FUNERAL SERVICE FOR RENA WALLBRIDGE
March 10, 2009 @ Brett Funeral Chapel, Havelock
Officiating Minister: Rev Ralph Juthman
Opening Greetings and Prayer: Pastor Ralph
Scriptures: Psalm 23 Psalm 91 Rev David Estabrooks
HYMN: What a Friend We Have In Jesus
What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.
Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness; take it to the Lord in prayer.
Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge, take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do your friends despise, forsake you? Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In His arms He’ll take and shield you; you will find a solace there.
CONGREGATION: 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 debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
Tribute:
We have a short tribute to be given by ROBERT MACPHERSON from Toronto. Son of Rev OJ and Gladys MacPherson our first pastor in Marmora. He was to be a palbearer but due to getting an MRI tomorrow he had to decline but wanted to give tribute to Mom who was like a god mother to him as his parents were to me.
Musical TRibute: Bryn and Dane Madsgaard
Euligy Tribute: Amber and Virginia McGriskin
Homily: Rev Ralph Juthman
Rena Mary Wallbridge: Passing on a Legacy of Faith
2 Timothy 1:3-5
In 1913 the year Rena was born, Sir Robert Borden was Prime Minister, and Woodrow Wilson was president of the USA.
Ford introduced the first mass assembly line and the National trans Continental Railway was completed. It was the year the zipper was invented.
When Rena was born, woman were not considered persons. In fact they did not receive the right to vote until 1917 and then became persons under the law in Canada in 1927.
During her lifetime, Rena lived through the great depression, and two world wars. She saw the creation of the nation of Israel, the development of air flight, and man walking on the moon.
Is the purpose of this history lesson, and what does it have to do with Rena or Lois?
Who here has heard of Lois? She is only mentioned one time in the Word of God. The Bible doesn’t say really all that much about her – she will go unnoticed by most of us; however, for any of us who have spent any time in the New Testament – though we may not know who Lois was, we certainly have heard of her grandson: Timothy.
2 Timothy 1:3-5 3 I thank God, whom I serve with a pure conscience, as my forefathers did, as without ceasing I remember you in my prayers night and day, 4 greatly desiring to see you, being mindful of your tears, that I may be filled with joy, 5 when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also.
What is it that Paul thanked God for?
What came to Paul’s mind when he thought of Timothy?
What filled him with joy?
When he called to “remembrance” the UNFEIGNED FAITH in Timothy.
This passage tells us that Timothy had a sincere and genuine FAITH – just as his mother Eunice had, and just like his grandmother Lois also had!
Lois was the first to receive Jesus. While she is never credited with building great churches, preaching to great crowds, she lived her faith throughout her life without apology or wavering. It was this legacy of faith that Lois passed on to her children and grandchildren.
As I meditated upon this passage this past weekend, I could not help but think of how much Rena’s faith reflected the same unwavering faith that is spoken of Lois. In 96 short years, Rena had seen and experienced many firsts. She experienced more history than any of us here put together. I have heard it said that the times make the person.
As I got to know Rena, one of the things that struck me was, that she maintained a strong, consistent faith no matter what life through at her. Her spirit and attitude was always encouraging. In fact, I never told her this but when I went to visit her, I always made her visit the last of my day. The reason was, if I had not been having a particularly good day, I could always count on Rena to brighten it.
I thought if it were possible to have her speak to us today, I would ask her to tell us what does it take to maintain a strong faith throughout a lifetime? Now most of us who knew Rena, would also know that there is a better chance for the Toronto Maple Leafs to win the Stanley Cup, than for Rena to stand and speak to a crowd.
Nevertheless, I would like to share three things that I learned about faith from how Rena lived. The first thing I learn from Renas faith, the first thing that she passes down to us, the first principle of how to maintain a life long faith is,
1. KEEP IT SIMPLE:
As I would visit Rena in her home, there were two things that struck me. Rena had collected a lot of stuff throughtout her life, but she was not married to it. Her attitude towards things was a reflection of the attitude she had about her faith in the Lord, SIMPLE. She maintained an uncluttered devotion to the Lord. While it was simple it was not simplistic. It was child like not childish.. Her prioroities were rightly directed to the Lord and not what others thought of her.
We can learn a lot about lidfe and faith from Rena, who followed the Lords admonition
“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
2. KEEP IT SINCERE:
The apostle Paul commends Timothy’s ‘unfeigned faith” Another word could be genuine, true, honest or sincere.
The modern way to say it would be, “KEEP IT REAL” That was the faith Rena exhibited. It was not a put on. It was not a convenient faith for when life went wrong. Her faith was real in both the good as well as the bad times of life.
If you and I wish to have a faith that lasts a lifetime, then it needs to be real, genuine and sincere.
Finally if you and I wish to have a faith that lasts a life time we need to….
3. KEEP IT STRONG:
How do we do this? I believe the secret is found in the Word of God. Rena understood this principle and lived it. Would you like to know the secret? Listen to what Hebrews 12:1-2 tells us,
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Eugene Peterson wrote the Message, which is a modern day paraphrase of the scriptures. His rendering of this verse makes the word come to life for us,
Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!
Many times I would visit Rena, she would ask me, Pastor do you think Jess is coming soon?” She had a simple faith that was uncluttered by the stuff of life, a faith that was real and would endure the difficulties of life, and a faith that was strong and focused on Jesus who was her Life. Throughout her life She was looking for His return.
So, would you like to have a faith that lasts a lifetime? If you are a follower of Christ, then that is His promise for you. Look to Jesus, He is your coming King. If you have not as yet become a follower of Christ, then you can experience this kind of over coming life but receiving Him as your personal Lord and Savior. Look to Jesus, He will be your Lord and Savior.
Commital Prayer: Rev Ralph Juthman
1 Corinthians 15:51-58 (New King James Version)
51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”[a]
55 “ O Death, where is your sting?[b]
O Hades, where is your victory?”[c]
56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
Forasmuch as it pleased our Heavenly Father, in His wise Providence to take unto Himself our beloved RENA, we commit her body to the ground, ‘Looking for the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the Great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who shall change the body of our humiliation and fashion it a knew in the likeness of His own body of glory, according to the working of His mighty power wherewith He is able to subdue all things unto Himself.”
PRAYER
Benediction:
Now to Him who is able to keep you[f] from stumbling, And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, 25 To God our Savior,[g]Who alone is wise,[h] Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power,[i] Both now and forever. Amen.
