Hidden Figures

Myra Snyder Tillis

Pastor Orr, other BMBC ministers

rev. Henderson

minister Crawford

rev. Hunt

minister Smith

to all other pastors : if you would like to join us here please come at this time.

to the family: Lisa, VAN, Donna we are praying for you and thankful to you for sharing this phenomenal woman with us.

Genesis 5:21–24 ESV

21 When Enoch had lived 65 years, he fathered Methuselah. 22 Enoch walked with God after he fathered Methuselah 300 years and had other sons and daughters. 23 Thus all the days of Enoch were 365 years. 24 Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.

It had to have been difficult to be a great female mathematician in the 1960’s when no one expected much out of you. Yes, it’s true and the Story of Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson would hit mainstream in the Award winning movie: Hidden Figures. These women had their backs against the wall as they used their God given ability to positively affect the world during the period of the space race. These women, who carried out a great responsibility would not receive the acclaimed they earned during most of their lives because the world around them had covered them up. Though covered up, Hidden figures shine bright in the world around us.

Enoch in our text was a hidden figure in scripture. . being surrounded by so many, who did so much; in his Time Enoch accomplished a lot.

The same with Miss. Snyder Tillis; she was a true gem and a hidden figure. She accomplish so much in her lifetime and today we are going to lift up her great life and how her life shined bright all around us.

Circumstances:

Enoch lived, he was the seventh in the lineage of Seth. He lived! He lived a life that was full. Even though, his life was short lived compared to his other family. He lived.

Miss Snyder Tillis Lived! Growing up in Lambert, MS to sharecroppers. . working hard at an early age in an undesirable place to becoming the First licensed RN in her program. She lived!

She served as a nurse, trained other nurses and medical professionals. Miss Snyder Tillis lived her life helping other people. She lived the theme that should be in all our hearts: If I can help somebody along the way, My living shall not Be In Vain!!

She like Enoch; Lived!

Not only do we recognize the Circumstances of Hidden Figures; but we see the Choices of Hidden Figures!

Choices

Not only did Enoch Live, the text says He Walked with God! If you look close in this lineage, Enoch is the only one we see with the description: “walked with God”.

Isn’t that interesting. Out of Everyone who went before him, no one in our passage has this Except Enoch. God created man in His image and the early generations struggled with sin and corruption,. . . Yet Enoch somehow Walked with God.

To walk with God means that there is a lifestyle of faithfulness to God. That a person’s life is marked with devotion to God.

Miss. Synder Tillis walked with God. She was one of the sweetest ladies to ever walk on this side of heaven. She served God with Joy at the Church she loved and served Beulah Missionary Baptist CHurch in Orange Mound Tennessee. She Loved Her Pastor, Rev. Henderson. She served as a nurse, wrote the health newsletters. . . she taught in Sunday school and also organized VBS.

I can remember going to VBS with Erika back in the day, and there Miss Myra was teaching the all familiar VBS song:

I am a C, I am a C H, I am a C H R I S T I A N

and I Have C H R I S T in my H E A R T and I will L I V E. . . E T E R N I T Y

She Lived and She walked with God!

She lived out the Song of the saints of Old: I’m on the Battlefield for my Lord. I’m on the Battlefield for my Lord.

Can you see in Myra’s Life the words of this song: I promised Him that I, would serve Him til I die. . I’m on the battle field for my Lord.

Wasn’t that her testimony! No matter what the circumstances:

She showed us that Through it all, she depended on the Lord. Through the hurt and disappointments through all the ups and downs, through all good times and the bad. . She learn to TRUST IN JESUS, Learned to trust in God. . She learned to depend upon his Word!

The best way we can honor her life is to live on purpose and serve the Lord the way she served the Lord.

Not only do we see Circumstances and Choices, Hidden Figures show us Completion!

Completion

The text gives us Enoch’s accomplishments. We see his trophy case. Everyone is familiar with a trophy case. I see some former cheerleaders, athletes, band musicians, academic leaders. . so many of you know about the trophy case.

It showcases accomplishments, it shows off your hard work. Enoch had one himself.

He is in the lineage of Adam, He fathered Methuselah, He walked with God 365 years of his life and God Took Him.

This may not seem like a lot but Enoch accomplished much.

When I looked at Miss. Tillis’s trophy case it shows completion. She Lived, She walked with God. God honored her walk by making her prosper in all her ways. She had Professional awards. . awards for being a great Nurse, for writing great articles, for being a great lady. But there’s more. . .

She was very humble in the way she described herself. She had some other accomplishments as i look out into this crowd, she had some great friends, she had a great church family, had a great pastor, and still there’s more!

She was able to raise 3 children, who would become entrepreneurs.

Van would work in education and start his own businesses (clothing line and food truck).

Donna and her bakery- many of you have experienced that Strawberry cake

Lisa, on the train tracks has the Choo.

She accomplished all and God Blessed her and then God took her. And now she can celebrate in the presence of God. Because she was faithful, because she lived with integrity, she can now Hear the greatest phrase: Well Done! God and Faithful servant. Well Done, and she will get her crown.

She is celebrating, and we can celebrate. I know we are sad, i know we are weary, I know there’s a void.

But the Bible says: to be absent in the Body is to be present with the Lord. We don’t grieve like those who don’t have hope! She knew the Lord!

She believed in the Ultimate Hidden Figure:

left the halls of heaven, put on flesh, healed the sick, raised the dead. . But His own recieved him not.

SHE BELIEVED IN:

phili 2:1-12 “1 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth…”

She believed in Jesus, The one who died, went down in the grave, but early Sunday morning Got up with all power.

We can celebrate!

INVITATION

EXIT INSTRUCTIONS

Forasmuch as it hath pleased Almighty God of his great mercy to take unto himself the soul of our dear sister here departed, we therefore commit her body to the ground; earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust; in sure and certain hope of the Resurrection to eternal life, through our Lord Jesus Christ; who shall change our vile body, that it may be like unto his glorious body, according to the mighty working, whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself.