The Memorial Service

 
By: Pastor George Sears

We have assembled here today, to pay tribute to the life and the memory of Sid Fleming.  By our presence here each of us is giving an indication of the fact the we shared in a family, work, church, or community relationship with Sid, whose passing, today we mourn.

In moments such as these, each of our minds are flooded with blessed and joyful memories of our associations with Sid as a husband, as a father, a father-in-law and a brother, an uncle, a grandpa and a friend.  We will forever hold these memories dearly in our hearts and in our minds.  We shall remember his friendliness and stories, his cheerful laugh, faithfulness to the Lord, his good works.  And with the passing of days they shall not diminish in their influence upon our homes and our church family.

We assemble here today in the name of Jesus Christ, whom Sid loved meaningfully, and served faithfully.  And who has now received him into his house of many mansions.  Therefore, our hearts are set at ease with the promise of Jesus Christ who said, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.  Trust in God.  Trust also in me.  In my father’s house are many rooms.  If it were not so I would have told you.  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.”  Jesus also said, “Come unto me, all you who are labour and are heavy-laden and I will give you rest.”  And further he said, and so we celebrate this morning for this reason, “I am the resurrection and the life.  And he who believes in me, though he die yet shall he live.  And whoever lives and believes in me shall never die.

Father, we bow together before you today.  And as we bow before you our Father, we acknowledge you as our Lord and our God and our saviour in Jesus Christ.  We acknowledge as we pray, many of us this morning Father, that we know Jesus whom Sid knew.  And we know where he is, as we someday shall also be.  Any many of us as we bow just now this morning our Father are filled with a sense of peace, and celebration because of the comfort that you can give us through Jesus Christ.  Thank you Father for getting us all here, and for being here with us as we recount and remember Sid, and as we acknowledge his passing from us, of his death.  His parting gives us Lord, a sense of anticipation, that your holy spirit who works in our midst will join him and us together someday in that eternal kingdom.  Father, do your work now as we pray.  In our lives, as we remember Sid and his life.  Do your work of comfort and encouragement and remembrance our Father, and work through the process with us, of dealing with our loss.  In Jesus’ name we pray.

Hymn:  Saviour Like a Shepherd Lead Us

Reverend Don Martin, scripture reading:  Don comes of course as a former pastor here and as a family friend.  One who is certainly not a stranger to many of us, Don will come and encourage the family through the reading of God’s word.

I’m sure that everyone here want to say words of kindness and comfort to the family.  And there’s not much we can say, except that we know that God cares for us and that God is here to provide for us.  And therefore, we leave all these things in His hands.  I think we get the greatest peace and comfort, by hearing the divine eternal promises of God’s sacred book.  In turning to the Old Testament, the Psalms it says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.  Therefore we no who fear, though the earth be removed and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea.  Though the waters roar off and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof, there is a river, that streams thereof will meet glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most high.  God is in the midst of her.  He shall not be moved.  God shall help her and that right early.  I looked up mine eyes unto the hills and whence cometh my help.  My help cometh from the Lord which made heaven and earth.  He will not suffer thy foot be moved.  He that keepeth thee, will not slumber.  Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.  The Lord is thy keeper.  The Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand, the sun shall not snipe to by day or the moon by night.  The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil.  He shall preserve thy soul.  The Lord shall preserve they going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even, forevermore.”

Then we turn to the sacred words of that warrior king, David, when he says, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.  He maketh me lie down in green pastures.  He leadeth me beside the still waters.  He restoreth my soul.  He leadeth me in the path of righteousness for his name sake, Yeh, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.  For though art with me.  Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.  Though preparest a table before me, in the presence of mine enemies.  Though annointist my head with oil, thy cup runneth over.  Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord, forever.”

In the New Testament, John says this to his friends, “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth.  For the first heaven and the first earth were passed away.  And I saw the holy city new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.  And I heard a great voice out of heaven say ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men and they will dwell with them and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.  And God shall wipe away all the tears from their eyes.  And there will be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying.  Neither shall there be more pain, for the former things have passed away.  And therefore there shall be no night there, and indeed no candle, no light of the sun, for the Lord God giveth them light, and they shall reign forever and ever.”  And to again repeat the words of Jesus, “Let not your heart be troubled.  Ye believe in God believe also in me.  In my Father’s house there are many mansions.  If it were not so, I would have told you.  Lo, I go to prepare a place for you and if I go I will come again, to receive thee unto myself.  And wither I go ye know, and the way ye know, for I am the way and the truth and the life, and no man come to the Father but by me.  And these things I have spoken unto you give ye presence with, my peace I give on to you, my peace I leave with you.  Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

Back to first Pastor George Sears:

Sid had many friends, and Sid particularly had male friends.  He spent time with some fellas.  Some of them are here today and expressing their own grief as well as celebration of the relationships that they had.  One of those who has been asked by the family to lead us is Ray Parthenais.  Ray comes at this time to remember and pay tribute and to lead us as well in a time of open microphone to give you an opportunity to reflect publicly if you wish, on your relationship with Sid. 

