Funeral Service for Barbara McAdams

Order of Service:

Call to Worship: Matthew 11:28-30

Matthew 11:28–30 (ESV) 28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Invocation

Scripture: Psalm 23

Meditation:

Words of Committal: “In sure and certain hope of the resurrection that comes after this life, we commend to Almighty God our mother, grandmother, great grandmother, and friend, Barbara Ann McAdams, and we commit her body to the ground. Earth to earth, ashes to ashes and dust to dust. The Lord bless her and keep her; the Lord make his face to shine upon her and be gracious to her; the Lord lift up His countenance upon her and give her peace. Let us pray.”

Closing Prayer with Lord’s Prayer

Meditation

We are gathered here to pay tribute to the life of a special lady. On behalf of the Central Schwenkfelder Church and the McKinley family, deepest sympathy is extended to Barbara’s daughters: Belinda (and Scott), Patricia and Julie (and Kevin), and her grandchildren: Matthew, Rachel, Nathan, Dylan, Danielle, Ashley, Bryant and Jackson. And her five great grandchildren: Norah, Everett, Martin, Lorelei, and Oakley.

At a time like this, it is good to turn to God’s word and ask the Lord for His comfort and strength.

The 23rd Psalm was written by King David, some 3,000 years ago.  Before becoming Israel’s most famous king, David tended the flocks of his father, Jesse.  He protected his sheep, fed them and cared for their well-being.  From his study of the Law of Moses and his life experiences, David came to know God as his loving shepherd.  David understood the Lord as doing the same things for him as David did for his sheep.

With the words of this famous Psalm as our guide, let us consider the many ways in which God leads a person who has yielded his life to Him.  There are several verbs listed here that describe the actions of God toward His followers. 

He gives us rest, when we are weary.

leads us, when the path seems dark or troublesome.

restores us, morally and spiritually.

guides us, when we’re unsure of our way

blesses us with His presence, even when we’re surrounded by death.

comforts us, in times of sorrow.

feeds us- even in the presence of our enemies,

anoints us, for service.

and creates an eternal dwelling for us. 

These blessings are not received by everyone.  They accompany the one who has followed the Lord.  As Christians, we yield our lives to Jesus Christ. 

Jesus referred to Himself as “the Good Shepherd,” in John 10:11.  He said: "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.”  And Jesus would speak of the indicator of His followers when He said in verse 27: "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”

With Christ as one’s shepherd, the believer does not have to live an anxious life, nor worry about what he is to eat or if he will have clothing and shelter.  God takes special care of His own.  Jesus said this in His “Sermon on the Mount.” He concluded that section by saying:

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33)

This gives the believer a theology of death.  There is a certain inevitability associated with death.  Death entered our world for a reason.  That reason is due to the presence of sin.   Romans 5:12 states,

"Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned….” 

As a result of the Fall and our disobedience to God, humankind suffered the sentence of death. 

All people die because all sin. We are told in Hebrews 9:27 that it is “…appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment….”  Everyone must die and then give an account of their lives before a holy and a righteous God. 

But as dismal as this situation may sound, it was for this reason that Jesus Christ came to this earth as God incarnate so many years ago.  Christ died and rose again to abolish death for those who trust in Him. 

Therefore, the believer possesses the sweet knowledge and anticipation of life after death, because Jesus arose from the dead.  The Christian lives in this world knowing that his real home is not of this world.

So the Christian learns not to despise death, knowing that something better awaits him.  The Apostle Paul wrestled with this when he wrote In Philippians 1:21-22

Philippians 1:21–22 ESV

21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell.

How do we access this gift of life after death?  It is not through being a good person or adhering to a moral code.  Although important, these have never been the way to eternal life.  Rather, a relationship with God is found through the gifts of repentance and faith.  Jesus preached at the outset of His ministry in Mark 1:14:

“The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!"  

Repentance means to turn; a change of heart and mind.  It is implied in the act of confession; asking God to forgive you for your sins and offenses done to Him and to others. 

The other act is faith.  Faith is not just believing that there is a God, but embracing Him; following Him; becoming a disciple of Jesus.

