Funeral Message #2 (Psalm 23)

The Funeral Service

Opening

I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die.

For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, because we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen; for the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal

Invocation

O Eternal God, our Father, from whom we come and to whom we go, grant us the favor of Your divine presence at this time in our earthly pilgrimage; assure us by Your Holy Spirit that the one we serve, even Jesus, has conquered death and is alive forevermore; enable us to view our temporal lives in the light of the eternal; and so may our spirits grow calm and our vision clear. Through Christ we pray. Amen.

Meditation

1. Our Tribute - Commemorate

A. To pay tribute: We have come to honor a life well lived, a life that has touched many and served even more

B. Obituary:

C. Poem - What Must it Be Like?

What must it be like to step on shore, and find it - heaven;

To take hold of a hand, and find it - God’s

To breathe new air, and find it - celestial;

To feel invigorated, and find it - immortality;

To rise from the care, the loneliness, and the turmoil of earth

Into an unbroken calm; and find it - glory?

I lift up my eyes to the hills--where does my help come from?

My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot slip--he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD watches over you--the LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all harm-- he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. Psalm 121

2. To comfort: Florence leaves a vacancy that no one can replace, a gap in our lives,

Psalm 23 gives us a glimpse of the care God gives us in both our earthly and eternal lives.

A. God is our shepherd – He guides us through this earthly life.

1. God gives us His provision

a.) God walks with us through life.

b.) God has the ability to provide for us.

2. God give us His protection

a.) God loves us like a Father – He will protect us

b.) God is bigger than any problem we will ever face in life

B. God is our host – He guides us through our eternal life.

1. God gives us a place of peace

a.) God will never leave us or forsake – He is always there for us

b.) In heaven we will be totally surrounded by God’s presence

c.) God will allows us to share in His eternal victory

2. God gives us a place of prominence

a.) God allows us to share in His glory

b.) God rewards us with heaven

3. God gives us a place of permanence

a.) Heaven is the completion of God’s grace for us

b.) Heaven lasts forever

1.) Heaven is our living hope, even in death

2.) Through God’s grace, in Christ, we will be reunited with her in heaven

Prayer for the family, church and community

Prayer

Eternal and Everlasting Father,

You are the author and perfector of life; You are our hope in times of trial and our peace in times of distress. We seek Your help and power to understand Your way and Your will for our lives; remove all confusion and replace it with Your clarity. May we find You evident in our lives today.

We come to You and ask for Your divine presence in this place today and grant to us Your Spirit of comfort. Allow us to see this life with the assurance and power of Christ Jesus, who has conquered death and is alive with an everlasting life. It is that eternal and everlasting life that gives us hope even in death that we might see Your Son. Now as we mourn the loss of our departed sister in Christ; we know that our loss is heaven’s gain. So help our spirits to find peace and comfort in Your eternal strength.

We lift up the Tebbe Family and friends to You today and ask that Your peace, mercy and strength might rest with them during this time of sorrow and loss. Grant to them an extra measure of Your grace and pour over them an overwhelming sense of Your presence. Make Your Spirit and peace present in all of their homes and lives. Hear us today, Father, and grant these requests of Your people. Through Christ we pray. Amen.