Born (in a snowstorm) on the Fourth of July

 

Mark Twain was born in 1835 as Halley’s Comet passed over his birthplace in Florida, Mo.  In 1909, Mr. Twain said “I came in with Halley's Comet in 1835. It is coming again next year (1910), and I expect to go out with it”.  He was not disappointed.  He died April 21, 1910 as Halley’s Comet neared the sun. 

On Saturday, I attended the funeral of another remarkable man whose birth and death coincided with a natural phenomenon.  Reverend C.J. Greer was born in a snowstorm on July 4, 1921 in Gillette, Wyoming.  Though he moved to Missouri as a young cowboy to attend Central Bible College in Springfield in 1948, in his later years he remarked that he would like to visit Wyoming for “one last blizzard”.   Rev. Greer's funeral was Saturday.  As my wife and I passed through Mack’s Creek early Saturday morning on our way to Rev. Greer's funeral in Brighton, Mo, it began to snow.  The last time Springfield had a measurable snowfall in the month of May was May 2, 1929.  That record was broken Friday, May 3, 2013.  And snow was falling again Saturday morning, May 4.  Swirling flakes joined their fallen brethren, adding to a layer of white already coating rooftops and newly-sprouted green leaves as we made our way through the small Missouri towns of Pleasant Hope, Goodnight, and Tin Town.  I suspect the snow was a celestial tribute to Rev. Greer, probably in lieu of flowers that are scared to stick their heads out due to the cold weather.

Rev. Greer began ministering to the people of southwest Missouri while Harry Truman was still calling the shots in the White House.  Among the thousands of lives his ministry touched is a former Missouri Governor, Senator, and U.S. Attorney General.   John Ashcroft still lives not far from the Brighton Highway Assembly of God church that Rev. Greer founded and pastored for 40 years.  On Saturday morning, he joined friends, family, and pastors that had entered the ministry under Rev. Greer’s leadership to honor him.

As a former student in Rev. Greer’s Junior Boy’s Sunday School class, Mr. Ashcroft recalled that it was something of a sensation to have an actual Wyoming cowboy as a Sunday School teacher.  “He taught us about Jesus and how to rope stumps” he said.  And while Mr. Ashcroft faced some monumental challenges while serving as a Governor, Senator and U.S. Attorney General, he noted that the skill set required to teach Bible lessons and maintain order in a Junior Boys Sunday School class should not be underestimated.

Rev. Greer was no stranger to hard work.  As a bi-vocational pastor, he supported his family as an iron worker for 28 years, as owner of the Elm Valley Goat Dairy from 1957 through 1984, and by raising and training Border Collie dogs.  A former church member and friend of Reverend Greer’s children who is now a pastor recalled that if you spent the night at the Greer house, you were usually awakened around 4:30 am by Reverend Greer loudly reciting a Bible verse, Proverbs 6:9:  HOW LONG WILL YOU SLEEP, O SLUGGARD?  WHEN WILL YOU ARISE OUT OF YOUR SLEEP?

Even though he is no longer with us, I still learned something at his funeral:  If three preachers and a politician are going to speak, don't drink a large cup of coffee before you sit down.

Congratulations to Rev. Greer on his "home going".

He left behind some pretty big cowboy boots to fill.