Yesterday was the memorial service for one of our oldest church members, Orie VanderBoon, who passed away at the age of 95. In a very real sense he was the patriarch of his large family of numerous children, grandchildren (49!), and great-grandchildren (85!). He often struggled spiritually, but did have times when he was able to trust in Christ alone as his only hope and righteousness. His walk of life gave abundant testimony of God’s grace in him. His tangible hunger for God and His righteousness, his astonishing generosity to his family and employees and hundreds of others, and his noteworthy integrity in every area of his life were evident to all who knew him. Close to 500 people attended his funeral and many more listened on line. I preached on Isaiah 38:14b, which in many ways was a summary of his life, “O Lord, I am oppressed; undertake for me,” and Dr. Kuivenhoven gave the committal address at the cemetery. It was particularly touching how close his grandchildren and great-grandchildren were to him. Please pray for this large family as they mourn their loss. Pray that they may be, as my father often prayed of our own family, “an undivided family reserved for the heavenly mansions above.”