Link to Ray Parthenais’ Eulogy

Link to Adda Vallevand’s Eulogy

Link to Sharon Scott’s Eulogy

Wanda reading “Safely Home”

Pastor George Sears:

You can hide it, I can’t, I gotta read.  Small print too.  I just want to conclude the tribute paid to Sid by mentioning the fact that Sid is survived by his loving wife Joyce, his daughters, Sharon and Steve Pearce of St. Hubert, Quebec, Adda and Leif Vallevand of Comox, and Nicole and Bruce Atchison of Surrey, BC.  By Sid’s grandchildren, Laurence, Lucas, Hannah, Danny and Steven.  Any by his brothers, Jack Fleming from Vancouver who is here today, Sandy Fleming from Lloydminster, Alberta, and Mac Fleming from Lashburn, Saskatchewan who is also here.  And by his sisters: Mrytle and Gilbert Dafoe from London, Ontario and his twin sister Ethel Bell, from Burlington, Ontario who is also here today.  Numerous nieces and nephews and of course, many friends. 

Do you remember playing hide-and-seek?  Years ago for most of us.  Someone would run and hide, and then the rest of us would all go and look for them.  And the one who was hiding was doing their best to find a place that couldn’t be found and yet of course were hoping that they would be found.  The children of course, still play hid-and-seek today.  Apparently they do it electronically more than they do out in the streets and in the woods.  And as we reflect upon hide-and-seek for all of us, there is a search that still continues.  There is a search that still goes on for many of us today.  As life moves so quickly along, we are continuously searching for solutions to problems that present themselves.  We are constantly still in a search mode.  As life presents situations to us that we can’t explain, that catch us off guard, that causes us to draw our breath, and seek for some answers.  And of course there are not always clear answers.

Jesus knew that searching would always be part of our lives.  And as we reflect upon a verse from scripture that I want to leave with you, he picks up on that as he speaks according to Matthew’s gospel to a group of people who he is in a few minutes sending out into the community, to speak about the kingdom of God.  And as he sends the people out, he is preparing them that they might be effective in their challenge to speak in the community about the kingdom of God.  And amongst the instructions that he gives people, in Matthew chapter 10:

“Whoever finds his life, will lose it.  
And whoever loses his life for my sake, will find it.”

A passage, a verse, Matthew 10:39 remains a mystery and for some of you this morning even, part of your own search in understanding what Jesus meant.  For some this morning, unlike Sid, who had found the answer to the meaning of life, the search for the meaning of life, it’s surprises, it’s shortness, and what happens?  It still goes on, a game of hide-and-seek in your life.

Sid found the meaning of life.  It didn’t make him perfect.  And finding the meaning of life won’t make us perfect.  But finding the meaning of life will enable us to be perfect in Christ.  Because, it won’t be good people who go to heaven, it’ll be perfect people who go to heaven only.  And Jesus was addressing that, in this verse:

He said first of all “Whoever finds his life” obviously not referring was he to physical life for he spoke to those in front of him, those who were going to go out and carry on this task.  They had their physical life already, as Sid had his physical life until, just Tuesday.  But people thought, and still think that that’s what he meant today, “Whoever finds his life”.  Finding is so important in the games of hide-and-seek, and finding things and houses and cars and relationships.  Finding is extremely important.  And we attach in our culture today, value to finding things that will give us meaning in life.  “He who finds his life” we would say is when, well, when it concludes, he who has the most toys, wins.  You’ve heard the expression.  Certainly that must be the meaning of life to have the most toys, we might think and our society seems to suggest.  That was certainly a “male” statement by the way “he who has the most toys, wins”.  And we do admire of course those who have things, and have health and have a certain amount of financial stability, and a lovely home and we look and we admire these things.  They need to be admired, that is good.  But many still search and seek, for life, for it’s meaning, for it’s purpose.  Beyond these things which decay and fade, and so easily leave us.  “Whoever finds his life” then is not a reference to physical life.  Because whoever finds it will lose it.  Whoever finds his life will lose it.  Jesus knew as we do that eventually we lose if the meaning of life is only in things.  It’s the same in our day.  For Sid has left us, and all that he had.  And the relationships that he had, and the subtle strength that you saw in the family and will see today and knowing the family.  The strength of his daughters, he leaves those things behind.  And takes actually nothing with him.  But that’s not changed.  Whoever finds his life in the sense of those things, will lose it.  I read recently, a poem, and isn’t it great how we can lean on those who have written already, to give us strength in times like this.  Those who have already penned and coined words that are just right for us. 

