Mark Metherell

From Sarah Metherell:

I am Mark’s wife, Sarah.  I can’t begin to explain to you how wonderful Mark was as a man, a husband, and a father.  I wouldn’t know where to begin and where to end.  So, I hope you don’t mind, but I am going to read to you some of the letters and other things Mark wrote over the years (he’s a much better writer than I am) and share a few stories.

Right after we were engaged, when I was living in Argentina, and Mark was heading out for a six month deployment with the SEAL Teams, he wrote the following letters.  They show his character and our love and relationship in a way that is more humorous and more meaningful than I could otherwise hope to express.

(Mark’s Letter 7.20.98)
Sarah,

Can infatuation last for two years?  Can a man spend two years thinking of a woman, only to find out that it was simply a fleeting fascination that has disappeared?  Of course not… this is true love, and it doesn’t happen everyday.  Come to think of it, it only happens to a select group – a chosen few – an elite group of lovers gifted by God with each other – molded in the fiery furnace of passion!  Sarah, I have fallen so deeply in love with you over these past two years that I no longer think of myself, but of you.  I want to give you the world… of course, all I’ve got right now is a used snowboard, a really great surfboard, and an old BMW, but hey (!) you get ME.

Dear Sexy,

Today is my last day in paradise.  In fact, I’m flying out in about four hours, so I decided to send you one last Aloha from Hawaii.  The powers that be have changed my schedule once again, and I am now going to Texas, as was originally planned – it would be a nice surprise if people could just stick with a plan. 

Anyway, I am writing to you from a bench under a palm tree in front of an aquamarine bay.  In the distance, steep mountains sit quietly, their sides are ribbed from centuries of rains and erosion, making them appear like cathedrals of vibrant green.  Until a few moments ago all I could hear was the wind blowing through the palm trees, but an endless line of helicopters just showed up making low sweeping turns to land at the airfield on the base.  This has abruptly ruined the illusion that I’m at a resort hotel sitting here awaiting your return from the bar with two margaritas. 

This morning, we received one last kick-in-the-rear from this exercise.  We received gas mask training.  This wonderful evolution consists of donning a gas mask, walking in a room filled with tear gas then… that’s right (!) taking that perfectly good mask off the face and getting lungs filled with sweet, wonderful gas before redonning the mask.  Afterwards, walking outside, my face covered in snot, tears, and drool, I realized that this stuff definitely wakes you up in the morning.  It’s even better than a cup of coffee.  If you took this mentality a bit further, we would have shark attack training where you get bitten by real sharks, or combat training where you are shot in some non-vital area – a leg perhaps.

Our separation is much more painful than getting tear gas in my face.  In fact, gas me every day, just so long as I can come home to you.  Still, I can see that God is at work in the lives of those around us, and that His love is reaching others through us.  This is part of his plan, this separation, because it makes us stronger by both of us coming to Him.  It’s a miracle that we came so far while we were so far away – A Miracle I Tell You!  I love you so much Sarah.  You are the most precious thing God ever made, as far as I’m concerned.  What a wonderful, caring person you are.  Hooray for Sarah!  You’re a right lusty wench too (Big Kiss).
I love you so much,
Mark

More recently, we each had to write an autobiography as part of our adoption application.  Mark wrote the following about our marriage.

Sarah and I have a weird marriage.  We both feel that the honeymoon phase of our relationship has not gone away (we’ve been married for almost 8 years). And we don’t believe that it needs to go away.  Perhaps it is because I travel and we therefore value time spent together, and therefore we don’t take each other for granted. We definitely have differences of opinion, but it is through compromise that these differences are settled.  I learned very early in our relationship that if Sarah was sad then I was miserable, so I try to listen and to be empathetic to Sarah. 

Our relationship took on a whole new dimension when Cora came along.  Mark loved babies, but I was having a hard time thinking of what to say about Mark as Cora’s daddy, so my sister asked, “Well… what pops to mind?” “He wouldn’t let me have her!” I replied.  Mark got so excited every time he heard Cora waking up from a nap.  As soon as she peeped, he would ask (rubbing his hands together) “Can I go get her?  Please.  Please.”

