Doug Durgie's Funeral

Funeral for Doug Durgie

January 4, 2013, Union Funeral Home

            “So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:1-11, ESV).

            Paul wrote to the Philippians to remind them that the Gospel was not about them – it is about Jesus and what He did in history.  He wanted them to understand that Jesus came as a servant to bring the Gospel to all those who would believe, and because Jesus is God and Man in one person, He is able to bring salvation to all those who believe in the Gospel.

            This is what Doug believed.  Doug was a servant.  I did not have the pleasure of knowing his wife, Edith, but Doug told me stories about them and their life together.  I came to Second Reformed as a parishioner in 1995; Doug came after the close of First Reformed Church in 1990.  His wife, Edith, died in 1988.

            My experience of Doug was of him serving.  He served on our Consistory – the church board – and served as the Classis representative – actually enjoying going to the Classis meetings and hearing the discussions – when he didn’t fall asleep.  Doug opened the church every Sunday, getting the doors unlocked and the lights on, and then he would settle down in the back pew for a nap while I preached.  After worship, Doug, would help count the money – making sure that the deposit was correct for each Sunday.

            Doug always attended our weekly evening studies – being fond of history, he enjoyed discussions as we considered the causes and outcomes of the Crusades and the disputes of the Ecumenical Councils.

            Doug was very involved in his VFW post and in serving as an eye examiner with AT&T Pioneers.

            Doug appreciated the fact that I have a cat, and he enjoyed pet therapy at Inglemoor.  Doug, himself, had three cats – at his wife’s request.  However, and Doug laughed when he told me this, Edith’s desire was for cats that would sit and be attentive to her, but, as Doug told me, they preferred him – to Edith’s chagrin.  After his cats died, he supported numerous animal causes.  He even brought me some catnip from his yard for my cat.

            During the past two years – and especially this past year – I learned more about Doug as I regularly visited him in Inglemoor and carried out his requests to consolidate and settle his estate for when his time came.  He told me what he wanted done, and he was appreciative of my attending to his wishes.

            Doug was also a man of surprises – due to his humility.  I had known that Doug served in the military, but I didn’t know until I started going through his effects and boxing them up for the house to be sold, that he was awarded the Purple Heart for injuries sustained in battle.  I asked him what happened, and he said, “Oh, it was nothing.”  I found out in checking his records that Doug served his country in the army as an army tank gunner and rifle sniper.  Doug merely saw himself as someone who ought to serve when and where needed.

            As I helped him finalize his paperwork, he told me, “Oh, I don’t think I ever told you, my name is not Doug.”  As he told me, he was named “Eric,” but the neighbors didn’t care for the name, so his parents had it legally changed to Douglas.

            That was Doug, subdued, quite, willing to serve, believing in Jesus as His Savior and in the Hope for life eternal.  He was an example of service – without frills and fanfare – as he lived his life, generally – quietly, humbly.

            About two months ago, Doug and I talked about the Gospel, and he expressed his thanks to me for preaching what the Bible says and nothing more.  Doug told me that there are so many ministers interested in fame and money, but the point of Christianity is that God came to earth in the person of Jesus, lived a sinless life under God’s Law, died for the sins of everyone who would every believe, and physically rose from the dead and ascended back to His Throne.

            I will always be grateful that Doug was a man of quiet service – of belief, without showmanship.  He believed that Jesus is God the Savior, and we ought to serve God and country as representatives of Jesus.  That is what I saw Doug do.

            Doug would agree with Paul’s summary of what the truth – the important things – the Gospel is, as Paul wrote to the Corinthians, when they were straying away in to various side issues:  “Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.

            “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me” (1 Corinthians 15:1-8, ESV).

            I truly believe that if Doug could speak to us today, he would want us to be assured of the Gospel – to know that Jesus Christ is God the Only Savior, and it is only through Him that we will be saved.  And he would also tell us that true living is about serving others – in the church and in the world – giving back in any and every way that we are able.

            May his life be an example to us to see the truth of the Gospel and believe and to humbly serve, just as Jesus did.

            Let us pray:

            Almighty God, we thank You for the life of Doug Durgie – for his witness to Your Gospel and for his witness to a life of serving.  Help us to believe what You have said and done in history, and help us to find ways to humbly, quietly serve the church and the world around us.  We look forward to seeing Doug again in the Kingdom.  May Jesus Christ be praised.  Amen.