Memorial Message

in honor of

Dr. Charles H. Cookman
August 11, 1927 - March 26, 2007

given on Friday, March 30, 2007 at the
Charles Cookman Memorial Service
Glad Tidings Church, Dunn, North Carolina

by
Rev. L. Thomas Whidden

Around A.D. 125, there was a Greek scholar who was requested to explain the success of Christians.  He simply answered by saying, “If any righteous person among the Christians passes from the world, the Christians rejoice and offer thanks to God, and they escort the body with songs and thanksgiving, as if the person were just moving to a nearby place.” 

Through all the emotions of this day, this morning, there is also a joyous spirit of hope present in this service.  Of course this spirit of hope is sustained by the faith that “precious in the sight of the Lord is a death of his saints.”  The word precious means, number one, something of great value; number two, it means very dear; number three, it means highly esteemed.  So we could actually read this verse of great value in the sight of the Lord is the death of Charles Cookman. 

We could read it, very dear in the sight of the Lord is the death of Charles Cookman, or we could read it, highly esteemed in the sight of the Lord is the death of Charles Cookman.  Now, for some people death is simply something to fear and something from which they want to hide and for those people, they wish to evade death.  They just hope that death never comes.  But not with Brother Cookman.  He understood what death means in a Christian way.  He understood what it means for non-Christian and he looked forward to being with Jesus Christ, even if it meant going through the door of death to do it. 

I visited with him in the hospital just after his surgery and he said to me, “Tom, sometimes it’s just more appropriate to die.”  And I realized to some degree what he was saying to me that day.  He loved his family, he loved his friends, he loved living.  But, he realized on the other side it would be better.  He wouldn’t have to go through all the trouble he was going through.  It’d just be more appropriate to die.  Now that is not to say that he did not enjoy life, for Brother Cookman certainly enjoyed living.  He wanted to live.  He’d taken care of his wife for a long time.  He loved his children, his grandchildren.  He loved his family like no one I’d ever met; he impressed me about his love, or with his love for his family. 

I’ve never been around a person who loved to laugh any more than Brother Cookman and he loved to tell jokes and he loved for others to tell him jokes, and I will share this one with you.   I also was there, just before he went to his surgery and had prayer with him, Wes and I were there and, as I started to leave, after the prayer, and started to back away, I noticed the oxygen tube around his nose moved as I moved and he reached up. I then realized I was pulling his oxygen away from his nose.  And he said to me, (he already was prepared for the surgery), “Tom, did you hear about the preacher who visited the man in the hospital and the man was in the oxygen tent, and he couldn’t talk and he wrote the preacher a note and handed it to the preacher under the oxygen tent and the preacher took it and just put it in his pocket?  And, two days later he preached the man’s funeral; and, on the way out of the church he reached into his pocket and said, well, there’s that note he wrote me and he looked at it and it said, you’re standing on my oxygen.”   And you know, you had to be careful what you told him for he might lose his breath, laughing! 

And I tell you something else he loved; he loved to preach!  I think he loved to preach as much as he loved to tell a joke or hear a good joke.  I have to tell this: I, have remembered it so much, it just comes to my mind again because it made such an impression on me.  He and I were at a certain church, I won’t say east, west, or piedmont, but we were at a certain church in North Carolina and they were electing a full slate of deacons! So, Brother Cookman saw that it was going to take quite a while to do that, so after they would collect the votes and go to the room to count, he would start preaching and he’d preach like a house on fire; they’d come out with a report and he’d stop and catch his breath; they’d give the report and he would say pass the ballots out again and he’d start preaching again.  That meeting went on till probably 11 o’clock that night, I thought it’s worse than a General Council meeting and we got in the car about the same time together and he slid in and I slid in and he said, “My father, I preached seven of my best sermons in there tonight.” 