Since I’m mean in the morning (something Mark told me soon after we were married), Mark would get Cora in the morning and I would put her to bed at night.  He was trying to let me sleep in, but he and Cora would be downstairs making such a rukus laughing and gurgling, that I always ended up wanting to get up and join in the fun.  He put her to the task from the time she was about two weeks old with baby push-up sessions and a few months later, moved on to crawling.  I came down one morning to find her in the crawl position, and he was moving her right arm and leg forward, and then her left arm and leg forward.  He didn’t realize that that’s how a horse walks, but not how a baby crawls.  If he had had the chance to teach her to swim, I’m sure it would have been much more technically correct. 

In the adoption application we filled out more recently for baby #2, Mark wrote this:
“We were able to adopt Cora as a newborn, and God has blessed us with a healthy, happy baby who is a real joy.  And she is SO good!!! I know that it is not supposed to be so easy.  Cora has a very funny personality … very precocious, and fun.  We can’t wait for her to have a brother or sister.”

Later in that same application, Mark wrote:

My strongest influence is Jesus Christ.  He is my touchstone and it is from Him that I gain strength.  While my job is fairly dangerous, I truly believe that God wants me out there.  He is the one who protects me, and challenges me to quietly show God’s love.  It’s a funny thing, I tend to talk about my faith more with Muslims then with other Americans that I work with.  I think that it is a parallel that we have, our faith in God that bridges a fairly substantial gap in our cultures. 

To summarize (if such a thing is possible) the kind of husband and man Mark was, following is the inscription he wrote to me in his favorite book, Refiner’s Fire.

Sarah,

This is one of my favorite novels.  It is the story of a life full of adventure and magic, of someone who takes risks.  Someone like you.  I pray continuously that God will be with you as you take those risks and that He will be at the center of our love.  My prayer is that I will never hold you back, to let you grow, spur you on to reach any dreams you have, and to give millions of passionate kisses to you for the rest of our lives. 

I love you – Mark

When Mark’s good friend from work came to tell me about Mark’s death, he gave me a coin.  The coin has a cross on one side, and on the other side says “Fear Not” A few days later, I came across a return address label on a note from a friend.  The label read, “Fear not, for I am with you.” In reading through some of Mark’s letters, I found the following letter that I will leave you with.  At the top, the letter quotes Isaiah 41:10.

Isaiah 41:10 Do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Dear Sarah,

I read this verse tonight and thought of you in a new country alone, and I realized that you are not really alone.  You have a friend and protector.  “Do not fear, Mark,” He is saying, “for I am with Sarah.” That is his promise to both of us, and it makes me feel a lot better when I think of you alone… with God sitting with you.

From Alex Metherell:

I have been thinking about what a privilege if has been for us to have been the parents of such an outstanding young man.  As I look back I have come to realize some amazing things about Mark.

For example, I cannot recall a single time when he lost his temper. - - Well there was the time when he was about 4 when Auntie Dee-Dee gave him a 2 wheel bike.  Upon trying to ride it for the first time he fell off and said to his mom “Give it to the Salvation Army.”

He never showed any fear - - not even the time when he was 5 and Alison was 3 in Miami and I was in Medical School.  They had just gone to bed and I crept in with a human skull and a flashlight shining inside while making moaning noises.  Alison screamed in terror and 5 year old Mark just laughed his head off.  - - Of course, I got properly scolded by Pam.

This fearlessness served him well when he became a SEAL.  When faced with a tense dangerous situation he would become very calm and controlled.

One such situation was when his SEAL team was deployed to Kodiak, Alaska in winter. He was out in a small open boat – a RIB I think it was – when the outboard motor quit.  There was another SEAL with him, along with a visiting Admiral who came along for the ride.  The seas were pretty rough and the boat was drifting towards some nasty rocks.  The Admiral started freaking out while Mark calmly figured out how to get the engine restarted and they got safely out of there.

This fearlessness and a lack of a temper gave him a unique ability to defuse a tense situation.  When faced with hostility his amazing gift with words would calm everyone down immediately.

Mark loved people, especially children.  With kids he would make funny faces, tickle them and, in effect, become like one of them.  He was like a “Pied-Piper.” Children would flock to him because he was so much fun.

His people skills were unsurpassed.  Even with people who spoke an unfamiliar language, he could communicate immediately.  No one was afraid of him.  These personal traits and characteristics qualified him uniquely for the job he was assigned to, most recently.

He never really told us much about what he did or where he went.  He did not want or need any recognition for his work.  He just loved doing it and told us this was his dream job.

A couple of years ago, when he came back from one of his deployments, he told us a little bit about how he was living.  The people he was with, were among remote feudal tribes in a region close to Pakistan.  These tribesmen don’t even trust people from neighboring tribes, let alone a foreigner.  He not only made friends with them – they welcomed him in as a brother – so much so, that he was invited to be part of a wedding.  This is unheard of for a foreigner.

Such were his people skills.  I can just see him growing a beard, playing with their children and winning the minds and hearts of the people.

His most recent mission was serving as a Special Advisor training Iraqi Special Forces.  These brave Iraqis were made up of the sects who for generations have been killing one another, but these Iraqi patriots set aside those differences – no doubt with the help of Mark – to serve a more noble cause.

Mark and 7 Iraqis, who were the best-of-the-best of their Special Forces, were killed by a massive IED that destroyed the lead vehicle in which they were riding in the early hours of April 11 on the outskirts of Baghdad. We are not surprised that Mark was in the lead vehicle.

I feel confident that out of that blood soaked soil will grow a stable, peaceful, free Iraq with a government OF the people, BY the people and FOR the people, with complete freedom of religion and expression.

When this happens they may look back and count those 7 patriotic Iraqis among the Founding Fathers of their reborn nation. They will, hopefully remember Mark Metherell as a patriotic American hero who stood by their side.

Mark was the ultimate peacemaker.

Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount—“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.”

From Pam Metherell:

Alex and I named our first born child Mark for three reasons:

1. Because it was Biblical
2. Because it sounded great with Metherell
3. Because it meant “Warrior”

Occasionally over the past years since he graduated from Wheaton College and entered the Navy SEAL program I have thought maybe a “wimpier” name would have been safer but it would not have fit.
First and foremost Mark was a GODLY son who loved Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior since being introduced to Him at 4 or 5 by his best friend Scott Crowell who told him he would go to hell when he died if he did not pray to have Jesus in his heart and he immediately prayed to do so. Two little blonde kids sharing the most important lesson in life.

Actually it was Mark that brought our entire family to a saving knowledge of Christ. Although Alex and I had not been attending church, we had wanted to have Mark baptized when my parents were visiting from Scotland in the summer of 1969, and as we had been married in a Presbyterian church in Scotland, we looked in the yellow pages to find a Presbyterian Church in Newport Beach.
The first one only did baptisms at certain times of the year but Charles Dierenfield said he would be happy to have a private ceremony in the chapel at St Andrews. Because of his graciousness we started attending church there and were invited to join the Ensigns the young couples group which had monthly speakers.

At one such meeting Chuck Missler spoke and gave a statistical analysis on how one man, Jesus Christ, fulfilled over 300 Old Testament prophecies. Alex as a scientist computed the numbers in his head and became a Jesus “freak” on the spot.

I liked the transformation and would accompany him to Bible studies. At one such study in Huntington Beach the teacher was explaining the meaning of “original sin” and pointed to a newborn baby girl in her mother’s arms at the back of the room. “If that baby girl needs Christ in her life because of original sin, what about those of you who are older?” I surrendered my life to Christ that night and that baby girl grew up ------ became a Christian --and married my son Mark.

Alison, Mark’s sister, became a believer as a little 4 year old at the neighborhood Good News Club where they gave out doughnuts to those who asked Jesus into their hearts. The teacher explained that she could only do it once!

Caroline, Mark’s other sister, became a Christian as a 3 year old when she was scared on learning that I was having some minor surgery and I told her that I had Jesus in my heart to take care of me and she wanted Him in her heart to take care of her too.

