My Eulogy: Amazing Grace through Mom's Blessed Life

For everyone who has lost a parent, here is Lorraine's eulogy she gave about her mother. This message touched people in various stages of faith / no faith. I hope to that this message can challenge each of us to appreciate our mom's on both sides of eternity. - Pastor Tom

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV) of the Bible read, “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Today is not a sad but joyous occasion as we come together to celebrate my mom’s life in Christ.  We are also here to witness how our family has been truly blessed by the Lord through her.

1. A life of giving

Mom’s passing reminds me of the message of hope that was delivered at the recent regimental funeral for the three fallen Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers who died in the line of duty in Moncton, New Brunswick a month ago.  The pastor of one of the fallen officers reminded us this:

“Life is a gift to be lived one day at a time. Life is not about what you get, but what you give.”

For those who know my mom, they would know that she is all about giving.  Her love for her family, friends, and community and for the Lord is clearly demonstrated by the outpouring support we have received in the past week from around the world, and by the number of people who are gathering here today to give thanks to the Lord for her life.

We shall remember her professionalism in everything she did and all that she had given to others, whether it was her job as a pharmacist or her role as a homemaker.  She was a great wife, mother and grandmother.  Her cooking skills and knowledge of all things arts and crafts are legendary. 

I still remember the day when mom brought me and my brother to Canada by herself on July 1984 so that we could have a better education and future here.  She flew back to Hong Kong where she and my dad continued to work to save up money for their final move to Canada on October 1990. This was her love for us, to sacrifice our time together as a family for six long years so that we could all have a better life in Canada.

I am sure my brother and my nephew would agree with me that mom would go out of her way to spoil us with everything we want, and even things that we did not ask for. There was never a need for begging or for the question of “mom can I have that?”

2. Overcoming hardships

Mom was also resilient with life’s many hardships.  She was no stranger to the operating room.  From the complications of the birth of my brother and me, being a cancer survivor for over 17 years, to living with dementia in her final years of her life and everything else in between, mom overcame each and every one of life’s challenges being a stronger and a more loving person.  Even with all of the hardships that she endured; mom always wore that beautiful smile on her face because she knew Jesus was with her.  God gave her a blessed life that she lived to bless others.

3. God’s grace is sufficient for us

Mom had always been a believer in Christ and she made us go to church on Christmas morning as criteria to open our gifts.  I never understood why that was important until I too chose to give my life to Christ when I was older, and especially when God began to transform me the day I came to my current church in Mississauga in 2004.  Even after she was diagnosed with dementia, mom still committed to going to church every week, serving the Lord and reading God’s Word daily.

God’s grace is sufficient for all of us.  Mom was diagnosed with a mixed type of dementia in November 2009.  Although it was challenging at times for us to watch her condition deteriorate year after year, we were able to enjoy many happy moments with her during those times. 

God has also worked through my mom to bless me and to make me a stronger person during these trying times.  Through my mom, God let me know that trust is having faith in Him that He will do what He has promised.  He will love us and never forsake us.  From when we first learned in early April of this year about the possibility that mom could be leaving us at any time, God has everything planned to prepare us for what happened last Friday when mom passed away.  God is always on time, He is never early and He is never late.

God tells us through His Word in 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV), “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.  Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”

Father we praise you for mom’s life, and we thank you for letting us witness your love and your work through her.  We are truly blessed with her wonderful life.  In Jesus’ glorious name we pray, and in His glorious name we praise!  Amen.

Praising the Lord for Mom’s Blessed Life by Lorraine Fung

Delivered on July 5, 2014

God is Always on Time Even in Life's Storms

To all who have lost a parent, this touching blog from Lorraine about her Mom's passing. Her eulogy that she gave at her mom's funeral was a strong witness of God's grace in life's storms. I hope she will publish this later. - Pastor Tom

On Friday June 27, 2014, the emergency phone call that I have been waiting for finally came. My mom passed away peacefully at home. She did not suffer and was not in pain.

Looking back in the past two months, God has prepared our family emotionally for mom’s passing, from our many family get-togethers, including my nephew’s most recent concert and dinner that we got to enjoy as a family the Sunday before she passed away, to how He has sent me to Alaska to provide me with the additional spiritual support I needed to battle this storm.

The most touching moment for me was when I dropped mom off at her condo that Sunday evening, mom actually said to me “thank you very much for everything, goodbye.”  Since mom was diagnosed with dementia, we rarely heard her talk.  She knew that was the last time she would see me and those were her last words for me, which will remain as my memory of her for the rest of my life.

Jesus brought mom home to be with Him at the most perfect time.  Mom said her goodbye to me with a smile on her face that Sunday evening.  She woke up on her last morning with us so that dad could see her and talked to her. She waited for her nanny to come home from grocery shopping so that dad is not alone in the apartment when she left. God picked a day when my brother was working from home so that he was close by and could be there quickly to say goodbye and to give dad the extra support he needed.  God is always on time, He is never early and He is never late.

 

The Bible says, “Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God.” Psalm 146:5 (NIV).  “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV).

Finding hope in the midst of pain is to find Jesus.  I thank you for being part of my journey.  Because Jesus lives, we can all face tomorrow.  In Jesus’ glorious name I will continue to pray, and in His glorious name I will continue to praise!

Lorraine Fung
June 30, 2014

What does the Church have in common with Gilligan? PT 2

My TIE Value: Be Still in the Lord (Ps 37:7)

Last week I used the analogy of how Gilligan from the classic television show brought together an eclectic group of castaways into a community. The characters of this show only intended to spend an afternoon touring the islands. If it was not for the scenic three hour tour, they would have never ended up on the same boat (or island).

Once they had been shipped wrecked and formed the community, the castaways built bungalows that reflected their status.

-    The professor lived alone with his a full indoor / outdoor laboratory equipped with a power generator from a stationary bicycle.

-    The movie star and farmer’s daughter lived under one roof but divided by lifestyle.

-    The Millionaire couple had a multi-room mini-mansion hut. They lived very differently than the other castaways.

-    The Skipper and Gilligan made a small hut with hammock bunks that reflected life on a ship.

All along they maintained a hope that they would be rescued from the island and pined to get their lives back. Even in this fictitious community, each person chose a different way to live in their households. They had so little in common that one might wonder how they could possibly gain a Common-Unity?

While no one can please everybody, the analogy that I am left from this classic show is that everybody can find an intersection that adds relational value to the community

 

-    For Gilligan, he became a lab assistant to the professor.  

-    He became a son to the millionaire couple.

-    He became a test audience and an extra for the movie star.

-    He became the “man help” for the farmer’s daughter.

-    He continued to be a “Good Ole Buddy” for the Skipper.

In a community that everyone did what they were gifted and wanted to do individually, the nucleolus of community is found in the relational unity.

MY TIE: Finding God’s Power in “Common-Unity”

Being a church leader and a pastor for two decades has taught me over and over again that no one can please everybody. Here is a list of some of the ways that church leaders of all stripes try to bring their congregations together.

-          “Let’s have a blended church service with everybody’s favorite songs.”

-          “A church outing is great for church unity.”

-          “We need to find a local cause that everybody can rally behind.”

-          “A building project will improve the effectiveness of our church.”

-          “If we pray together then God will solve our problems.”

I have heard these phrases too many times. Yet the results are often a complicated mess of unintended consequences.

These antidotes do not work because there is no strength behind the facade of “Conform-Unity.” No one likes being forced to be with people they do not have a relationship with outside of a “hello” on Sunday morning.  When unity is being forced upon people there creates unintended consequences of the winners and losers due to some people will compromise more than others for the sake of peace.

Most of all the churches give birth to what will grow into the giant elephant in the church through Conform-Unity because everyone knows that their unity is faked yet whoever dares to bring it up will be villianized for bringing division.  

God strengthens His church’s unity through a “Common-Unity” and not “Common-Formity.” While the Gospel of Jesus Christ that leads to salvation from our sins is the essential element of a church community, the way that life flourishes after the Gospel depends on how a church matures in their Common-Unity.

From the pages of the New Testament, Paul’s church planting efforts are well documented.  These churches were different culturally, economically, and socially even though they believed in the same saving Gospel. While Paul did not make these churches unify through a Conform-Unity, he was tested how he would persuade these local churches to have an authentic Common-Unity during his imprisonments where only his letters can make a visit.

What are some of the evidences from Paul’s Prison Epistles an authentic “Common-Unity” that stems from the living Gospel in churches?

A Church that is…

Serving Jesus instead of Pleasing People

Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ. (Gal. 1:10)

Receiving All of God’s Spiritual Blessings

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. (Eph. 1:3)

Maturing Partnerships in God’s Work

I thank my God every time I remember you in all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. (Philip. 1:3-6)

Loving All God’s People

We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people—⁵ the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel ⁶ that has come to you (Col 1:3-6a)

While will not please all people in our churches, we can strengthen the witness of Christ in our world by showing evidences of Common-Unity rather than Common-Formity. How else can we explain such unity except through the Gospel of Jesus Christ?