 

As we all know, death is not precious to some people.  Some people disappoint God; some people mess up their lives and rebel against God, but Brother Cookman enjoyed his life so much that he spent his life trying to share with people; some who, perhaps, during that particular time, were disappointing to God.  And, he knew they were disappointing God and he took time to try to help them change their lifestyle.  Yes, he would stop what he was doing to help or to encourage someone or to pray with them.  He’s a man that would pray at a “drop of a hat.”  He would pray for you. 

Brother Cookman was a manly man, who was filled with creativity.  He knew how to work with his hands.  I’ve seen him work and help build churches; I’ve seen him work on campgrounds; I’ve seen him work with his hands! He was a right good carpenter, to tell you the truth.  He was not a bad brick mason from what I saw. At least he laid them straight and level!

Brother Cookman had an appreciation for music, a great appreciation for music, especially classical. He would tear a persons nerves up listening to classical music with him!  While he listened to it, he would conduct it.  He’d say, “Hah, hear that oboe,  hmmm;” he loved classical music.  Remember, he loved to play the trombone!

He was an avid reader, too!

He loved to sing.  At times I would say, “Brother Cookman, you would love to lead a choir more than you would like to preach.”  He loved to lead a choir; he loved to make harmony I noticed when he would sing with you he’d go off to some other key and make harmony!

Brother Cookman always was the first one to cry; he had a tender heart.  When the spirit of God touched him, he cried.  When your need touched him, he cried.  He was a tender hearted man. 

Brother Cookman seemed to have some knowledge about almost everything.  History, medicine, science, countries and governments of the world; you name it and he could talk about it.  From honeybees to sports, to world religions, he could even talk about politics if one got him on the subject. 

Brother Cookman was a very unique man as we all know in many different ways.  I thought he was unique the way he put his jelly on his toast.  I watched him many times and thought, “Why does he go to all that trouble putting jelly on his toast like he does?”  To me that was sort of unique. 

He was unique when we’d go to General Council or some business meeting how you couldn’t get him to leave until the last “Amen” was said.  I don’t care how long it lasted; I don’t care what was going on, he would say, “I’m not leaving until the end.”  And he expected you to stay with him if you were with him.  And he didn’t expect you to be running off and taking the day off when you went off on a trip like that.  He expected you to be in every session there was, stay from the beginning and stay to the end.  That’s what he expected of you, and I thank God for that.  To me that was unique, I didn’t see anybody else doing it but him.

And I tell you something else in which he was unique.  Maybe I shouldn’t tell you this but I think it’s worth it to tell.  You would go in the restroom and when he washed his hands he’d always clean up, he’d clean the counter, dry it off, dry it off, dry it off, and get it all spotless before he left!  He would throw the stuff away and he’d go out.  And I looked at that and I thought, Well, now Lord, you know, I like that, I think that’s great, but now every time I go in a restroom, I mean every time I go in a restroom, out somewhere in public, I think of Charles Cookman!  I look at that mess and think, you know, if I were a real man, I’d clean this up!

Charles Cookman was my hero.  No, no, not for things like I just mentioned.  But Dr. Charles Cookman had a passion for God.  Dr. Charles Cookman had a passion for preachers.  He truly cared for preachers.  And he had a passion and love for God’s word, itself.  As great as I have ever seen any person in my life, he loved God’s word.  He was always truthful; he was always on the side of righteousness.  Yes, in spite of his many abilities and talents he had a disposition that caused one to be comfortable if one were around him. 

We enjoyed a close relationship and I think one reason was because we always spoke the truth to each other.  If  I did or said something he didn’t like, he told me, and vice versa!  Yes, we almost always agreed.  But when we didn’t and we had a debate we always remained friends, true friends. 

As close as we may have been, I never called him Charles, I never called him Charlie, I always called him Brother Cookman.   You see to me he was always on a higher spiritual level.  Yes, a level I felt compelled to respect. 

