Beatrice (Bea) Blair

Funeral Service—October 7, 1992 9:30 AM

1902 - 1992

Wollaston Church of the Nazarene

• Organ Pelude Professor Lambert Brandes
• Opening Sentences - John 11:25,26
• Invocation
• Hymn No. 486 - The Lord's My Shepherd (Crimond)
• Scripture Lesson -
• Psalm 90 - Lord, Thou hast been our dwellingplace, etc.
• Selections from Revelation 21 and 22
• Sermon - 2 Corinthians 5:1-11
• Prayer - The Lord's Prayer
• Hymn No. 5 - How Great Thou Art
• Benediction
  The LORD bless you and keep you;
  The LORD make His face to shine upon you, and be gracious unto you.
  The LORD lift up the light of His countenace upon you,
  and give you peace. Amen.
• Organ Postlude Lambert Brandes

The Certitude of God's Love

Paul opens this second Corinthian letter with a word about assurance and comfort: (1:3-4)"Blessed be the . . . God of all comfort, who comforts us . . . so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction."

Paul tells us that there are many things we don't know, don't control. But he also says there are things that we do know- - and these things we know give us great strength:

I. WHAT DO WE KNOW?

1. This house is temporary: (v 1 "the earthly tent")
2. We have an eternal home in the heavens
3. We have a witness (v 5 "the Spirit", our inner persuasion) that this is true

Bea Blair had a tenacious faith! : it was sorely tested at times, and she had to face disappointment in her last illness. But Bea's faith did not fail her! She leaned hard on God and on her family, both her beloved son, Bob, and the other dear relatives, AND her CHURCH family. And Bea prayed hard, and leaned on God! Bea KNEW God!

The wellspring of all spiritual life and Christian love is the assurance of a right relationship with God. - The certitude of belonging, of being accepted... Not incompatible with questing, growing.

Out of this assurance spring several things:

II. OUR FAITH IS A WITNESS: WHAT WE KNOW SHOWS!

When we seek to please God others can see His love in us. We are taught to think about the worth of people by worldly standards: Money - great deeds - fame - "beauty."

BUT GOD thinks in terms of what we ARE before Him, and our work, our service, our strength never ends! He is interested in WHAT we are!

• OUR FAITH IS AN ENCOURAGEMENT

  God gives His children a gracious competence . We use our gifts to serve the FAMILY! 1- the Christian Way is family if it is anything

• OUR FAITH IS VICTORIOUS!

  "We don't lose heart ..." (verse 8 "We are of good courage" and such a faith is powerful!-- we persuade onlookers that the faith is real!.

BEA FACED LIFE WITH GREAT COURAGE! Sometimes I think people expect us preachers to say good things about the faith. But a person who LIVES the faith consistently, even when it is tough-- who walks with God-- THIS IS PERSUASIVE!

Conclusion: One more time I have been privileged to go to the "edge of life" and I believe it is true! Like the old gospel song said, this Christian faith is:

The Best for the living-- and best for the dying-- for all since the dawn of creation.. It drives away doubt and it never wears out-- The best thing to have is salvation!

AT THE GRAVE

Psalm 23 - In Unison

Committal

Forasmuch as it has pleased Almighty God to receive unto Himself the spirit of our departed sister, Beatrice (Bea) Blair, we tenderly commit her body to the earth, in sure and certain hope of the triumphant Return of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Resurrection of the dead, and of the life everlasting. As we have borne the image of the earthly, so we shall bear the image of the eternal and heavenly.

Benediction
The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face to shine upon you, and be gracious unto you.
The Lord lift up the light of His countenance upon you, and
give you peace. Amen.

[Invitation to return to the church for brief collation in MGR.]