Mark was a LOVING son who loved his sweet wife Sarah passionately. After first meeting her he told me “she is the most awesome woman I have ever met”.  A friend writing on his website expressed it
perfectly, “only the brightest gem would do for Mark. The gem that fit so tightly into the nooks and crannies of Mark, that joined together they became the brightest star”.

He was a PRECIOUS son who adored his baby Cora because “brown babies are so much cuter and isn’t she just the cutest! He said recently “the only problem is she makes Sarah and I look so pasty. We are going to have to spend a lot of time at the beach”. On his blog he wrote to a friend who is considering adoption, “We love Cora so much. She is much cooler than anything we could have produced. Brown is so much more interesting than pasty-pale.”

He was a NOBLE son who loved and respected his parents and was loved and respected in return.

He was a LOYAL son who loved and protected his two sisters Alison and Caroline who were born 2 years and 7 years after him and was so proud of them and their accomplishments.

He was a COMPASSIONATE son who loved my mother, his 97 year old Nana, and wanted Cora to call her “Super Nana”. He played kings in the corner with her whenever he was home and always allowed her to win because she was “so small and so cute!” Dave, a good friend, is taking over that assignment in Mark’s place.

He was a CARING son who loved my sister Wendy whom as a baby he always called “Dee Dee” and still did whenever he saw her.

He was a KIND-HEARTED son who loved my late Dad, his Grandpa whom he described when he was a little boy, as “the wisest man in the whole wide world -----– except of course for Dad.

He was a GRACIOUS son who loved Sarah’s parents Gail and Peter and the rest of her family so much that Alison and Caroline were concerned that he had become more of an Ochs than a Metherell ------ and he almost had, enabling us to become one extended family.

He was a CORAGEOUS son who loved growing up at the beach where he could monitor surf conditions from his bed, and would dive in to join dolphins and whales that he spotted swimming in the bay. On Monday, there were hundreds of dolphins leaping and somersaulting in the surf.

His burial plot at the Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery is on a bluff overlooking the ocean across to Coronado, where he will be buried with full military honors. What a perfect spot for a Navy SEAL and a California surfer dude!

He was an HONORABLE son who loved his Cottage-style home on Brooks Street in Laguna surrounded by some of his best friends.  That same street where American flags, at half mast, waved in the breeze under brilliant blue skies all week, and where on Friday evening a week ago, under a bright moon and sparkling stars, candles were lit, and Amazing Grace was sung, in his memory.

He was a PATRIOTIC son who loved his country and his “dream job” which took him all over the world on secret missions and amazing adventures, and we are now just learning of the many lives he has saved, both physically and spiritually. A friend wrote that “he was an ambassador for freedom in every sense of the word”.

He said that if anything happened to him “he would be on the most exciting adventure of his life”, which he is on today, making Heaven more inviting to those in our family who are left behind.

His last words to us on the day before he died were “I love you both.” “I am fine.” “Don’t worry.” He IS fine and we don’t have to worry any more. In closing----one of his favorite books-- and oh, how he loved to read ---- was written by Stu Weber a fellow alum. from Wheaton College, also in the Special Forces. The title of his book sums up Mark perfectly in 2 words ------ Tender Warrior. 

Mark “you have fought the good fight, finished the race and kept the faith. Well done, good and faithful servant”.

Peter:
We are Sarah’s parents. We are Mark’s in-laws. I am the father of daughters, but being a male I know how the male mind works. As a consequence, as our girls were growing up my natural tendencies were suspicion, aggressive protection and being somewhat difficult to deal with when boys came around. As the girls moved through their teen years, however, Gail and I began to pray regularly for their future husbands. We prayed just two things: first, that the right man would love God with all his heart, and second, that he would love our daughter in the way she needed to be loved. Sarah and Mark’s early courtship had both passion and tumult. Sarah was living in South America and we were never quite sure where Mark was. I said to Gail, “The guy who gets Sarah is going to have to pursue her. It won’t necessarily be easy.” Mark on his own figured this out, and he did it superbly. As they moved into marriage, we saw how wonderfully suited they were for each other. And yet, true love does not precede marriage, it grows within marriage.

