Funeral for Mary Curlee

PRELUDE (Nancy Payne)

SEATING OF THE FAMILY

The family will be in the chapel for visitation at 3PM

At 3:55, Hopson will pray with the family and then we’ll walk into the gym right at 4.

Please rise for the family.

WELCOME

Brothers, sisters, and friends:

We are gathered here to praise God, to witness to our faith, and to give thanks for and celebrate the life of Mary Sue Curlee.

To the family and friends who loved her most and best, we especially offer our deep and sincere sympathy. Even as we weep with you, we don't weep without hope. Even as we mourn our loss, we celebrate the good news that for all who repent of their sins and believe in Jesus this is but a passing. Not a passing from life to death, but from life in a fallen world to new life in the present of God.

Our desire in this service is to comfort you with the truth of God's Word. It is the only comfort we have.

In the Scriptures there is no greater comforter than God Himself. When His disciples were sad, troubled, and anxious, Jesus (who we know to be God in human flesh) spoke these words to comfort them:

"Let not your heart be troubled: you believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there you may be also" (John 14.1-3). 

"I am the resurrection, and the life; he that believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever lives and believes in me shall never die" (John 11.25,26).

We pray that you will find comfort in Jesus today.

PRAYER

SPECIAL MUSIC (Phoebe Garcia, I Can Only Imagine)

SCRIPTURE READING (Psalm 23, Ramona Rogers)

Because He Lives

Reading of the Obituary

Mary Sue Curlee, 69, went to be with the Lord on Thursday, September 14, 2023. She was a native of Bedford, VA and had been a longtime Peninsula resident before relocating to Laneview, VA. Mary was a member of Poquoson Baptist Church where she was involved in the children’s ministry and choir. She was employed by Avon Fashions for over 31 years.

She leaves behind her husband and best friend of 40 years, John Andrew Curlee; her mother Betty Jane Bowling; two sons, Derrick Andrew Curlee and his wife Tracy and Bradley David Curlee and his fiancée Lydia Easter; two sisters, Betty Evert and Carol Pember; 3 bonus siblings, Beth Curlee, Mark Curlee and Paul Curlee. Mary also leaves behind her a multitude of grandchildren and great grandchildren; Tiffany, Hayley, Mikayla, Goose (David), Jessica, Bayley, Rebecca, Grace, Jamielee, James River, Kayla, Charlie and Calvin. In addition to many nieces and nephews that loved her dearly.

Mary lived every day to the fullest. She had a great love for all people. Her family and her church family. Anyone that Mary met became family to her. Her laugh and smile brightened every room. She had a love for crafting, music and dancing. Every car ride you took Mary on was quite an adventure. She was a woman truly loved and will be missed beyond measure.

Sharing of Remembrances

Many of us are grieving today as we think about the loss of Mary. But we also want to celebrate the life she lived.

One way to do that is to share the stories and memories that mean so much to us.

If you’d like to share, please come to the front and speak in the microphone so everyone can hear.

Sam is going to get us started by reading a letter from Mary’s son Derrick. After he finishes, you’re welcome to come to the microphone and share.

SCRIPTURE READING (Proverbs 31:10-31, Susan Thomas)

MESSAGE

It’s truly an honor to serve the Curlee family by leading this service.

I have not known Mary as long as many of you.

Not long after I met Mary she was diagnosed with the dementia that has plagued her over the last few years.

And yet, I’ve known few women who have better displayed such love and kindness and joy than Mary Curlee, even as she suffered in ways that most of us will never fully understand.

Most of my five children never remember a time when they didn’t know “Ms. Mary.”

And when we told them the news that Mary had died on Thursday night, we hugged as a family and shed some tears together.

Then one of our daughters asked, “Why do people have to die?”

I can answer that question theologically. I know we live in a world that is broken and cursed by sin. But I cannot answer that question in a way that satisfies the broken heart of a little girl. Or a grieving family. I cannot answer why it happened in this way, or at this time.

But what I can do is spend a few moments explaining where we’re supposed to go from here. I can talk to you for a few minutes about grief.

I’m going to be sharing from 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14.

You can find it on page ___ in the Bibles underneath the seats if you’d like to follow along.

And in those verses you’ll see three truths about grief and the follower of Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 4:13–14—But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.

1) Christians Grieve

Often the world doesn’t grieve.

We become desensitized to death.

We devalue life and sometimes even pressure families to end life before it’s time.

But the Bible assumes that Christians will grieve.

Listen to…

1 Thessalonians 4:13—But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.”

First, you need to know that when this passage talks about people who are “asleep,” it’s not talking about somebody taking a nap. It’s referring to believers who have died.

But notice the Bible doesn’t say “we don’t want you to grieve.”

It says “we don’t want you to grieve as others do.”

In other words, the Bible assumes that Christians will grieve.

But sometimes Christians need to be reminded it’s okay to grieve.