I’m saying to you that death is precious to God only when it comes to a saint and Charles Cookman was a saint.  Yes, he was honest, he was kind, he was merciful, he was understanding, he was gracious and he was forgiving and Brother Charles Cookman had difficulty believing an evil report.  I’ll say it again, believing an evil report.  It was tough for him to believe something evil about someone.  He had a hard time believing it.  He had to be convinced beyond any shadow of a doubt that it was true. 
Our daughter, Joy, said to me, “Daddy, Brother Cookman, ever since I was a little girl, has been my spiritual hero; my spiritual giant” and he has been many, many people’s spiritual giant and hero.  You see the very purpose of the creation of the universe and earthly life is to develop saints worthy of honor, saints worthy of respect, and saints worthy of eternal existence with God.  I’m saying life is our trial run where we attempt to qualify for heaven.  We have one time around and death is a promotion, life is a school, and death is a commencement. 

We all know a farmer will plow and cultivate his field.  He’ll plant the seed and then he eagerly tends it, or takes care of it, and then he awaits the harvest.  And the kernel shall be separated from the stalk.  So the gospel seeds were planted in Brother Cookman’s heart many years ago when he was just a child.  As a boy in Washington D.C., his mother, whom he quoted many, many times, and by what I gathered from hearing him talk about his mother, she, also, was a Godly saint of God. She was a Godly person with great respect, and a backbone that stood for God, and a passion for God; and, she instilled that in his heart and life.  He would quote his pastor, Brother Mahan, he would talk about him, and would have some of his notes with him; he would read them to me and talk to me about him and those seeds were planted in his heart as a child in Washington D.C. and they were faithfully sown by his faithful people. 

During those days, now long ago, the seed began to grow and developed him into the likeness of Christ.  As I watched his life, I realized that he did the same for his children that his mother did for him.  And you can see the development as it has taken place in their lives as well.  They are becoming, as every Christian should, into the likeness of Christ.  But the seeds were planted into their hearts by their dad when they were little tots.

I first met Brother Cookman at a sectional fellowship meeting about 50 years ago.  My first impressions were what a fine, dignified man he is!  I thought, a man with his intelligence is what I, as well as a few other preachers in this section need.  I thought, he’ll help us, and I thought he’ll cause us to think.  And you know what, he did! Because when he would preach and he’d say, “you know,” and God said something, “Adam, where art thou?”   He’d say, “Think of that!”  He caused us to think, and think and think!

You see, it was Brother Cookman who helped train me in many areas of my Christian life, especially my prayer life.  Of course, my dad taught me the value of prayer and Brother Cookman taught me a new dimension of prayer!  I’ve always believed a preacher should be a leader and an example in all areas of life and especially in spiritual matters.  I soon learned if I were going to be an example in prayer, I had some praying to do. 

Brother Cookman was loved, not only here in Dunn by the community and by his church family; not only by ministers all across North Carolina, but also by district and national leaders all across America and in many parts of the world.  He’s been in demand as a speaker all across America and beyond.  And I say to you this morning, unashamedly, and I say it with thanksgiving, we have been truly blessed having this saint of God with us here in North Carolina. 

Now, death is the harvest time for Brother Cookman when his soul has been separated from his worn out body.

As I looked at him in the hospital during the long stay that he was there, I’d walk out of his room and I would think, “You know he appears to be worn out.  His heart appears to just be worn out;” but, we endeavor to believe God and trust God and confess; quote the scripture, and stand on the word of God.  But his soul has now been separated from that worn out body and today is a time of rejoicing.

I’ve thought about what a grand, grand reunion must have taken place in heaven.

When I was a boy during  World War II, I remember every day when the meal horn would blow at 12:00 o’clock and people would come to the church and pray for their husbands and for their sons and people in the armed forces, and then, I remember when the war was over, what a reunion time that was.  Oh, that was a wonderful time but nothing to compare with the reunions taking place in heaven.  Oh we could think of our own people there, his mother of course, his pastor Brother Mahan, Fenton Jones, my dad, my mom! Just go on and on, and think what a great reunion is taking place in heaven!  Have you thought how pleased God must be today to have him home?

