Read the Obituary written by Caleb Sutton
His name was Jonathon Sutton. He was one of the rare ones. His gentle spirit was captivating. His soft smile and joyful disposition were contagious. He loved life and life seemed to return the favor. ALS was harsh and painful to this saint, but God was not. God comforted Jonathon with gentle words and a soft embrace. His soul now enjoys bliss; the type of bliss we read in Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress. Yes, it is the bliss of the discontinuation of pain and the continuation of endless delight in the presence of the God he so cherished.
My interactions with Jonathon were many, but now I wish I had many more. I first met Jonathon in one of my interviews for my job at Providence Church at a Cracker Barrel. He and Mickey Schneider were part of Providence’s session on a temporary basis before I was hired. This was in 2008. I took the job and got to know Jonathon well. Some months later he was there with other pastors laying hands on me as I was ordained to the pastoral office.
My mentor, Mickey Schneider, spoke of Jonathon often when I first arrived. He admired Jonathon. He spoke of his constant encouragement to his ministry over the years. He spoke of Jonathan with a glow in his eyes; the type of glow that tells you without a shadow of a doubt that this man is worth knowing. I sat in Mickey’s office too many times to count and marveled as he told endless stories about his faithful elder, Jonathon Sutton.
Jonathon loved the Church. He counted his role as an Elder at Trinity Presbyterian as a noble role. It was not hard to detect his love for the people. Among the many blessings he brought to those saints was the gift of music. Luther once wrote:
“Next to the Word of God, the noble art of music is the greatest treasure in the world.
Jonathon loved music, but his love of music was never for self-gain, but always for the sake of others. The saints at Trinity gained immensely from it. His own family gained from it. And as a result they all blessed the world with it.
As Jonathon leaves behind a legacy of humility, love, gentleness, and faithfulness, our community weeps in a minor chord knowing that our hope is in a major chord called the resurrection.
May your body rest in peace until it is raised again incorruptible.
R.I.P Jonathon Sutton (1958-2013)
Well said Brother Uri; well said!