Artie Beck Funeral

Artie Beck Funeral

April 29, 2013, Ltywyn & Lytwyn/Hollywood Cemetery

 

 

Psalm 23 (KJV)

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.  He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

 

Hebrews 10:19-25 (ESV)

            Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

 

 

 

            I met Artie in 1995 when I began attending Second Reformed Church as a parishioner.  Artie was serving as a deacon and the property chairman – positions he held until his death.  I quickly learned that Artie was also a member of the Chamber of Commerce, the Gasoline Retailers, the Planning Board, and so forth, and Artie knew everyone and had contacts for anything we ever needed done at the church.

            I quickly became a deacon and served alongside of him in the church. 

I think it was that first Christmas that I started to really know Artie – as we were setting up the Christmas tree – Artie was supervising – he asked, “Where’s the broad?”  I had no idea how to respond – there were women helping us set up, but I had no idea who he could be referring to, until someone found the angel.  To me – from then on – she has been “the broad.”

After our pastor left in 1998, I began preaching once a month and became much more involved in the church as a whole.  In 1999, I was called to be the pastor of Second Reformed Church, and Artie and I got even closer.

            Artie told me stories about his store and station, and I began meeting more of his contacts.  Everyone I talked to was willing to come or lend a hand if I mentioned the name, “Artie Beck.” 

Artie told me about First Reformed Church and how, when the merger came, they should have kept the building, rather than Second’s.  Even so, he was proud to tell the story of how – against all precedent – he got to keep half the money from the sale of First Reformed Church to use at Second.  Artie was a great negotiator.

I saw that played out among people as well.  One of our late women, Dorothy, would often express her opinion about what should be done or what needed improvement – a fence put up in the alleyway, for example, and often Artie would challenge her and say that he would put up half the money if she would put up the other half – and she often would.

Artie gave certain people nicknames – some of us know ours or others – I found out that my nickname was “pain in the ass” – though it was given in love.  Artie treated me to bottles of Grey Goose for my birthday and Christmas – we didn’t always see eye to eye – but we respected each other.

Artie was very generous, especially when it came to eating out – Artie loved going out to eat with others – and paying the bill.  And he got mad if we said we weren’t able to go out – if we had other plans we had to attend to – or if we tried to pay the bill.  Artie would take several of us to the Chamber dinners on his dime.  And, again, even once he was homebound, he would send money up so we would be able to go out to eat with him in spirit.

Through Artie’s generosity with food, I learned that the diabetic diet called for eating Dunkin’ Donuts, Philly Cheesesteaks, with extra onions and peppers, and drinking soda.

I am very thankful that I got to visit with him in his home about two weeks ago and have lunch with him and some of the others from our church.

Artie tried to help me be a better preacher and pastor:  on numerous occasions he told me my sermons were too long – he would time me and tap at his watch – when he was awake – and groan after service, and he told me that the best minister he ever heard preached for ten minutes – “get ‘em in and get ‘em out.” 

Also, since I prefer to dress casually – I only wear my clerics when I need to – Artie informed me that his previous minister always wore his clerics, except when he bowled.  He told me, “You look like a bum.  No one would know you’re the preacher; they would think you were a bum.”

Artie also told me that I had the easiest job in the world – “You only work one hour a week,” he would say.  Though, eventually, he had to admit, “OK, I was wrong, you work two hours a week.”

We shared a sense of humor – and I got joy out of telling bits from the TV show, “All in the Family,” and having Artie laugh at the and say, “they would never get away with putting a show like that on today.”

And Artie seemed pleased when I joined the Chamber – and I enjoyed being with him at the meetings – with him as the Treasurer, giving his monthly report – eating lunch with him and the other members.

Artie told me – us – stories about his family – Arty Jr., Heidi, Bob, Tim, Katelyn, Scott, and others.  Arties told me that he was not really a church guy to begin with – it was his kids who brought him and Doris to church, because they wanted to go to Sunday school – then Artie and Doris got involved in the church – and remained solidly involved until their deaths.

Artie really became a church guy – a guy committed to the institution and to seeing it run well.  It was not just his contacts in the business world that made him be involved with keeping the property in shape; it was his desire to keep it up for all of us.  Although the way he expressed it became something of a joke among us.

Artie enjoyed being one of the people who counted the money after worship.  Even after he was homebound, he wanted to be involved, and he often called before the service was over to ask, “What was the take?”  Very often, the comment after that would be, “Tell Peter we can’t afford to pay him this week.”

The Scripture I chose for this service is not one that is usually used for funerals, but it is the one that jumped to my mind when thinking about a text for Artie.

The author of the book of Hebrews was a first century Jew who came to understand that the Ceremonial Law of the Mosaic Covenant – the offering up of animal sacrifices – would never be enough to make him right with God.  In order to be right with God, the Only Hope was in the Savior – the Messiah – that God had promised to send.

The author of Hebrews explains in his book that Jesus is that Savior – the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets and the sacrifices as the last High Priest and Sacrifice.  It is through Him and His Work – the New Covenant – the Gospel, that we can be made eternally right with God.  It is through believing in Jesus’ incarnation, life, death, resurrection, and ascension, that we find salvation.

That is the message of the Church.  That is the message I seek to preach.  That is the message of our faith.  And the author of Hebrews encourages us to hold fast to our confession – to what we believe – because God is faithful, even when we are not.

The text I read ends:  “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”

Let us be people who stir each other up to love each other and to encourage love in each other.  Let us be people who stir each other up to do good works – things which will benefit all people and be pleasing to God.

Let us gather together in the Church – let us support the institution – because it is not a building, but a group of people.  Let us gather together as the people of God to encourage each other – by hearing the Word of God read and preached, by sharing our lives with one another, by laughing together, by working together despite differences, by eating together, by being there for one another – trying to make each other better people – people who are pleasing to God.

All the more so because the Day is drawing near – Jesus is coming back for His own.  The time is short – and either He will return first or you will die first – those are the options.

Artie lived a life of joy and love and encouragement – and one of the places he found to encourage was in the Church.  Let us see the value of his example.  For those who seek God and find Him, as David confesses in the 23^rd Psalm, will find that “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.”

Let us pray:

Almighty God, we thank You for the life of Artie Beck and for all the ways he encouraged us to be Your people and to support Your Church.  May we be inspired to look to the Church, to hear Your Word, and to know Your Savior, the only Hope for all people.  For it is in Jesus’ Name, Amen.