December 22, 2016
Funeral for Jessie Alice Jacobs Owens Enfield
Funeral for Jessie Alice Jacobs Owens Enfield
May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be
pleasing in Your sight O Lord, our rock and our redeemer!! AMEN!!
Let us pray! Heavenly
Redeemer, we gather today knowing that the veil of death has been drawn, and
that as we mourn Jessie’s entrance into eternity, we believe Your Words of comfort
and preparation for her and us today.
For the grace You offered Jessie in Holy Baptism has been fulfilled with
her entrance into eternity. Enable all
of us who gather to hear and receive the truth of the Gospel to comfort and
keep us and help us to not only hear, but heed the Gospel message You offer
through Your Son Jesus Christ. For this
message is offered out of Your great love for us and found completion in Jesus
Christ Who came in order to die so that we might have eternal life. May this truth of the Gospel comfort us and
enable us to trust in Your Son and Jessie’s Savior, Jesus Christ. AMEN.
This morning as we gather, I cannot help but think about something
that was shared as the family and I gathered to prepare for this morning. The truth is, we are only two days until one
of the biggest family holidays of the year of Christmas. For Jessie, holiday’s were ‘big’ and no one
could say ‘no’ to her, since she was the ‘hub’ that connected her family. Jessie as a loving and devoted wife, mother
of three children, would always be the hostess with an eye at serving her
family and friends whether green beans, cookies to send home or always looking
how she could serve others, even when others were trying to serve her.
Bud summed up the gift we knew in Jessie very clearly and very
well in what he penned and passed to me while visiting at the funeral home. Bud wrote, “What was Jessie really like? She was thoughtful, kind and caring to
all!” Truer words could not be written. Jessie’s love for others endeared her to so
many people, family, friends and even those who had the privilege to be taught
by her whether in Sunday School or in bible study.
Martin Luther in his catechism wrote, “we are to teach our
children.” And Jesse exemplified this
not only with her own children, but with countless others that she gave bibles
to here at Emmanuel and taught the true meaning of the Gospel and what Jesus
Christ had done on the Cross of Calvary for all of mankind.
This spirit of service and ‘unconditional love’, Jessie clearly
and emphatically lived her entire life, even to the very end. For Jessie blessed so many people that her
path either intersected with locally or when she was serving in many different
capacities in the church, that even included missions to the Indians. Here at Emmanuel Jessie was instrumental in giving
bibles to children and teaching them the stories of the Holy Scriptures and the
love God had for her she shared with others as she was the hand crafted mirror to
reflect God’s love into each and every one of their lives. Jessie clearly demonstrated a life of love, service
and faith instilled and given unto her by her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ
when she was grafted into the tree of life through her baptism into Jesus
Christ life, death, but especially His resurrection.
When the Water connected with the Word of God gave Jessie the gift
of faith, this gift of grace was clearly manifest, lived and demonstrated not
only in her ‘unconditional love’ of others, but her connection with more people
than can be counted. Yet, Jessie’s connection
with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ in Holy Baptism was even more clear and
present because if the doors of the church were open, she was here worshiping,
serving and living out the calling of her faith in Jesus Christ.
It was clear to me as Pastor when I would visit Jessie and Bud in
their home, ministry was not me to them, but it was going to be a mutual sharing
of God’s unconditional love for each of us found in what Jesus Christ had
accomplished on Calvary. I knew I would
be sitting at the feet of not only a person of faith, but a child of God who
knew the Shepherd of her life, Jesus Christ.
And Jesus not only walked with Jessie, but guided her in the ‘paths
of righteousness’ as David the Psalmist says. And Jessie didn’t let her age nor her slowing
down affect her, she was always giving, for she knew that Jesus was always with
her each and every step of the way. As
David the Psalmist continues, “I will fear no evil: for thou art with me”
and God never left Jessie’s side. Even in
the “valley
of the shadow of death” when Warren entered eternal glory, Jessie
insured that her family did not live without working multiple jobs, but still
holding onto the Gospel message of Jesus Christ that was not only her comfort,
but her passion.
For God had a plan and God had prepared for what was fulfilled on
Sunday. You see, when John wrote our
Gospel passage this morning, “I go to prepare a place for you,” God
knew the day and the hour that Jessie would be brought home. And God had prepared the mansion in heaven for
Jessie’s arrival where God would “receive her unto Himself”. For the truth is, the table was already
prepared, Jessie’s head was already anointed by the Cross in her baptism and
Jessie’s place at God’s table was ready for her entrance and now her being
served.
You see, it was prepared for her by her Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ Who said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father,
but by me.”. And this is why
Jessie clearly had and shared her personal relationship with Jesus Christ each
and every day of her life. Jessie wanted
all people to know how much God loved them.
For Jesus Christ shined so brightly in Jessie’s life it was like the
star spoken of that led the wise men to the Baby Jesus. Jessie reflected the light of Christ into so
many lives, because Jessie wanted to share with others the mansion prepared by
Jesus Christ for everyone.
The last time I had the pleasure to bring Holy Communion to
Jessie, we sat there in her room and I heard the sweetest prayer from her
lips. It was the Lord’s Prayer and how
her faith continued to shine even with the darkness of her impending entrance
into eternity. From Jessie’s lips she
not only laid claim to the faith given to her in Holy Baptism, but fulfilled
for her and for each and every one of us on the Cross of Calvary. For no truer proclamation could be proclaimed
than the song we are about to sing. You
see, Jessie’s greatest friend was none other than Jesus Christ. Not only has Jesus Christ prepared a mansion
for Jessie and now we gather to celebrate her entrance into eternity. Jessie’s belief in Jesus Christ was of Jesus
Christ as not only her Lord and Savior, but her personal friend.
This morning, as we gather to say goodbye, Jesus Christ has
fulfilled the final chapter of Jessie’s life and ushered her into eternity in
His Holy Arms. May we feel the comfort
of God’s presence and peace and know that today, Jessie now rests from her
labors and is now enfolded into and served by Her Lord and our Savior, Jesus
Christ. AMEN.
Now may the peace of God which surpasses all human understanding
comfort us today as we celebrate Jessie, but especially Jesus offer of
connection with each and every one of us.
AMEN.
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