Sister Cookman, Carol, Claudia, Noel, Wes and John, it must be wonderful for your husband and father.  I believe God is filled with joy as He has welcomed a faithful soldier home, safe, unblemished, and unharmed from the trials of earthly life.  Yes, we’re talking about the one who fought a good fight. We’re talking about the one who kept the faith; we’re talking about Brother Charles Cookman.  He’s home! 

To the family and friends, allow me say what Brother Cookman is presently experiencing.  It’s worth working for.  It’s worth planning for.  It’s worth sacrificing for.  It’s worth laying up treasures for.  You see when you and I die, then, only one thing will matter; not how much money we have, not how many flowers we have in the funeral home or church or gravesite, not how many people attended our service, not how many clubs and lodges we have belonged to; only one thing will matter, are we in harmony with God?  Only one thing will matter: “is it well with our soul?” 

That’s all that will matter. 

It has been stated several times, Brother Cookman loved his family, loved his family, dearly.  Sister Cookman, as you know, your husband and I have traveled many miles and places together.  I’ve been with him when he was sleepy, I’ve been with him when he was rested, and a few times I’ve been with him when he was irritated and I been with him when he was happy.  I’ve been with him when he was weary and perplexed; I’ve been with him when he was sad.  And I was with him a few times when he was hungry.   But never under any circumstance, did I ever hear your husband say one negative word about his wife or his children.  Never!  Sister Cookman, your man loved you.  He loved you.  I don’t think Brother Cookman would want to get into a fight or to have gotten into a fight, but I think he would have fought over you.  He loved you. 

To you Carol, Claudia, Noel, Wes and John, if your dad ever had a problem with any of you, he never told me.  Actually for a long time I thought you were angels!  Oh, how your dad loved you, he was so proud of you, each of you, and of course, he loved his grandchildren and was proud of them.  On trips when we prayed together, I heard him call your names in prayer.  I realize his prayers are still before God.  I realize that.  But on his behalf this morning, I would just like to pray a prayer for his children.  Would you bow your heads?

Father, I pray that you will give Carol, Claudia, Noel, Wes and John wise minds and spirits that are continuously attuned to your will.  And at the same time, may they acquire a thorough understanding of the ways in which you work.  I pray that they will each live well for the Master who is Jesus, making Him proud of them as they work hard and faithfully in His “orchard” whatever and wherever that may be.  I pray as they learn more and more how God works, that they will learn more about how to do your work.  I pray that they will have the strength to stick it out over the long haul, not with human strength or gritting their teeth, but may they have an experience, the glory strength, that God gives.  Yes the kind of strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy, thanking the Father who made them strong enough to take part in everything bright and everything beautiful that you have prepared for them.  Father, I pray this in the wonderful name of Jesus and for His glory, Amen. 

That prayer is taken from Colossians chapter 1, verses 9 through 3 in the message Bible.

Friends and family, a mighty oak has fallen.  Brother Charles Cookman was like a tree planted by a stream of water which bore fruit at the right time.  Whose leaves did not wither and dry up.  He was indeed like a mighty oak. We all, feel a profound loss. 

Brother Charles Cookman worked for the salvation of mankind.  He instructed us by precept and word to live self controlled, upright and Godly lives in this world.  His roots were deep.  Brother Cookman stood uncompromisingly in the storms and struggles of life and in the work of God.  He stood!  When he did all, he stood.  The last sermon that Martin Luther King Jr. preached at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia, he said and I quote: “If any of you are around when I have to meet my day, I don’t want a long speech; I’d like somebody to mention that day that Martin Luther King Jr. tried to love somebody.  I won’t have any money to leave behind; I won’t have the finer things of life to leave behind, but I just want to leave a committed life behind; then my living will not be in vain.”
 

Friends, as I close my remarks today, we remember Dr. Charles Hardy Cookman as one who gave his life for others; as one who loved people, as one who was committed to God’s kingdom, and one who did not live his life in vain!

God Bless you.

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