Funeral - Connie Baylock

Welcome and Opening Prayer

Welcome to a celebration of the life of Connie Baylock

Today we will cry together and laugh together

We will celebrate the good times more than the bad times

We will celebrate good health more than bad health

We will talk about life well lived

And we will Worship Jesus Christ our Savior

Let’s pray

Britton Song 1

Eulogy

Connie was born on January 1, 1949 in Philadelphia. She lived a long fruitful life of 77 years. Just to give you an idea of how impressive that is, let me give you a few historical facts:

When Connie was a newborn in 1949 the President of the United States was Harry Truman.

World War II had ended just 4 years prior and the world was healing and rebuilding

When Connie was 14, the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. would deliver his “I have a Dream” speech before a crowd of 200,000 in Washington DC.

A few months after Connie turned 20, an American would land and walk on the moon during the great space race. She likley gathered around a black and white television with rabbit ear antennas to watch history unfold.

In 1977 at the age of 28, the first home computers began to be sold.

When she was a young 34 years old when the first portable cell phone came out in 1983.

At 42 years old, The cold war with the Soviet Union officially ended in 1991.

When Connie was 44 years old the internet first became available to the public in 1993.

The world changed dramatically in Connie’s lifetime and it continues to change at a scary pace. She lived through huge advances in every facet of life.

These changes, however, were not the greatest things that Connie would experience in her 77 years on this earth.

The greatest parts of Connie’s life came from the two greatest legacies that any of us will likely leave.

The First of those is Family - Connie’s family was her life. Through the ups and downs, good times and bad, family was always there and Connie was always there. It wasn’t always perfect and I would guess that it’s not always perfect for you either, but family matters.

She was the second of five siblings and ironically, the first pass. In a household of 5, I can imagine that there was a lot of competition. I think she would have loved being first at anything - even beating them to heaven.

She had two children of her own - Robyn and Bryon. Her family continued to grow with grandchildren Savion, Alicia and Alex. I heard that Savion is Army Reserve - Go Army, Alicia works at FLETC and Alex has the best job of all right now at my favorite pizza place - The Mellow Mushroom.

As you watched the slide show during the visitation, you couldn’t help but see that it wasn’t the things in life that defined Connie, it was the people.

It is brothers and sisters, children, grandchildren, aunts, uncles and friends.

It’s you.

Connie’s life touched many, many, people.

She touched lives while she was an O.R. tech for part of her career.

She touched lives while she worked for SEPTA Transit in Philadelphia for 17 years.

She touched lives while she lived in California and worked for a group home for reformed gang members.

When you were touched by the life of Connie Baylock you were touched by an:

Encouraging Word

Generous giver of her time

Generous giver of her love

The second legacy that most of us will leave is our faith and our church.

Most of all when Connie came into your life, She brought her faith.

Her faith endured hardships and victories

She was a spiritual leader in her family

Robyn told me about growing up and acting out the Great White Throne Drama for most of 10 years.

I knew Connie from church. She was faithful. When I saw her I saw evidence of a fruitful spiritual life. A country preacher told me something this week that I think applies here:

Just because you nail an apple to 2x4 doesn’t make it an apple tree. The fruit comes from the tree, the tree comes seed and the seed comes from the soil. Connie was an apple tree - her life was filled with the spiritual fruit of Jesus.

I want each of you to know that you are Connie’s legacy here on earth. She will continue on in your lives as you live out her love and her faith.

Family Words

At this time the family would like to say a few words, so I’d like to invite Savion up and after that his Mom and Connie’s daughter Robyn.

Britton Song 2

Message:

2 Chronicles 7:14 “if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

I’m told that this was Connie’s verse. Remember that I told you one of the legacy’s that you will leave here on earth is your family. Connie understood that.

She also understood the importance of leaving a legacy that would live on in eternity .

So family and friends, I want to take just a moment talk to you about something that was so important to Connie. I want to talk to you about your future.

Of course I’m not just talking about your future here on earth, as important as that is, but your future in eternity with a loving gracious God.

Scripture: John 16:16-24

New International Version (2011) Chapter 16

The Disciples’ Grief Will Turn to Joy

“All I See” - Gary LeVox, Breland

It was hard to see you, My eyes were on me, I was in my own way, Lord, set free, Because I want to do right, But I fall Short, Sometimes I don’t feel like even yours… Focus my eyes, Lord, Until you are all that I see… because I couldn’t do it on my own.

John 14:1–4 ““Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.””

Waiting the Lord is not easy.

Connie had many health issues throughout her life. She especially had health issues towards the end of her life. Waiting on the Lord wasn’t easy.

Waiting on the Lord won’t be easy for you either.

Let me tell you story:

There was once a quiet coastal town where people often gathered on the cliffs to watch the ships pass by. On the highest bluff sat an old wooden bench, worn smooth by generations of people who came to sit, watch, and wait.

To an observer, waiting looks like a pause—a period of empty time. But for those sitting on the bench, the waiting was active. It was filled with deep remembering, quiet gratitude, and a steady, unshakeable hope. They watched the horizon where the blue of the ocean met the blue of the sky, knowing that even when a ship traveled out of sight, it had not ceased to exist. It was simply traveling through a space they could not yet see.

One evening, a young man sat on the bench, heavy with the grief of a recent loss. An elder from the village sat down beside him and looked out at the fading light.

"When a ship leaves this shore," the elder said gently, "we watch it grow smaller and smaller until it is just a speck, and then it is gone. Someone next to us might sigh and say, 'There, she is gone.' But we must remember that at that exact same moment, on another shore, other eyes are watching that same horizon. And as the ship appears to them, voices are calling out with joy, 'Look, here she comes!'"

The elder placed a hand on the young man's shoulder. "Waiting is not the absence of life. It is the bridge between the 'goodbye' of this shore and the 'welcome home' of the next. We tarry here for a little while, holding their memory, until it is our turn to cross."

Waiting on the Lord is active: Sometimes we are to sit quietly and listen for the Lord . We will talk about that in a few minutes. Other times we are to be active in our faith.

We are to Trust

Proverbs 3:5–6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

Psalm 37:5 “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this:”

Isaiah 26:4 “Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.”

We are to Hope -

Isaiah 40:31

New International Version (2011) Chapter 40

31 but those who hope in the LORD

will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles;

they will run and not grow weary,

they will walk and not be faint

We are to Pray

Mark 11:24 “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”

James 5:16 “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”

Colossians 4:2 “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.”

We are to Worship

Psalm 95:6 “Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker;”

Isaiah 25:1 “Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done wonderful things, things planned long ago.”

Psalm 150:6 “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.”

And finally there is a time for Silence

Psalm 37:7 “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.”

Psalm 46:10 “He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.””

Exodus 14:14 “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.””

I am sharing these things with you today because Connie shared them with you. She shared these scriptures through her life, her worship, her love for you.

I pray you heard Connie’s message

I pray that you heard Jesus’ message.

I pray that you will spend eternity with Connie and with a Loving Gracious Lord who at this moment is welcoming Connie home.

Closing Prayer

Britton Song 3

Dismiss Family then Congregation

Please stand. At this time the family will walk to the Lobby and then you will all be dismissed. On your way out please hug a neck or shake a hand in remembrance of Connie’s love for each of you.