Sermon Tone Analysis

Welcome

Video

Prayer

Eulogy & Sermon

Song

Eulogy (Obituary)

Song

Scripture Reading

Sermon

Song

Closing Prayer

Dismissal

Welcome

We have come here today to celebrate and remember the life of David Carlton Pace Jr, better known as Carl.

On behalf of the Pace family, I would like to thank each of you for your words of encouragement, your timely prayers that have ministered to them, and how you’ve practically supported them during this time.

I was speaking with David Sr. and he knows that God has been coordinating and choreographing this season.

Thank you for rallying around this family during this unexpected and unplanned tragedy.

Death, though it happens in the blink of an eye, in a moment, is never something that is momentary for loved ones left behind.

This family will walk through the death of their son, brother, loved one, and dad for a season.

Death is not a page in a book, it’s a chapter.

So friends and family members I want to encourage you to continue remembering this family in the weeks and months to come.

Don’t forget.

Send them a card.

Stop by their house.

Visit the kids at school.

Pray for them.

Be the hands and feet of Jesus Christ to this family during this season.

But death

We have come to celebrate and remember the life of Carl David Pace.

Prayer

Now, we are going to watch a slide-show with pictures of Carl and family a few times and I encourage you to take the next 20-30 minutes as an opportunity to remember and honor the life and memory of Carl.

Song

Video

Prayer

Eulogy

Carl, 43, passed away October 13, 2017.

He was born January 3, 1974 in Wichita Falls, Carl was a lifelong resident of Iowa Park and worked 12 years for the City of Wichita Falls Water Distribution and Treatment Cypress Plant as a senior mechanic with a Class A Surface Water License.

His hobbies were cookouts and family gatherings, and he was also an avid fisherman.

Carl is survived by the love of his life, Rachael, and his children Seth, Natalie, Chance, Tyler and Lexie; his father, David Pace Sr. and wife Diane; mother Debra Crown; brother Kevin and wife, Tracie; nephews Mitchell and Mason; Uncle Leeland Pace and wife, Inge; Grandad Clyde Webb and wife Bonnie.

Carl was preceded in death by his uncle Gene and wife Shirley Pace; grandparents Alton and Ida Lee Pace, and grandmother Barbra Webb.

As a child, Carl was attached and had a fond love for his Grandma Webb - which he called “Mimaw Webb”.

He loved playing sports - baseball was a passion during his early years and as he grew it morphed from baseball to football.

For those of you who knew Carl he was the type of man who worked with his hands and had a sharp mechanical mind.

He went to tech schools for welding and refrigeration and received a class B and a class A license in Surface Water.

Carl had a mind for mechanics.

It made sense to him.

You know some people compose, others write, some are orators and a few are olympians - but Carl he was gifted with mechanics.

He was the type of man who put his hand to the plow and maybe developed a bit of tunnel vision while plowing the field or accomplishing a goal but, Carl would get it done.

He was a family man who enjoyed cooking, family get-togethers, having friends over and he loved fishing.

Recently, in fact, he bought a boat that he took the kids out to the lake on.

He was a good dad, a good man and a good friend.

Chance it was brought to my attention that your dad loved chess and that is something that he has passed on to you - chess club at the Junior High, right?

You know you will always have that.

Each time you checkmate your opponents king you will remember that small, but invaluable gift your dad passed to you.

That is precious.

Don’t let it go.

Carl loved his big family and he also had a second home and a second family at the with the City of Wichita Falls at the Cypress Water Plant.

Carl considered each of them extended family.

Butch his bossman was a 2nd dad to him.

Someone who took Carl under his wing like a mother hen.

He worked 12 years with the City of Wichita, worked up through the ranks and though he received offers to go elsewhere and work - he couldn’t leave his second family.

Carl’s life wasn’t always sunny and light, he walked through hard times, but in those times his 2nd family met many practical needs in his life.

Specifically, there was one Christmas where Carl wasn’t going to be able to provide Christmas for his family - he was doing all he could to take care of the necessities - so the employee’s of the City of Wichita rallied together and made a wonderful Christmas for his family.

We all need that type of community in our life, that type of extended family and I’m thankful that Carl had it.

And then David had Racheal - the love of his life.

She was his partner, his friend, someone he could laugh with, yell at and find home with her.

Racheal shared a moment she will never forget that on the day that Carl died that morning he came by the house unexpectedly and to Racheal’s surprise and she said, “babe, what are you doing here?”

And Carl’s response was “I just wanted to tell you I love you, babe.”

He loved you and he loved his family.

David Sr. pointed out that Carl trusted in Christ as a young man and was baptized at the “Little Chapel on the Hill.”

Which, family and friends, is ultimately the only hope we have for David.

Transition: Though from our perspective this death is untimely and unplanned from God’s - it is quite the contrary.

That’s one reason I love God’s Word so much because it reminds us that there is a God that is in charge of the entire universe and knows how to weave our lives in a perfect pattern, by causing and permitting all things.

There is story after story that reminds us that God is a wise God that is in control in the best of times and the worst of times.

In we run into a passage that for the disciples was the worst of times.

On the eve of his death, Jesus spoke to his disciples the most comforting words found in Scripture.

We turn to his words this morning — for in them we find life, hope, peace, comfort, and clarity as we grieve at the death of Carl.

And family and friends, it is right for us to grieve and to have sorrow, yet not without hope.

Even Jesus wept at the death of his dear friend Lazarus; which means that he understands the heaviness you feel during this time.

Yet, with this understanding also comes the promise and certainty of Christ through the gospel.

Let’s look at the words of Christ almost immediately before he would go to cross to bear our sins and open the way to the Father.

He begins like this...

A. “Let not your hearts be troubled” (literally, “Stop letting your heart be troubled”)

Is that a cruel, uncompassionate command to those weighed down with grief?

No, Jesus was well acquainted with sorrow.

He left his heavenly home and became 100% man while still being 100% God.

No, it is a reminder that each person is responsible for the condition of our heart.

1.

We must remember the situation.

Jesus’ told his disciples that he would be leaving and that brought sorrow to the disciples.

They could not see and grasp the future glory that his departure through his death and his resurrection would bring.

2. And We must consider.

That it is normal for us to be focused on the momentary, the present — that’s where the disciples were in their emotions and thoughts.

But it is not always healthy to remain there.

It is normal to be absorbed with those things most dear to us — thus we see the disciples absorbed with Christ.

And it is normal to be absorbed by the most pressing matters before our eyes — thus the disciples could only think of keeping Jesus with them.

These are normal things, but not always best.

It is normal to think that a deep grief or pain or sorrow will never go away.

Yet never is a long time, and we are not King of that time or of God’s wise and kind purpose in it.

3.

And we must Listen to the command.

So Jesus, recognizing that his disciples were already troubled, with great compassion and wisdom, told them it was time to no longer be troubled.