saying, “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace accord- ing to Your word… for my eyes have seen your salvation.” To Jesus’ mother Simeon added another blessing… a hard blessing. That the ministry of Jesus will be like a sword piercing through her soul. Jesus told His disciples gathered on the mountain top, “Blessed are you when people insult you and say all kinds of evil against you because of me… rejoice and be glad for great is your reward in heaven… for in the same way they persecuted the proph- ets who were before you.” The piercing of the heart… is pastoring.
CONCLUSION I close with this well-known ac-
count from the Bible, 2 Kings 2. Elisha, the prophet in training, said to his mentor, to his friend, Elijah, “As the Lord lives, and as you live, I will not leave you.”
After divid-
ing the Jordan River by rolling up his cloak and striking the water, Elijah asked Elisha, “What I shall I do for you before I am taken from you.” Eli- sha responded, “Please… let there be a double portion of your spirit upon me.” Elijah replied, “You have asked a hard thing…” -
rected, our Lord Jesus, sitting at the right hand of God the Father, poured out His Spirit, the Holy Spirit upon His people… not just a double spirit, but the fullness of the Holy Spirit, the in Christ Jesus. That same Spirit binds us to you Reverend Beckham… the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be- tween you and us… and you and me… and yet I still pray… let there be a double portion of your spirit upon me. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Such is the way of life, hellos and then good-byes Such is the way of this road, another journey to undergo Such is the way of time, looking ahead at what’s soon left behind
So run your race unreservedly
You’ll be more than mere memory to me I see in you eternity
Such is the way of our days, sharing these separate ways Such is the way of this song, hoping to carry you home Such is the way of our family, blessings of fair winds and following seas
So run your race unreservedly
You’ll be more than mere memory to me I see in you eternity I’ll see you in eternity…
Few are the ministers who can ascend the pulpit platform and yet descend in human pomp and performance to give way to God’s word. Truly, Reverend Beckham embodies the answer to the congregational cry during the sermon, “Sir, we would see Jesus.” He is able to be less of self so that we may see more of Christ. This not only happens during the preaching. Rev. Beckham is also a man of bold prayer, words expressed aptly well because he knows in Whom his con- eyes closed so that he can envision the throne of grace; Rev. Beckham speaks to God the Father by God the Holy Spirit in the Name of God the Son. A convicting example for us all to follow. I have seen Rev. Beckham rebuke an elder in love, share the gospel with a
four-year-old, weep with a widow, pray with parents, sit long hours in a hospital room ready for a moment to read Scripture and then petition God’s will for heal- ing. His smile is real. His tears are deep waters. His laughter, a joy to experience. -
ister. He always acknowledged his love for his children, grandchildren, and now his great “grands” as a “quiver-full of blessing.” When he and I used to share weekly prayer time some years back, he would ask God for wisdom how to love rightly every family member individually and then in their togetherness. What makes his approach to ministry so genuine is his honest heart - loving with risk and enduring the mistakes of himself and others with all the tenderness and truth of the cross. His skill is patience, something learned over the course of the years and something he instills in those of us privileged to have been mentored by him. When he quizzed me on the Shorter Cat- echism, he would close our session saying, “Remember, knowing it by heart is only a small step to walking it by heart.” That is how I remember him. Roy Beckham is the oldest ARP minister. He turned 96 years old in February. He lives in Due West, SC.
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