Brigitte Funeral Service

Family Processional

Family walks in after everyone is already seated at 10:05 AM. Sets in the front right, first two rows.

Bruce is playing music.

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WELCOME, CALL TO WORSHIP, PRAYER

Good Morning -

Today we are celebrating the life of Brigitte Philip.

To some it might seem odd to do this kind of service on a Sunday

But, I believe it is not only appropriate but an act of worship.

Last Sunday, we celebrated the physical resurrection of our Lord, today, we will again celebrate the Lord as we see the result of His resurrection, the implications in the life of a member of this church for the Death, Burial and resurrection of Jesus.

As we celebrate a life well lived

We are also celebrating the one who made her life possible, saved her soul, empowered her life with holiness, and promises to physically resurrect her through the same power that resurrected Jesus.

Today, we honor Brigitte Philip

And today we worship our Lord, Jesus the Christ.

LET US STAND FOR THE CALL OF WORSHIP -

Come to me all who are weary!

Come Holy Spirit, comfort our pains and sorrows

Come to me all who are burdened!

Come Holy Spirit, fill our hearts with the Joy of the Lord

Come to me, and I will give you rest!

Come Holy Spirit, fill our hearts with the wonder of the resurrection of the dead.

Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart!

Come Holy Spirit, teach us the ways of Jesus.

Come to me and you will find rest for your souls!

We come to you Lord. Birth in us your Kingdom!

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CONGREGATIONAL WORSHIP 2 SONGS

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PSALM READING

PSALMS 121

JACOB WILL READ THIS.

Followed by Bruce playing the Saxophone

And a slide show at the same time.

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EULOGY OF BRIGITTE PHILIP

Read by Jordan Melcher

Have a picture of her up or continue the slide show while the Eulogy is being read.

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HYMN -

BE STILL MY SOUL

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SERMON

IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL

INTRODUCTION

There are many things, that can be said about Brigitte, her sense of humor, her strength of mind, her intelligence, her love and care for others, her prayer life, her fortitude, and I could continue.  

Knowing she loved Hymns, I wanted to find a hymn that described her heart, her force, her laughter, her devotion, her life.

The HYMN that stood out to me is, IT IS well with my soul.

Let me read to you the lyrics

When peace like a river, attendeth my way When sorrows like sea billows roll Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say It is well, it is well, with my soulI

t is well With my soul It is well, it is well with my soul

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come Let this blest assurance control That Christ has regarded my helpless estate And hath shed His own blood for my soul My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought! My sin, not in part but the whole Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, o my soul!

THROUGH EVERY TRAGEDY

Every heart break

Every loss

Her joy remained, her hope remained, her love remained. 

She came out of the consecration camp able to say, “It is well with my soul” 

Through every loss, “It is well with my soul” 

Brigitte experienced suffering that would cause most to crawl into a shell and never come back out.

Yet, she faced the world with a ferocity.  

She met the world with HOPE, LOVE, LIFE, JOY, and BEAUTY. 

IT WAS WELL WITH HER SOUL. 

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THAT LEADS ME TO ONE MORE HYMN. 

WHY COULD SHE SAY, IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL AFTER SO MUCH TRAGEDY AND SUFFERING IN THIS LIFE? 

A Hymn written by Edward Mote in 1834 perfectly describes why Brigitte could say “It is well with my soul.”  

That hymn is, “MY HOPE IS BUILT ON NOTHING LESS.”

My hope is built on nothing less

Than Jesus blood and righteousness;

I dare not trust the sweetest frame,

But wholly lean on Jesus name. 

On Christ, the solid Rock I stand:

All other ground is sinking sand

All other ground is sinking sand

His oath, his covenant, his blood

Support me in the whelming flood;

When all around my soul gives way,

He then is all my and stay.

When he shall come with trumpet sound,

O may I then in him be found

Dressed in His righteousness alone,

Faultless to stand before the throne.

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BRIGITTE COULD SAY THROUGH ALL THE SUFFERING OF HER LIFE, IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL, BECAUSE SHE BUILT HER HOPE ON NOTHING LESS THAN JESUS BLOOD AND RIGHTEOUSNESS. 

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Allow me to share three touchstones of her faith in Jesus.

First, Brigitte placed her faith in the sacrifice of Jesus for the forgiveness of her sins.

She understood that humanity was not righteous 

No not even her. 

She knew the world needs a savior. 

Ephesians 1:7 NASB95

7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace

She anchored her trust in the old rugged cross.

She knew God redeemed her from sin through the bloody sacrifice of Jesus.

Second, Brigitte anchored her faith in her new position before God. 