Yes, we believe that God is sovereign over all things. The Bible says He knows the number of our days.

So some Christians act as if to grieve is to undermine God’s sovereignty. They act as if Christians should just numbly accept everything that happens in life without feeling, without grieving without tears.

But God wants you to know brothers, sisters, and friends, that it is okay to grieve.

Even Jesus grieved.

John 11:35 tells us that when Jesus’ friend Lazarus died, He wept.

Even though Jesus knew He would resurrect Lazarus, He still wept.

Why? Because death is an enemy. This is not the way the world was created. When our first parents Adam and Eve sinned against God, death entered the world. We should grieve every time we lose a loved one because it’s another reminder that we live in a fallen, broken world.

Practically, this means that it’s okay for you to grieve, John. Derrick, Brad, it’s okay for you to grieve. Family, friends, it’s okay for you to grieve.

Your grief may not look the same as the next person, but that’s okay.

But for those of you who are Christians, it’s important that you grieve differently.

That’s the second truth I want you to notice...

2) Christians Grieve Differently.

Listen again to...

Verse 13—But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.

How do Christians grieve differently? We grieve with hope.

If you’re a follower of Jesus, you can grieve the loss of Mary. You can miss her smile, her laugh, and her sweet spirit. You can miss all the things you loved about her and be deeply saddened by that loss.

You can be so sad by these things that you weep. And yet, if you’re a Christian you do not despair.

Why?

Because you know this is not the end for Mary.

You know that when she breathed her last breath in this life she was instantly in the presence of her Savior.

You know that she is no longer struggling to remember, and she never will again.

You know that she is no longer struggling to breath, and she never will again.

You know that she is no longer hurting, and she never will again.

But how do you know this?

It’s not because you believe that everybody goes to a better place.

It’s not because you believe that all paths lead to God.

It’s not because you believe Mary was a good person and she deserved heaven.

It’s because you believe the gospel.

Verse 14 says we can grieve with hope...

… since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, …

That is the heart of what Christians believe, and it’s a message of good news the Bible calls “the gospel.”

CREATOR

CURSE

CHRIST

CALL

That’s the message Mary believed, many years ago.

No, she didn’t believe these things perfectly. And she didn’t perfectly follow her Savior. None of us do.

But she believed those things truly.

To believe them truly means more than intellectually agreeing these things are true.

It means to trust.

To turn from trusting in yourself and trusting in Jesus and Jesus alone.

Trust is like sitting in a chair. You can believe that it will hold your weight, but unless you sit on that chair you haven’t really trusted it.

Trusting in Jesus is more than believing things about Jesus. It’s trusting Him with your life.

Words

Entertainment

Relationships

Sundays

Parenting

Thought life

Money

Possessions

If your trust is in Jesus, you will not grieve forever!

That’s the final truth I want you to notice...

3) Christians Grieve Temporarily.

Listen again to verses 13-14

1 Thessalonians 4:13-14—But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.

Yes Christians grieve. But we grieve differently.

Why? Because Jesus has defeated death.

And because when Jesus returns, He will resurrect all who have trusted in Him for eternal life in the new heavens and new earth.

Perhaps the reason the Bible sometimes uses the word “asleep” instead of death is to emphasize the fact that for a Christian death is only temporary.

John, your last conversation with Mary will not be your final conversation with Mary.

Some of you may wish you had done more to spend time with Mary. Perhaps there’s guilt mingled with your grief. If you are trusting in Christ, your last memory of Mary will not be your final memory with Mary.

If your faith is in Christ you know that this life is not the end! There is more to come!

You can grieve differently because you grieve temporarily!

When Jesus returns there will be...

No more pain. No more anxiety. No more caskets. No more cancer. No more divorces. No more breakups. No more arguments.

No more abortion. No more elections. No more racism. No more shootings. No more child abuse. No more hurricanes. No more pandemics. No more corruption. No more murder. No more war.

No more envy. No more pride. No more self-loathing. No more lust. No more bitterness. No more selfishness.

Even if you do not believe in Jesus, if you’re honest with yourself there is something in you that desires all these things to be true...

C.S. Lewis famously said, “Creatures are not born with desires unless satisfaction for those desires exists. A baby feels hunger: well, there is such a thing as food. A duckling wants to swim: well, there is such a thing as water. Men feel sexual desire: well, there is such a thing as sex. If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.”

The fact that you desire a world like the Bible describes when it talks about heaven is perhaps the best evidence that the Bible is true!

If your faith is not in Christ, we invite you to turn from your sins and trust in Him today!

If Mary was here, I am confident that what she would want more than anything else is for each of you to put your trust in Jesus.

Prayer

Please stand as we sing together

Amazing Grace

Benediction

The family invites you to join them for a reception in our fellowship hall. Let me pray the Lord’s blessing over the food.

Leave now with these words...

“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.”

POSTLUDE