Genesis 15:6 ESV

6 And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.

So there is urgency for all to repent of their sins and place their trust in Jesus Christ, in order to possess heaven as their home.  It is a wonderful thing that God reached out to us in the gift of His Son, so we could be reconciled to Him. 

What can we say about Barbara or “Grammy,” as many called her.

For starters, she did not want a big production about her life, nor did she want to be the center of attention. And yet, there were many things about her that drew you to her.

She was generous, thoughtful and selfless. As one of her fellow church members in Nevada said: “I always loved your mother. She was spunky.”

Barbara’s personality would light up a room. She never met a stranger. Outside of her family, which she adored, she loved cooking and history.

Her specialty was anything southern. But the favorite was her cornbread dressing at Thanksgiving. It pained her not to be able to cook these last five years.

She was a woman of principle and once asked a young man dating her daughter to leave the house after using some colorful language.

She was not only an excellent homemaker. She earned her degree from Southern Mississippi University in Business Education and taught at the high school level. She also worked for the Nevada State Hospital in their Human Resources’ office and at Delta State University.

Barbara met her husband Bob while he was serving in the United States Marine Corps as a flight instructor in Pensacola, Florida. It did not take long for Bob to realize that this was the lady with whom he wanted to spend the rest of his life. The two were soulmates, and married just shy of 45 years. Bob passed at just 69 years of age in 2004. So Barbara valiantly lived her life, missing her husband these past 21 years.

Bob became an industrial engineer and specialized in new plant operations, so the family moved around a lot, an average of every couple of years. In Julie’s lifetime, they lived in eight different states and moved ten different times. A few of the places they lived were Mountain Home, Arkansas; Plano, Texas; Salina, Kansas and Nevada, Missouri. Four times during those relocation processes, Bob had to pick out a house for Barbara and the girls, site unseen. He was a courageous man. And Barbara was a courageous woman. Her ability to adapt and thrive in each community was rare.

As a mom, Barbara was patient. There were three daughters, so there’s bound to be some drama from time to time. All three girls were very active in sports, student organizations, clubs, etc. Barbara went to almost every basketball game, tennis match and track meet. Belinda tells the story of listening to the Nevada Lady Tigers, of whom my dad was the play-by-play commentator for KNEM. Belinda and Scott could hear Barbara and Mrs. Sheets yelling at the officials.

Barbara showed qualities of self-sacrifice. She made sure you had what you needed. Her marriage to Bob was a wonderful example of what a partnership looked like. The girls never saw their parents argue. They were best friends and worked to be on the same page. Trish said: “I knew Mom and Dad loved each other.” That is one of the greatest models you can pass down.

Barbara was your biggest fan and your rock of support through celebrations and challenges. She was in your corner, as you fought the world.

And if it was your birthday, you received your favorite meal. This would vary from daughter to daughter. For Trish, it was brisket, twice baked potatoes, cheesy green beans, homemade rolls and chocolate sheet cake.

Barbara’s faith was solid. She believed that her relationship with Christ should influence the way she talked, interacted with others and the love she showed. Her paternal grandfather was a Methodist minister. She frequently held membership in Southern Baptist churches. Both Barbara and Bob taught Sunday School, investing in peers and the younger generation.

She instilled a valuable sense of right and wrong in her daughters. If you did something wrong, you owned up to it. Always try to help others, especially when called upon. Showing compassion and generosity were important qualities. and always say thank you. Giving respect to others, regardless of their place in society.

Barbara would like to be remembered as someone who gave all she could; someone who was dependable and loving. She believed in living life to the fullest, with a robust faith in Christ.

When her passing was made known, the hospice doctor showed emotion, saying: “I loved talking with your mom. She was always positive and witty. I will miss her.” In the assisted living facility, she wrote notes of encouragement and gratitude to staff members. Earlier in life, she wrote notes of encouragement to her daughters’ friends.

As you say goodbye to her today, may you draw close to the one who said: “Come to Me, all who are heavy-burdened, and I will give you rest.” Amen.