Gail:
In an email that I sent to our friends around the world I wrote, “Sarah and Mark were married in 1999. Their marriage was one of joy, adventure, giving and serving in their church and around the world, and of love for family.” In marriage a husband and a wife should bring out the best in each other, not competing, not trying to change one another, but complimenting and edifying one another. Mark and Sarah exemplified this. Three words came to me as I thought of their relationship, and especially of Mark’s for you Sarah – adoration, affection and passion. In Proverbs 31 it says, “…her husband praises her.” And Mark regularly said, “Isn’t she beautiful; isn’t she the greatest?” He loved you as himself and he served you in every way that you needed. He adored you. Before they were married when Mark was being very affectionate and was excited to have Sarah as his wife, I would say, “Mark, don’t let this physical affection disappear after you’re married,” so occasionally after they were married, Mark would just throw Sarah back and kiss her and he’d say, “Gail, note this.” He had no difficulty being affectionate with Sarah and with all of us. And then passion – Mark was a passionate man in what he believed, in how he served and in how he loved his wife. Sarah has been loved as few women are by a godly, passionate, strong man.

Peter:
We men aren’t just to love our wives, we are to nourish and cherish them. It’s love that has power, depth, it’s got meat on the bones, it works in the realities of life, and Mark came to know this and to do it. A few years ago Mark and one of the other guys and I were talking, and we were talking about the challenging issue of how to really do love with your wife in the day to day of life. Mark said, it’s easy, I just asked Sarah what household job she least likes to do. She said, “Cleaning the bathrooms,” so I said, “From now on, I’ll clean the bathrooms.” Well, we were pretty impressed by that, and a little bit cowed, so we said, “What if she doesn’t like your work, the quality control part of this?” That’s where we always get in trouble as guys. He said, “Easy still. I just ask her to inspect it afterward when I’m done. If it doesn’t pass, I do it again.” And that captured Mark. Servant lover of his wife, committed without reservation and at the same time a model to me and to his brothers-in-law. Mark was a perfect answer to our prayers along with our other three sons-in-law. We guys have seen ourselves as a team together, and so I’ve lost a son-in-law and also a teammate in the strengthening and deepening of the life of our family. But in the midst of the overwhelming intensity of grieving, I feel Mark in his great way has said to me, “It’s okay Peter, you’ll do fine, and in the span of eternity the time until we’re together again will be really short.” Mark could not have lived better; he could not have loved better, both God and Sarah. I’m experiencing grieving at an intensity I’ve never experienced before, and yet I understand all of Mark and Sarah’s choices in life. C.S. Lewis in grieving over the death of his beloved wife Joy to cancer said it better than I ever could, “Why love, if losing hurts so much? I have no answers anymore, only the life I have lived. The pain now is part of the happiness then. That’s the deal.”

We have heard and will continue to hear stories about how Mark affected people’s lives.  What we would like to do is talk a little about the three main people in Mark’s life who helped him become the person that he was able to be. 

