Erl Purnell Sermon

John Hallowell Stedman Funeral Service ~ February 20, 2007 ~ A homily preached by The Rev’d Erl G. Purnell at Old St. Andrew’s Church, Bloomfield, CT

Those Lives (Pablo Neruda); 2^nd Timothy 4.1-8; Mark 10.13-16

In Paul’s final days, he writes, “As for me, I am already being poured out as a libation, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

Nothing more true could be said about John Stedman. He fought the good fight. He finished the race. He kept the faith.

There is so much to say about this good, honorable, and kind man. What a privilege it was to know him, to listen to his wit and hear him laugh, to play with him batting around interesting ideas, to watch him love his family and friends, and most especially Caryn, his very best friend.

On last Wednesday evening at St. Francis Hospital, John said to Caryn, “I want to go home.” And when he was finally wheeled in on Thursday afternoon, he said, “It’s good to be home.” Home. Yes, John’s home was 200 Duncaster Road … and he very much wanted to die in the beautiful home that he and Caryn had made together. Home is also that place where sorrow and pain are nor more, neither sighing, but life everlasting. John sought that home, too.

John fought the good fight and finished the race in ways that have and will continue to inspire the scores of people who knew and loved him. For, all along, John knew that cancer could not cripple love, shatter hope, corrode faith; he knew it couldn’t destroy peace or kill friendship or suppress memories; John knew cancer couldn’t silence courage, invade his Soul, or steal eternal life; he also knew it could never conquer his Spirit.

In his months and years of living with cancer, John was almost always upbeat. Indeed, he lived and died with both happiness and hope in his heart. Even when he was ready to let go, he was filled with hope because of his deep faith. We had talked about dying and death several times, and when John’s time came, he was unafraid. He was truly at Peace last Friday.

One thing for sure about John is that golf expressed for him what the game of life was all about. Consider this by (Monsignor) Richard McCabe

found in The Game for a Lifetime, Harvey Penick’s book about golf:

Give me a few good lies, O Lord,
and the poise to make my life shots work.

Give me a healthy mind,
to keep the good and pure in sight,
which seeing sin is not struck dumb,
but finds a way to set it right.

Give me a mind that is not bored,
that does not whimper, whine, or sigh.
Don’t let me worry over much about that
fussy thing called I.

Give me a sense of humor Lord.
Permit me the grace to see a joke,
to find some happiness in life and
pass it on to other folk.

Of course there is so much more to say … so many more memories, stories, tall tales ... so many ways to capture the essence of who John was. Keep talking about John in the years ahead, for his spirit is indomitable and, I know he will continue to enliven us all.

And so, John Hallowell Stedman, who fought the good fight, finished the race, and kept the faith, Blessings, Peace and Godspeed.

Amen … Oh, and Go Red Sox!