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Ask Pastor John

John Piper’s Funeral Prayer for a Family of Five

Ask Pastor John

Desiring God

John Piper, Unknown, 163859, Pastor, Ask, Theology, Desiring God, Religion & Spirituality/christianity, Christianity, Religion & Spirituality, Questions

4.83.8K Ratings

🗓️ 6 August 2016

⏱️ 13 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

What John Piper prayed at the funeral of Jamison and Kathryne Pals, 29, and their three children, 3-year-old Ezra, 23-month-old Violet, and 2-month-old Calvin.

Transcript

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0:00.0

Last Sunday morning, at around 11.30 a.m., an entire family entered heaven together.

0:09.0

Jameson and Catherine Powell's and their three small children were driving from Minneapolis

0:13.4

to Colorado for final preparations as missionaries to Japan.

0:18.0

They planned to leave in October.

0:20.2

But in an interstate construction zone in Western Nebraska, a semi-truck rear ended the

0:25.0

family vehicle.

0:27.0

And tragically, the entire family died at the scene, including Jameson and Catherine,

0:31.8

both 29, and their three young children, three-year-old Ezra, 23-month-old Violet, and two-month-old

0:39.3

Calvin.

0:41.5

The 53-year-old trucker was arrested and charged with five counts of felony motor vehicle

0:46.8

homicide.

0:48.5

But today, the life in the faith and the obedience of Jameson and Catherine was celebrated at Bethlehem

0:54.3

Baptist Church in Minneapolis.

0:57.0

John Piper was asked to deliver the pastoral prayer, and here's what he said.

1:02.6

Would you pray with me?

1:10.1

Lord God of might and mercy and mystery.

1:19.8

You have driven the arrows of your quiver into the breast of your people, your beloved.

1:31.7

You have filled our throat with bitterness and gall.

1:37.8

You have made our teeth grind on gravel and laid us down with wounds in the ashes of

1:44.8

dreams.

1:48.6

You have taken away our sleep and replaced our gladness with groaning.

1:53.7

You have covered us with shadows and the shadows of those we love, and we have reached out

...

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