It devastates me to see the grief my parents are experiencing right now at the loss of their son.  Earlier this week while my mother and I were rummaging through papers I noticed after a while that she was silent.  I went over to see that she found Mark’s birth certificate, and she softly told me that he had to be transported to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, for treatment of newborn jaundice.  I saw my father this past Wednesday standing with his hand on Mark’s flag-draped coffin, quietly welcoming him back for the last time, telling Mark how proud he was of his son, and saying good bye.  No parent should have to experience the loss of one of their children. 
I want to thank our government, the US. Military and the men of SEAL team 5 who brought my brother home to us from Iraq.  The pains they took to bring him home, and the care and honor they gave him was very much appreciated.  I hadn’t expected to feel the urgency and importance I would have to have his body brought back to the US and laid to rest in San Diego.
If Mark were here today, I believe he would give all of us this piece of advice:  If you are a grandson, or a granddaughter: spend time with your grandparents. If you are a son, if you are a daughter: honor your parents and follow their direction.  If you are a parent daily make choices that are in the best interest of your child.  Spend quality time with them, listen to them, teach them.  Give them unconditional love, a consistent environment, and healthy boundaries.
Now. The most important person in Mark’s adult like is his wife, Sarah.  Sara Ochs and I had known each other when we were young, however, since I went to Cate boarding school and Sarah and I attended different universities, over time we lost touch with each other.  That is, until we met again about 11 or 12 years ago.  I was instantly impressed with Sarah’s exciting adventures, and immediately thought that I would like to set up my brother, Mark with Sarah.  Initially, he was mad that he had been “set up” on a “date” which included our entire family, including my grandmother.  He proceeded to talk to only my grandmother that evening, ignoring Sarah.  Later that night, however, he overheard Sarah telling someone else of her travel to far off lands and jumping out of airplanes, and the stories piqued his interest in her.  That was the start of a beautiful love affair. 
Mark and Sarah complimented each other perfectly. To see the twinkle in Mark’s eye when he would talk about Sarah made me happy.  He was so proud to have such a hot wife.  He talked her into wearing the sexy German beer wench costume – which had a very short skirt – for this past Halloween. 
We are so grateful to Sarah for loving our brother so perfectly. She helped him deal with his shortcomings.  Sarah started their family tradition of holding a weekly family meeting to go over the short- mid- and long-term goals they had for their family, and what they could do better to reach those goals. Sarah knew that Mark really loved this life he had chosen, and she selflessly allowed him to live his dream, even to the point of helping to sew his guilly suit that he had to wear to blend in to surroundings while he was going to sniper school. Being the wife of a Navy SEAL as you can imagine is very stressful.  Sarah had to endure long periods of time when Mark was overseas on some mission, always having in the back of her mind that he may not return home.  Sarah has now lost the love of her life.  She is going to be feeling the pain and the loss for a long time.  Fortunately, she has their daughter, Cora as a comfort and a blessing.  I encourage everyone as the months pass to keep Sarah and Cora in your thoughts and take good care of them. 

My brother Mark will be missed by many.

He was an ex-Navy SEAL who was working as a special consultant in support of our government. His work over the there was very important. I’m sure we will never know the full extent of his service to our country.

He was with 7 other Iraqi Special Forces soldiers when their vehicle drove over an IED which exploded in the early morning hours of April 11, local time. They were just outside Sadar City.

Seven of the passengers, including Mark, were killed immediately, and the 8th is not expected to live. My thoughts and prayers go out for these other men and their families as they died in service to their country.

I couldn’t ask for a better brother than Mark. He was a devoted son to our parents and loving father to his beautiful 1 year old daughter, Cora. Cora made his wonderful marriage into a complete family. She has been a blessing to everyone around her.

His wife, Sarah, was the joy, light and love of his life. It always made me smile every time I saw the twinkle in his eye when he was thinking about Sarah. It was hilarious to see the skanky German beer wench costume he got for her this past Halloween - a dress with a VERY short skirt, petticoat and pigtails! She looked great in it too!

I am grateful to Sarah for being such an incredibly supportive wife to my brother - not an easy thing to do surely with his adventuresome wanderlust. My heart goes out to her in her time of tragic loss.

He was kind and generous as evidenced by his many friends. He and Sarah are active members of the coolest little surfer church in Laguna - aptly called “The Little Church by the Sea”. Mark died doing what he loved. I am happy he led such a vibrant and rich life full of wonderful things.

Sitting here at night, when all our friends have gone away, my parents and I have time to reflect a little on Mark and our personal loss. It overwhelms me to see in these quiet moments the waves of grief that come over my mom and dad. I had never thought of the terrible pain a parent goes through when they lose a child - in this case their only son.

