Bill Brownlee Service

Scripture Reading

New Revised Standard Version: Updated Edition John 14

14 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And you know the way to the place where I am going.”

Introduction- Stories

As we gather here this morning, we are here to celebrate a life well lived.

One of the best ways to celebrate such a life is to tell stories.

When we tell stories, we remember.

When we tell stories, our memories come alive for us and for our listener.

When we tell stories, we keep Bill right in front of us, all the time.

I am sad to say, as the new pastor here, I never got to know Bill Brownlee all that well.

Having spent some time with the family these last few months, I know that there are plenty of good stories to go around.

Stories about basketball and bridge and a deep and abounding love for his family.

There are lots of good stories here in this room, and in just a few moments we’re going to invite some friends and family to come and share those stories with us.

But there’s another story we need to hear this morning, one that might help us understand some of Bill’s stories a little bit better.

The Jesus Story

Admittedly, this is a story that all too often gets coopted and misunderstood in our world.

So from our text this morning, I want to highlight three really important parts of the Jesus story for us:

Do not let your hearts be troubled

In this passage in John, the disciples are keenly aware that Jesus is about to die.

They are sad

They are anxious

They might be mad

They are struggling with grief.

Probably pretty similar to the feelings we have going on in this room right now.

Jesus looks at all that anxiety and fear and grief, and he has a simple message for his disciples.

Do not let your hearts be troubled.

Take a deep breath.

Everything is going to be ok.

If the Jesus story is about anything at all, it’s about bringing peace to our souls.

It’s about the comfort in knowing that our God cares for us, for Bill, for everyone.

Not one of us is worth less than another in the sight of our God.

Each and every one of us is a recipient of the love of Jesus Christ in this day and for all time.

Do not let your hearts be troubled.

Jesus does the preparation

One thing I’ve learned that I shared with Bill is that neither one of us is much of a handy-man.

There are people that share those gifts, who are really skilled at making things work, at repairing homes, at making it all come together.

Bill and I weren’t those people.

Good news!

Jesus promise for us is that he has gone to prepare a place for us.

So often this Christian walk is painted to be what we bring to the table, what we’re able to do, what we are able to prepare.

Nothing could be farther from the truth!

Jesus has promised us that there is a dwelling place with our name on it, lovingly prepared for us by our savior.

And this very much includes Bill.

Jesus Christ has known Bill from before he drew his first breath until his last.

Jesus Christ has known Bill’s story long before any of us ever got to be characters in it.

Jesus Christ has lovingly, thoughtfully, and carefully prepared a place for Bill, and I am confident beyond measure that Bill is resting in that dwelling place right now, this very second.

This is a place for all time

Jesus had made two things clear:

This dwelling place is for all time.

The Kingdom of heaven is one without beginning or end.

Through the gracious gift of Jesus, we have eternal life in the dwelling place that he has prepared.

And this dwelling place is for all.

You and I? Because of Christ’s overwhelming love, we have a place prepared for us too.

And that means that for as much as we are missing Bill right now, as much as sadness fills our hearts, we will see Bill again.

We will share the stories we carry with us again with him.

We will share the goodness of lives well lived with him again.

We will share the story of our loving savior with him as well.

We will see our brother again.

Our Story

Don’t let our hearts be troubled: Let’s celebrate life!

We are gathered here to celebrate, hard as that is to imagine in a memorial service like this.

We are here to celebrate Bill’s presence in each of our lives.

We are here to celebrate the stories that continue to live on in our hearts.

We are here to celebrate a life very very well lived.

Do not let your hearts be troubled.

We have been given the gift of each other, to be able to lean on each other in a tender moment.

So we never ever mourn, grieve, or celebrate alone.

Share the story

After the service today, we’ll meet down the hall for a reception.

I encourage you, share stories with one another.

Even if you’ve told them a thousand times before, share the story.

And celebrate a life well lived!

We can allow our hearts the freedom they need when we are grateful.

Offer prayers of gratitude for basketball games.

Offer prayers of gratitude for tennis matches.

Offer prayers of gratitude for bridge games.

We can celebrate a life well lived.

Allow Jesus to work in our hearts as well.

As surely as Jesus went to prepare a place for Bill, he’s gone ahead to prepare a place for us.

As surely as Jesus prepares a place for us, Jesus is at work in our hearts as well.

Jesus is always preparing us to be more loving, more caring, more comforted, and more comforting.

Jesus is always looking after those he loves most.

That includes you.

That includes me.

And that certainly includes Bill.

We will for sure see Bill again in the dwelling place God has prepared.

Do not let your hearts be troubled.

We will see our brother Bill again in the life to come.

Today is not about goodbyes.

Today is about remembering, about gratitude, and about telling the story.

But it’s also a reminder that the story isn’t over yet.

We will indeed go to the place that Jesus has prepared for us.

In fact, he will come and take us there himself.

And we’ll meet Bill, free of pain and discomfort, and ready to tell some stories.

Probably over a game of bridge or two...

Thanks be to God.