Amybeth Harmon Terry Memorial Service

Service Outline

Officiant: Rev. Dr. Brandon Morrow

Estimated time: 30-35 minutes

Processional Music

Sonshine Song (Spotify)

Welcome

Good afternoon, my name is Brandon Morrow, and today I have the honor and privilege of celebrating the life of Amybeth and to encourage us with the hope of resurrection only supplied by our Lord, Jesus. On behalf of the family, I want to say thank you for being here. We hope you laugh, remember, are inspired through the life of Amybeth, but above all us, we pray you hear of God’s grace which has made all laughter, remembrance, and inspiration possible today.

Opening

We gather in God’s presence to remember and give thanks for the life of Amybeth Harmon Terry to affirm God’s love for us, and to support one another in a time of need. Let us acknowledge our grief and be open in our love, affirming the meaning and mystery of life, confident in the hope of the resurrection through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Let’s open our time together with a word of prayer.

Prayer

God our Comforter, you are our refuge and strength, a helper close at hand in times of distress. You forgive what we have done and what we have left undone; your mercy is from everlasting to everlasting. Help us to hear the words of our faith that our fear is dispelled, our loneliness eased, and our hope reawakened. May your Holy Spirit lift us above our natural sorrow, to the peace and light of your constant love, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Scripture Reading

Philippians 4:7 (ESV)

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

Song

The Prayer, sang by Ryan and Mya Terry

Scripture Reading

Isaiah 43:1–2 (ESV)

But now, this is what the Lord says,

he who created you, Jacob,

he who formed you, Israel:

“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;

I have summoned you by name, you are mine.

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;

and through the rivers, they shall not sweep over you;

when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, the flames will not set you ablaze.

Obituary

Amybeth Harmon Terry was born May 22, 1971 and passed on July 12, 2023. She was 52 years young. A long time resident of Lafayette, Amybeth was an accomplished pediatric dentist, serving children in the Bay Area for over 20 years. She is survived by her husband Steven Terry and her four children, Kathrynanne Terry, Virginia Jane Terry, Robert Roy Terry, and Jaxson Wallace Terry, all living together in Lafayette and attending Campolindo High School and St. Perpetua Elementary School.

Amybeth is survived by a large loving family, including parents Dr. Robert and Judy Harmon of Lafayette, younger sister Megan and brother in law Dr. Ricardo Almada of Walnut Creek, older brother Todd and sister-in-law Dr Elizabeth Harmon of Newcastle, CA. She was a loving aunt to Mollie, Audrey and Joseph Harmon, and Ellie and Owen Almada. And she was a fiercely loved cousin and niece to her extended family in Indiana, Washington and San Diego, California.

For Amybeth, family was everything, and she poured her heart and soul into her children. From the very beginning, Amybeth stood out as a blazing light. As a little girl she shone in the classroom and learned strong study habits from teachers at Burton Valley Elementary. These habits served her well throughout her life. In High School she went all out, everywhere and always, and the echoes of her short time in Campolindo are etched in the hallways and memories of all of us who blended together in Moraga and Lafayette in the 1980s. She graduated from Lewis and Clark in Portland, OR along with her brother Todd. She lived abroad in Sapporo, Japan, backpacked and hitchhiked across Central America, performed dentistry on a mission trip in Guatemala with her father, and decided to pursue dentistry. Amybeth attended UOP Dental School in San Francisco where she left her mark and also introduced her classmate Liz to brother Todd at graduation, bringing two people together who would become husband and wife. Amybeth did her postgraduate work at LSU Children's Hospital in New Orleans, before returning home to practice pediatric dentistry with her father Dr. Robert Harmon in Pleasant Hill, CA.

Her love for children soon blossomed into her own family, and together with husband Steve, they loved them all over the top. Words simply cannot describe the impact that Amybeth had on so many people, nor the sadness we feel with her passing. Amybeth was a strong believer in Jesus Christ and instilled this faith in her children. Her race was short, but well run, and her family and friends take comfort knowing that He is the ultimate Creator and Sustainer, the Life-Light and has her in His loving arms.