This is entitled, “How He Lived”. 

“Not how did he die, but how did he live?  Not what did he gain, but what did he give?  These are the merits to measure the worth of a man as man regardless of birth.  Not, what was his station but, had he a heart?  And how did he play his God given part?  Was he ever ready with word of good cheer to bring a smile to banish a tear?  Not, what was his church, nor what was his creed, but had he defended those really in need?  Not, what did the sketch in the newspaper say, but how many were sorry when he passed away?”

“Whoever finds his life, will lose it.  But whoever loses his life for my sake.”  Jesus gave us contracting statements didn’t he?  Those who seek Christ in life, in the search, in the hide-and-seek…for Jesus isn’t hiding my friends and although in our culture today, it seems like he is.  For the church has done a great job of protecting Him and hiding Him away from our culture so that today many people haven’t the foggiest idea who Jesus is.  And thus they are still searching.  “Whoever loses his life for my sake”.  Those who seek Christ, who he is and why he came.  Of course I’m not making reference to a religion.  There are many religions.  Ways in which man has sought to find God.  Man’s initiative is a religion.  Anthropologists tell us all religions are man-made.  Man trying to seek and find, all religions.  Jesus isn’t referring to religion.  Having a relationship with Jesus not a religion.  It’s a life.  It’s a relationship.  It is not man seeking God, it is God seeking man.  For we are the ones who are lost and He is the one who searched and found us in Jesus Christ.  He came to this earth and died and rose that we may have life eternal.  He sought us and found us.  It’s not a religion, it's a relationship.  It has to do with putting ourselves, our goals which are often first, second.  “He who loses his life for my sake” puts everything second to Jesus.  “Whoever loses his life, for my sake.”  I read of a wealthy man who had purchased at high cost a famous painting of Jesus.  He sought with difficulty, an appropriate place to hang it in his home.  And he just couldn’t find the right place for this beautiful picture of Jesus so at last he called an architect to his home.  Who carefully and after examining his house and the picture said to the owner of the house, “Man, you cannot fit the picture into your home, you must make your home fit the picture.”  And just as surely we must order our lives so that they would be appropriate for Jesus to fit.  “He who loses his life for my sake, will find it.”  Wasn’t it so great when you were searching maybe for half an hour for someone and all of a sudden you found them!  Hey, I found them!  Hey everybody, stop looking!”  We’ll find it.  “Whoever loses his life for my sake, will find it.”  And Sid would say to us, as he has in the past, now if he could, “I found it!”  I found it.  The meaning of life for all of us in Christ today helps us in our loss.  For having found Jesus, it gives us a perspective to deal with Sid’s passing.  It gives us a meaning, some kind of a peg to hang on to as repeated several times, we will meet him again.  How could anybody here have the audacity to say that?  We are going to seem him again.  Many in the world would say, how could you say that?  Where’s the proof?  The proof is in the relationship that we have with Jesus.  With whom many of us were speaking just this morning, in our private time.  The proof is in Him.  We will find it.  Life, here is a gift.  It’s a gift that has been mentioned already.  And it’s not something that has a time sequence to it.  The gift of life is not something that God said you will have these number of years did he?  Life is a gift.  It’s not something that we are owed.  And sometimes it ends we think sooner than it should but, no, not according to God’s schedule, which is absolutely perfect.  What he desires is that we find peace today, and meaning in life with the questions that we are asking.  He will give us eternal life if we first find Jesus.  “Whoever loses his life for my sake, will find it”.

Jesus also said, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”  He who can let go of his toys, wins.

Let us pray.  Father we are grateful as we meet just in these moments for memories, for laughter, for thoughts of recollections that the spirit gives us and our memories give us of Sid.  All too quickly Father today we must meet.  We must celebrate and we must weep and mourn and we must be here all too quickly it seems, to lay Sid to rest.  Grant us in the remaining moments of this hour the strength to do that Father.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Hymn:  Amazing Grace

Now the benediction follows:  Now may the God of peace be brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus.  The great shepherd of the sheep.  By the blood of the eternal covenant equip you, with everything good, that you may do his will, working in you that which is pleasing in his sight.  Through Jesus Christ to whom be glory forever and ever.  Father we pray that as we conclude this service, that you would give us this realization and this moment of opportunity to realize, that Sid is gone from us.  And Father as we lay his ashes before you, we ask our Father to give us a sense of separation, personally and corporately and to realize that, even from this hour he is gone from us.  And we pray that you will bless as we meet with the family, as we talk and as we share and as we encourage, that you would give the folk here our Father, the strength to give and to receive, in Jesus’ name, Amen.