In the midst of my own grief, however, I am comforted that Mark is in a wonderful place right now. He is in paradise which I understand to be in the presence of God, verses hell, which is not in the presence of God. Jesus Christ died for everyone Mark simply chose to accept this gift, accept Jesus as his savior. Right now I am truly grateful he did make this choice, otherwise I would be devastated.
My hope to all of you who read this is as the weeks and months pass, that you will continue to keep my parents and especially Sarah and Cora in your thoughts. Please continue to be good friends to Sarah as I’m sure she will feel the pain and loss for a long time after the memorial service is over. Call her. Go for hikes with her, and continue to be the good friends to her that I know many of you are already.

My sincerest thanks,

Alison Metherell

From Rev. Jeff Tacklind at Mark’s burial, Rosecrans National Cemetary.

ROSTRUM

WELCOME

I would like to welcome you all here today and to express how honored I am to stand with you all in recognition of Mark Metherell, an extraordinary man who lived a life of incredible significance.  It is an honor to commemorate a moment such as this with family of such depth of character, commitment, and love, and with soldiers of such stature and nobility, and to celebrate together a life so worthy of being celebrated.

Proverbs 1:5 says that wisdom rests quietly in the heart of a man of understanding…and Mark was truly such a man. 

Hugh Ross, a friend of the Metherells, and a brilliant astrophysicist, once said that when he was testing his students, if he observed one that was clearly demonstrating that he understood the material on the test, he would simply take the test away and give the student an A.  Hugh said that he believes that sometimes God does the same thing.

If there is anyone I can think of that deserves such a grade, it is Mark. He exhibited an incredible inner strength and depth of character.  He was a man who believed whole-heartedly in the purposes for which he gave his life.  And he lived fully and completely in every moment.

His obituary states, that Mark was killed in Baghdad in the early hours of Friday, April 11, 2008. Mark served his country with a deep love for his work and a passionate commitment to the ideals he supported.

John 15:13 says, “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.”

Mark was a man who loved greatly.  He deeply loved his family, his friends, his country, his teammates, his beloved wife Sarah, in whom he was always completely infatuated, and most of all, his God whom we served, sacrificially and with his whole heart.

Mark has been repeatedly described as a warrior poet.  He was a phenomenal story teller, and a lover of words.  He loved liturgy for its beauty, reverence, and depth.  I have chosen some readings today that I believe Mark would have wanted read on such an occasion.

INVOCATION

I would like to begin by reading the Apostle’s creed.

I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
the Creator of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:

Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.

He descended into hell.

The third day He arose again from the dead.

He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty,
whence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and life everlasting.

Amen.

SCRIPTURE AND SERVICE

I also thought it would also be befitting to read a Psalm that Sarah would prayer when Mark was away.
Psalm 91 says,
1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”
3 Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare
and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5 You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
8 You will only observe with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.
9 If you make the Most High your dwelling—
even the LORD, who is my refuge-
10 then no harm will befall you,
no disaster will come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread upon the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
14 “Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life will I satisfy him
and show him my salvation.”

Psalm 23
1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.

In Jesus’ parable of the talents, the Master affirms and rewards the servants who are faithful with the talents they were given.  To the wise servants who increased their talents, the Master said, “Well done, good and faithful servant!  You have been faithful with a few things’ I will put you in charge of many things.”

Mark was faithful til the very end.  His death has left an enormous void, but one that many, many are clamoring to fill.  It has been incredible to watch the commissioning that has taken place in so many lives as the result of his passing.  But I have every confidence that his presence in heaven has had as profound an impact there, and that Mark has simply gone on to a greater assignment and a greater glory as he co-reigns with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

BENEDICTION

As we close, let us pray the Lord’s prayer together. 

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those that trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

COMMITTAL

SCRIPTURE AND PRAYER

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
13Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. 14We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18Therefore encourage each other with these words.

1 Corinthians 15:51-55, 57
51Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— 52in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 54When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
55"Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?”
57But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Prayer of Comfort from the Book of Common Prayer

Grant to us who are still in our pilgrimage, and who walk as
yet by faith, that thy Holy Spirit may lead us in holiness and
righteousness all our days. Amen.

Grant to thy faithful people pardon and peace, that we may
be cleansed from all our sins, and serve thee with a quiet
mind. Amen.