The family has asked that in lieu of flowers, a donation can be made to either Harbor House or University of Pacific Memorial Fund in memory of Amybeth.

Details for donating are at the back of your bulletin.

I have been asked by the family to feature the 23rd Psalm for our time today, a copy of the scriptures should be available to you in the pew back, please feel free to turn to Psalm 23.

Brief Message on Psalm 23

Psalm 23 (ESV)

A Psalm of David.

The Lord is my shepherd; I lack nothing.

He makes me lie down in green pastures.

He leads me beside quiet waters.

He refreshes my soul.

He guides me along the right paths

for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk through the darkest valley,

I will fear no evil,

for you are with me;

your rod and your staff,

they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me

in the presence of my enemies;

you anoint my head with oil;

my cup overflows.

Surely your goodness and mercy shall follow me

all the days of my life,

and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord

forever.

I want to list a handful of things that you may or may not know about Amybeth:

Amybeth once majored in Japanese while in college

She was an accomplished wrestler of Todd’s friends

She had a slight obsession with berry pies

She was once prepared to fight off a bear while camping with her daughters

She had been known to make a witty joke during tragic or emergency situations — like that time a family member almost lost part of a finger

She had a magnetism to befriend every weirdo and outcast — even meeting Jesus in Maui

Amybeth was fearless, always in control, a leader, a water ski wizard, generous, a hugger and a healer, gentle but not to be messed with, adored by children and respected by the elderly, could bargain with the best of them, and showed unmatched compassion to those with disabilities.

I’ve got pages and pages and pages of notes to share, stories that would blow your mind, make you laugh until you peed your pants, and could share encounters that would warm your heart, but I wanted to give the opportunity for Amybeth’s three oldest children to speak about her in a way that only children can.

I’d like to invite Kathrynanne, Virginia Jane, and Robert Roy up to share now.

CHILDREN WILL SHARE

The 23rd Psalm begins famously, “the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not,” and my favorite way that another translation puts this verse is, “the Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing,”

Over the past 10 plus years, I’ve had the honor of standing in rooms like this, with people like you, on days like today, and I’ve not had many opportunities to speak about someone whose David’s words fit so perfectly over: “I lack nothing.”

For almost two hours this past week, I sat in a living with Amybeth’s husband, her children, her parents, and her siblings and I heard countless stories of impact, affection, endearment, adoration, and amazement.

I got in my car and the words, “I lack nothing” came to mind.

The 23rd Psalm has moments where it feels as if everything is lacking.

The Psalmist speaks of this in a tone, that while you are in it, it feels as if it’s consuming… The 23rd Psalm calls these moments, “valleys of the shadow of death,” and refers to these moments as if we were “seated in the presence of our enemies.”

While we call today a Celebration, there are moments over the last several weeks, that are hardly worth celebrating. Yes, we rejoice in the fact that Jesus is Amybeth’s shepherd, and today her cup overflows, because she dwells in the house of the Lord, forever — but we’re fumbling over the words of the 23rd Psalm, “we lack nothing,” and we fumble we miss the face of our favorite dentist, we long to eat weird fruits with Amybeth in Costa Rica, we wish that she’d change her work schedule one last time to help us pick out an outfit, and we want one more chance for her to buy too many berry pies.

What we’d do for one more phone call, one more hug, one more moment...

It’s interesting, ya know… Psalm 23 talks about a Shepherd with a fair number of redeeming qualities:

He uses His rod and staff to comfort

He restores the soul

He gives in such a way that it overflows

The Psalm 23 gets a bit sweeter when you get to the New Testament and you realize that the Shepherd of Psalm 23 is the Good Shepherd of John 10, where it says in John 10:14-15

John 10:14–15 ESV

I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.

