Funeral: Mary Lou Bushong

Opening welcome

Welcome, Tonight we gather to celebrate the life of

Mary lou Bushong.

Let us open with a word from the Lord

Psalm 46:1–3 NIV

1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, 3 though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.

Open Microphone

I would like to open things up to allow for anyone who would like to share about Mary.

Message

2 Corinthians 1:3–4 NIV

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.

The Loss of a loved one is never an easy thing. We gather her together to remember and honor Mary as we celebrate her life. It is in this gathering that I am reminded of these words that even in the hardest of moments we can take comfort in knowing that God is the Father of compassion. He comforts us in all our troubles and we can receive that from him if we are open to him in our lives.

It is in times that we face pain and hardship that we look and we can be reminded that we can have this kind of relationship with God. That God loves and cares for us.

While this doesn’t always take the sting away from the pain of death we can be reminded that in faith we can be comfroted.

It is in this comfort that I was also reminded of other areas that we can come to in our relationship with God.

Romans 15:13 NIV

13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

We can be reminded that in the loss of a loved one that we can still have hope. That we can have joy and celebrate the life of those we have lost.

I loved hearing the stories from Rebecca about her mom in the nursing home in the last few years going to bible studies. Finding ways to connect with her faith even when life isn’t always the best. There was joy there in those stories of faith and seeking God. No matter what was going on or where she had come from that Joy was present.

That Joy can lead us to a measure of peace in our lives. A measure of peace that comes from Trusting in God.

Philippians 4:7 NIV

7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

IT is in this trust and peace that we can come to realization that we can see life in ways that goes beyond anything we can understand.

It when we allow God to fill our hearts and minds that we can come to this peace. This sense of comfort and love that allows us to move beyond the things of this world.

Tonight I hope that you seek him and seek him and know that Mary would have wanted that for you. It is in his comfort that we can take and be at peace just as Mary is now.

Let us Pray

Closing Prayer

O God of life, as we have learned to do in all our experiences, we come to You in this hour. We know that You love us, and that You can turn even the shadow of death into the light of morning. Help us now to wait before You with reverent and submissive hearts. Make this a time of opening our eyes and our understanding, and a time of admonition to our hearts and souls. Bless those who feel this sorrow most keenly, and cause the bonds of Christian love to bind us closer together, so that we may share with them that spiritual strength and that faith in God which is ours through the love of Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen

Benediction

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father and the communion of the Holy Spirit abide with us now and ever more Amen.

May God bless you Go you are dismissed.