Grant to all who mourn a sure confidence in thy fatherly
care, that, casting all their grief on thee, they may know the
consolation of thy love. Amen.

Give courage and faith to those who are bereaved, that they
may have strength to meet the days ahead in the comfort of a
reasonable and holy hope, in the joyful expectation of eternal
life with those they love. Amen.

Help us, we pray, in the midst of things we cannot understand,
to believe and trust in the communion of saints, the forgiveness
of sins, and the resurrection to life everlasting. Amen.

Grant us grace to entrust Mark to thy never-failing love; receive
him into the arms of thy mercy, and remember him according
to the favor which thou bearest unto thy people. Amen.

Grant that, increasing in knowledge and love of thee, he may
go from strength to strength in the life of perfect service in
thy heavenly kingdom. Amen.

Grant us, with all who have died in the hope of the
resurrection, to have our consummation and bliss in thy
eternal and everlasting glory, and, with [blessed Mark and]
all thy saints, to receive the crown of life which thou dost
promise to all who share in the victory of thy Son Jesus
Christ; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy
Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

BENEDICTION
Numbers 6:24-26
24 “ ‘ “The LORD bless you
and keep you;
25 the LORD make his face shine upon you
and be gracious to you;
26 the LORD turn his face toward you
and give you peace.” ‘
Amen.

I wrote this paper at the beginning of this year (8th grade) for social studies because we had to write about a veteran so I chose Mark.

Mark Metherall the Seal

My uncle, Mark Metherall, is too daring to even put in words. He served as a navy seal for eight years and has been to and seen some places that you can’t even imagine. I found out when I was about 9. The main training Mark did was called BUDS. Basic, Underwater, Demolition, Seal training. That part of training was the selection course that took six months in San Diego. Then, he went to air born school in Georgia. There they learned how to jump out of planes. A story he told me once about when he went parachuting and landed on an office building balcony all in his camouflage and face paint. I thought that was a hilarious story. So, as you can see, he’s very adventurous.

After air born school, when Mark was a beginning Navy Seal, they didn’t know what to do with him, so they sent him to work with marine animals. He did this for about six months, and mainly worked with dolphins and sea lions. He likes to tell my cousins and I about when he was working with the animals. One story was about when Mark was training his dolphin, Jake. They were out in the water when off in the distance Mark saw some other Navy Seals training and sneaking on a boat. Mark told Jake to go attack the Seals, so he did. The Seals got really frightened because they thought they were the only ones out there.  Mark also made many other animal friends and enjoyed working with them.

As a Navy Seal, Mark;s job was to be a part of the commando force. The commando force did direct action missions, otherwise known as attacking the enemy bases. He said their motto was surprise, speed, and violence of action. That was a good motto that made sense. They needed to surprise the enemy, be fast about it and use violence towards the enemy.

Mark also traveled to many countries. He went to Japan, Korea, Guam, Thailand, Kuwait, and many places in the Persian Gulf. I think that would be the best part about serving. You get to travel to a bunch of exotic places and experience different cultures and foods. He also went to different places in the U.S., but it was mostly out of the country stuff.

Mark said that if he could be a Seal again he absolutely would. He said it was like being a rock star. Being a Seal must be a pretty cool job, then since most people wouldn’t say that about their job. He also liked the part where he could jump out of planes and go diving. He’s told me some crazy stories about when he dove in blowholes. That is something he love doing, but I would probably never do that (I ended up diving in a blowhole in December 2007 with him). 

Being in the service affected Mark in two different, very important ways. One way was that it made him more focused. The second one was that now, he can accomplish almost anything that he sets his mind to. I think those are are two great things that came out of what he did. Mark is the best uncle and has done the coolest things ever. It was great that he helped his country and enjoyed what he did, but I’m glad that he’s done with the out of the country stuff. Now, his job is just in the U.S., so we can see him when we go out to California to visit. Also, he can stay home with his wife, Sarah, and my cousin, Cora. Mark is one of the most loyal, caring, and adventurous guys I know.

Love, Bella

On the occasion of Abi & Ryan’s wedding in 2002

Mark passing on wisdom to Ryan in 2002