Romans 5:1 NASB95

1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

2 Corinthians 5:21 NASB95

21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

1 John 3:1 NASB95

1 See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.

Through trials, horrors, and the joys of life she knew, in Christ she was,

Justified - declared innocent

She was seen as Righteous and she was growing in Righteousness.

And no matter the bad or the good, she was through Christ, a daughter of the star breathing God.

She could face all the world and Satan had with ferocity and say, It is well with my soul.

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Finally, Brigitte was anchored in the hope, that death does not win

That Jesus defeated not only her sin but He defeated death as well. 

1 Corinthians 15:20–26 NASB95

20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. 21 For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming, 24 then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. 25 For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy that will be abolished is death.

Her hope was not just in a spiritual after life but an eternal, physically resurrected life!  

In the midst of the suffering of the concentration camp, God showed a very young Brigitte a vision of HOPE.  

Allow me to read her own words.

“I became homesick, weak and detached. I did not speak to anyone and would sleep walk at night.  Mom said, I looked like death.  God, in His love and mercy, gave me, at age six a divine dream that strengthened my soul.  In the dream I saw myself in a beautiful flower garden.  The flowers were in multiple, vibrant colors reaching up to my waist.  The sky was so sunshiny blue and butterflies were flitting about.  There were no clouds in the sky.  It was such a joyful experience that its memory has always stayed with me.  I still appreciate and enjoy flowers to this day.”

I BELIEVE WHAT BRIGITTE SAW IN A VISION AT THE AGE OF 6 WAS CREATION BEING SET FREE IN THE GLORY OF THE SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF GOD.

SHE SAW HERSELF IN THE NEW HEAVEN AND EARTH.

Revelation 21:1–7 NASB95

1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, 4 and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” 5 And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.” 6 Then He said to me, “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost. 7 “He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son.

TODAY, BRIGITTE MAY BE ABSENT HER BODY BUT SHE IS PRESENT WITH THE LORD AND I CAN PROMISE YOU THIS, SHE IS SINGING, 

IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL.  

AND IT IS WELL WITH HER SOUL BECAUSE SHE BUILT HER LIFE ON NOTHING LESS THAN JESUS BLOOD AND RIGHTEOUSNESS. 

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CONCLUSION

I cannot end today without following through with a promise I made to her a few months ago. 

She asked of me to give anyone at her funeral that may not know Jesus the chance to receive him. 

SO TODAY, I ASK, CAN YOU REALLY SAY IT IS WELL WITH YOUR SOUL? 

HAVE YOU BUILT YOUR LIFE ON JESUS’ BLOOD AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS? 

ALLOW ME TO READ TO YOU AN APPEAL FROM PAUL

2 Corinthians 5:17–21 NASB95

17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 18 Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Here me, here the heart of Brigitte, hear the very heart of God……..

Place your trust, your hope, your faith in Jesus. 

Trust him to forgive you

Trust him to make you justified before the great judge God the Father

Trust Him to cloth you with His righteousness 

Trust Him to make you a child of God. 

And trust in Him, that through Him you too will be dancing through the wild flowers of the New Earth with Brigitte. 

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A final word for the family and friends who are children of God.

Romans 8:31–39 NASB95

31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? 33 Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; 34 who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. 35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 Just as it is written, “For Your sake we are being put to death all day long; We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

IN YOUR TIME OF MOURNING, MAY YOU KNOW AND BE ASSURED THAT GOD LOVES YOU, AND HE WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU OR FORSAKE YOU.

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Congregational HYMN

It is well with my soul….

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OPEN MIC

Steven needs to be there to hold the microphone.

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Congregational Hymn

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Prayer and Scripture reading

Prayer - Steven White

Scripture reading - Psalms 103 - Jacob Potter

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RECESSIONAL -

Steven -

At this time, will you all rise as the family of Brigitte Philip recess to the fellowship hall.

-Recessional Song - Jerusalem

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FINAL ANNOUNCEMENTS -

The Philip family invite you to stay and join them in a small meal and meaningful conversations on the life of Brigitte Philip.

For those of you using a walker, wheel chair or simply desire to stay up stairs, we will set up a couple tables and chairs for you in the back.

Let us pray.

Holy Father, we thank you for the Life of Brigitte and we thank you for your gracious presence that followed her all of her life. We thank you for the work of Jesus, to save us from sin and death, and we thank you for the resurrection to come. May we all, place our trust in Jesus, and may we all celebrate Jesus in the New Heaven and Earth.

In Jesus name, Amen.

You are dismissed

Be blessed,