Mahlon Fauss Funeral

August 17, 2011 Full Service Text Mahlon Fauss Funeral Bulletin    Bulletin for Mahlon Fauss Sermon Text Matthew 11:25-30 At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”   The Bible seems pretty clear that Kingdom of God belongs to those who possess a child’s heart. This is not to say of course that life is to be lived naively or frivolously, but instead is experienced joyfully, perhaps even playfully with openness and the belief that anything’s possibilities. Children see the world as an adventure waiting to be discovered not as a burden to bear. Children make friendships easily, laugh easily, and have a wonderful imagination mostly because they haven’t yet been hardened by the cruelty of others or learned to be guarded, secretive or deceitful. Children put no value in job titles, appearances, or social standing; they look instead for a smiling face, a willing spirit and perhaps most of all the ability to share. That’s why Jesus said, “let the children come to me and never hinder them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”   We have gathered here today out of our admiration for a man who made being childlike seem so easy, so honorable and so wonderfully refreshing. Mahlon’s playfulness was like a breath of fresh air that swept into the stuffiness of our pompous lives and reminded us how to be children again. We have gathered in our grief to marvel at the gift we all shared, to reflect on the lessons we learned from his life and to remember the joy that was given to us, but we have also gathered to thank God the Giver of all life for Mahlon and people like him who remind us all that life really like is a giant sandbox we get to play in with friends for a time before being called home for dinner at God’s table. Today we come to celebrate one who taught us how to play together, but who now has been called home.  You have heard today only a small portion of the countless stories and anecdotes that Mahlon lived, told and retold that brought joy to our lives. But I’m also sure there are countless more waiting to be told. I hope you would keep those memories alive by sharing them with Charlotte and her family in a card or letter as an expression of gratitude in the days or weeks ahead.   Mahlon lived with an enthusiastic heart. For him life was an adventure, at times it was a game but whatever was happening it was always an opportunity to make friends. After all, he once said, all of life is about people.  Friends will be there when the money runs out, friends will be there when your health fails, and friends will be there to see you off and to wave good bye.  Mahlon taught us all how to face the uncertainty of our days with laughter and an optimism that was infectious.  Despite being in the ICU suffering heart and kidney failure, Mahlon still made sure each nurse knew she was the prettiest and his favorite. Even as he struggled to catch his breath, he was still planning the next gathering and looking forward to having more friends around him. He wasn’t just play-acting to gain favors, it was his nature and we were drawn to him because of how he made us feel. When you were with Mahlon you just felt more valued, more appreciated and more like no matter what problems you were facing in life, you really could conquer the world. Mahlon had the unique ability to inspire optimism and brightened up the darkness of our lives with a spirit of joy.   I feel certain that Mahlon was blessed by God with the gift of hospitality, the ability to transform strangers into friends. I don’t think Mahlon ever went anywhere in this world where he didn’t have a friend waiting for him, even if he had never been there before. It wasn’t so much that he was making new friends, he was really greeting old friends again for the first time. Perhaps Mahlon understood the Kingdom of God better than any of us ever realized. After all isn’t this the way God really wanted us to live, to see strangers as potential brothers and sisters instead of competitors, to heal every hurt with laughter, and to welcome everyone to our home and party. Everyone felt right at home with Mahlon and how could you not be? With that big broad smile and irrepressible laughter and sometimes irreverent humor, all our anxiety, fear and just melted away and we became ourselves. We laughed a bit easier, opened up a bit more and enjoyed life more deeply.   And so I believe we have experienced just a glimpse of the Kingdom of God in all its innocence, humility and fellowship through the love of Mahlon Fauss. We have gathered here today to thank God for his example and the possibility that our lives will continue to be shaped by his optimism and joy.    If you knew Mahlon for very long then you knew he did not put much stock in social class, positions or titles. He could be found in conversation and storytelling as easily with CEO’s of major corporations as he would with a janitor or nurse. Although there’s no doubt he preferred nurses. It didn’t matter who you were, to Mahlon you were special and he gave you his full attention.   I remember several years ago when Mahlon was in the hospital here at Marietta Memorial dealing with kidney problems. I showed up to visit and provide some conversation which for Mahlon was really the best medicine he needed. I ended up spending two hours that day rubbing Mahlon’s feet and ankles while talking about his life as a boy in Belmont who made the long walks to St. Marys win the girl he dedicated the rest of his life to, the adventures he had meeting President Truman, the accidents that he survived and how they shaped his life, and the friends and family who made him light up with pride and gratitude.   Mahlon taught me that every day and every person was a story waiting to be told if you were willing and able to get beyond the tattered and torn cover and really begin to read between the lines. Each life was filled with untold triumphs and tragedies that rivaled any novel ever written and he wanted to read them all. And didn’t we all need that. Didn’t we all need someone in our lives so filled with joy and enthusiasm that we really didn’t mind opening up to a trusted friend to read who we really are. For many of us gathered here, Mahlon did just that.   If we have learned anything it should be that we will not remember Mahlon for the business he created, the organizations he lead, the charities he supported, or the endless stories he told, we will remember him for the way he made us feel. For him life was an adventure, a ongoing   One of the last times I had to visit Mahlon while he was still aware of my presence, I told him that in all sincerity if I could ask God for one favor it would be to live my life more like he did. To be a bit more of the extrovert he was, to trust a bit more and to laugh a bit more easily. When I look back on my life in the years to come, his life will be a model of all that I believe life could and a measure of what I hope my life one day can be.   I realize that on a day like today it easy to be overwhelmed by grief and lose our sense of loss in the midst of tears. When so much has been given, the pain is all the more real when it fades.   Today of all days, it’s easy to feel alone and perhaps even abandoned. But if we take time to look closely we find that God has always been there through the people in our lives that so transform our point of view that life takes on an almost magical quality. They are usually the most unlikeliest of people, people who do not have great wealth yet give generously of their time and talent, people who do not have great social standing yet influence countless lives and people without a lot of degrees yet teach us more about life, integrity and respect for others than anyone else we know. They are simply a Gift from God given to us to love and to cherish and to learn the purpose of life.   We have come today to give thanks to the Creator of all Life for Mahlon Fauss, for his gift of love and encouragement from which we grew and from whom we learned countless lessons of life through laughter, love and an affirming spirit. His life was a special gift from God that was given to us as a trust that we might learn from this gentle man those timeless values and essential priorities that enabled Mahlon to change us from the inside out.  We have come here today to remember and to celebrate that God has always been at work in our lives, through the miracle of people like Mahlon who teach us how easy it is to smile each day, how important it is to encourage someone to look up not down, or simply how to inspire others with words of hope and a well told story. But we have also come to affirm that each life is belongs to God alone and that our time on this earth is not without limits or purpose. Though our bodies may age and eventually fail us, our spirits are destined for another world. So today I want to thank all of you for coming today to remember and to honor Mahlon Fauss. I pray that in our gratitude for all God has given us, our grief will transformed into a profound understanding for the blessing life offers each of and the peace and hope that is ours in death through Jesus Christ. Amen.