and pity he redeems us,

he lifts us up and carries us all our days.

Isaiah 63:9

He bears our grief

and carries our sorrows;

by his wounds we are healed.

Isaiah 53:4,5

Part 4

In my beginning is my end

In my end is my beginning

TS Elliot

O lord, you have fathomed and known me:

you know when I sit down or stand  

you created my inmost thoughts

as you wove me within the womb \.

You saw me before I was born,

My days were inscribed in your book;

They were all formed and set

Before a single one came to be.

Psalm 139

My heart is not proud,

My eyes are not haughty;

I am not intent on great things

Nor achievements sublime.

My soul lies at rest

As quiet as a child;

My soul is as still as a babe

At its mother’s breast.

Psalm 131

I depart in peace

For my eyes have seen your salvation .

You have shown me the path of life.

In you presence there is fullness of joy,

In your right hand are pleasures forever more.

Psalm 16

In justice I go to behold your face;

I shall find joy in your likeness when I awake.

Psalm 17

Part 5

Ours days are like grass;

we flourish like flowers of the field;

the wind passes over us and we are gone,

and our place knows us no more.

But the steadfast love of the Lord abides

forever.

Psalm 103

Though the fig trees do not blossom

nor fruit be on the vine;

the produce of the olive fail

and the field yields no more food;

though the flock be cut of from the fold

and there be no food in the stalls,

yet I will rejoice in the Lord;

I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.

Habakkaku 3

Part  6

We have seen a great mystery:

We shall all be changed.

We shall all be raised in Christ

as we were buried in Christ.

Death is swallowed up in victory.

The dwelling of God will be with his people.

God will wipe every tear from their eyes,

and death shall be no more.

There shall be no mourning, no crying nor

pain;

sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

For the old things are disappearing.

Revelation 21

The poor will be raised from the dust,

the sorrowing, lifted up from their ashes.

Song of Hannah

Those who sowed in tears

shall reap in songs of joy.

Psalm 126

For the word of the Lord is peace.

Psalm 85

“Behold, I am making all things new.

I am the Alpha and the Omega,

the beginning and the end.”

Revelation 21

To love means..............

The only hearts that do not break are the ones that are busily constructing little hells of loveless control, cocoons of safe, respectable selfishness to insulate themselves from the tidal wave of tears that comes sooner or later.
Peter Kreeft