It’s as if we only understand David’s words in Psalm 23, “I lack nothing,” when we read it with John 10, where the Shepherd has laid down His life for the sheep.

It should be no surprise to you, but Amybeth knew that the Good Shepherd had laid down His life for her.

This Good Shepherd did not tolerate the harm, the damage, and the dishonor that sin had brought to His flock. This Good Shepherd cares for His sheep in such a way that He does not believe sin can be found amongst the presence of His herd. Jesus has provided a solution to keep His flock from the harm, damage, and dishonor caused by sin — and the solution was giving up His own life for the flock so that they might live.

Amybeth knew this story and dramatically shaped every part of her life. She knew of her inability to save herself and clung to her faith in the Good Shepherd who alone could save her, who would go as far to save her as giving up Himself for her — and in knowing this, and in receiving this gift, she has truly received the greatest gift of all from the Good Shepherd Himself, that with Him — she lacked nothing.

You all have experienced the fruit of that relationship where the Good Shepherd has graciously met every need of Amybeth, and the hope of the gospel, is that He wants to meet your every need, too. He cares for you in such a way that your life and future are so guarded from Him that nothing could take you from His presence, that He can supply our every need, that He can restore our hope when we feel hopeless, that through Him laying down His life, we have all that we need: we lack nothing.

It’s interesting to me, that only through the Good Shepherd, are we given everything so that nothing lacks:

Only through the promise of the Good Shepherd, and His life laid down will we be united with loved ones again in eternity

Only through the action of the Good Shepherd, do we hear that death is not the end, but it is the beginning of a forever with Jesus

Only in the Good Shepherd, do we know of our worth and value, that we are worth dying for

It is only with the Good Shepherd that can turn the valleys of the shadow of death, meals in the presence of our enemies, into an overflowing cup, into an abundance of goodness and mercy, into the the promise that we will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

I share you the message of the gospel that with Christ, there is nothing to be lacked, and I share it for two reasons:

First, because I believe there is no greater message

Second, because I believe that Amybeth was the recipient of a life that had not lacked anything, and that she had received every promise due her from the Good Shepherd Himself, — and because her heart was for the gospel that I couldn’t imagine wrestling her if I didn’t tell you that with Christ there is nothing lacking.

Today we call it a Celebration, because in loss, with Christ, there is nothing lacking.

We wear bright colors to celebrate the festive nature of a God who welcomes His children home, where He has prepared a feast for His beloved

And we cling to the words of Psalm 23, that Amybeth knew, and that I can’t let you leave without you hearing, “the Lord is your shepherd, and with Him, you lack nothing.”

I wanted to invite some of the family up to lead us in a song that the familly, for years, has been praying and singing before every meal. It’s a song called Thank You Father, and this song, will usually sung for a meal, can be thought of as a song of thankfulness back to God for the life of Amybeth, I’m going to invite them up now to help lead this time

Song

Thank You Father (led by the family)

Commendation

Let us pray. Into your hands, O merciful Savior, we commend your servant, Amybeth Harmon Terry. Acknowledge, we pray, a sheep of your own fold, a lamb of your own flock, a sinner of your own redeeming. Receive her into the arms of your mercy, into the blessed rest of everlasting peace, and into the glorious company of the saints in light. Comfort us, fill us with your joy, remind us of your never lacking grace. We pray this in the name of Jesus, Amen.

Conclusion of Service (Instructions)

Before we end with a singing of the Doxology, the family has invited you to join us on the patio and in the Fellowship Hall for a reception. Due to family plans, we’re asking that you respect the family’s request to keep the reception to no more than an hour. Notecards are available in the Fellowship Hall to write words of encouragement and memories to share with the family.

The family has also invited you to their home following the reception, address and carpooling instructions are available in your bulletin.

Would you please stand for the singing of the Doxology?

Song

Doxology accompanied by Sharon Linton

Recessional Music

Orinoco Flow by Enya (Spotify)