FUNERAL SERVICE FOR MOM
12 June 2010
Order of Service:
Welcome, Thanks and Open in prayer
Scripture reading – PHILIPPIANS 1:21
Special music: Jessica Hartline
Sharing time: special remembrances
Special music: Fred Plant - ‘Just As I Am’
Memorial Message: Ed Sager
Closing Prayer; Emily Sager piano; bros. TRIO, ‘It is Well’
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WHO SHE WAS:
Mary Llewellyn Sager was born into a Philadelphia Quaker family. She was blessed with loving parents and three older siblings. Her father became president of a manufacturing company, served on the board of a Savings and Loan, and was mayor of their community. He and her mother were very active in Quaker meeting. She went to boarding school and college. Her brother Walt and sister in law Wyn will mark 70 years of marriage this Sept. We grew up as she had hearing her use the old style first person pronouns with ‘thee’ and ‘thy’ sprinkled in personal conversation. When I spoke with my aunts on the phone Monday they used them.
Mom had religion that was a deep family tradition. Her family came to this country under religious persecution to Penn. in the 1680’s. We grew up going to Quaker meeting every First day. Education was emphasized strongly. She loved books and reading and words. Her oldest brother was an English professor with a Harvard Univ. doctorate. Her mother used to beat him at word games like Scrabble and Anagrams. Terrie found out recently Mom would spend idle time playing word games with signs. With education, religion and a loving family you would think she had everything for a successful, happy life. She married Bill Sager after the War and they had four of us children. But Mom was deeply unhappy. She was depressed and in counseling for years. Her life seemed meaningless and empty. She was in turmoil and confused. Her marriage unraveled. She was clutching at straws. To see her in recent years it was hard to believe she was such a prodigal. Her Bible marker Monday was at the end of Eccles. Mom experienced the tragedy of a meaningless life. She had everything but it meant nothing. Then in the summer of 1972 when she was 45 years old her whole life completely changed.
WHO SHE BECAME:
In a little wooden box on her bookshelf there was a handwritten paper with her Christian testimony. Listen as I read in her own words what happened. (read it) She told the Lord what a mess she made of her life and asked him to receive her and forgive her. Her story is exactly what God promises in Romans 5:20&21. Jesus’ love and forgiveness come to all who seek him. He calls all to come to him who are weary and heavy laden and he gives rest. Everyone who knew Mom saw the peace and love of Jesus in her. It was real. It was unmistakable. It was all from God’s grace and mercy. But that change was just the beginning of another 38 years of Christian life.
Mom became something she was not before. With all the traditional religion of generations, success of material wealth, loving family, personality and friends she never had such joy and peace as she experienced in really knowing Christ. She became a woman who delighted in worshipping her Savior. She was musically gifted and accompanied us on piano at church the last day she was here. She finally wore out the old one her parents got her and we bought her another one this year.
Mom became a disciple of Jesus. She followed him by faith. She sought him in prayer and in his Word. She delighted in fellowship with believers.
Mom became a prayer warrior. She prayed without ceasing. She prayed for her neighbors and family and friends here and all over the world. She resisted the devil and fought evil on her knees. She became a woman of faith. Just after Terrie found her Monday morning I was walking in her driveway and a neighbor walked by. When I told her about Mom she said that Mom had been praying with her for almost forty years. In prayer with her recently I noticed she kept repeating a Scripture – ‘redeem the time’. Eph. 5:16 I think God was getting her ready by making every minute count these last weeks. Her favorite Bible text was Luke 22:31, 32. She loved God’s Word and prayed Scripture. Jesus prayed for her and delivered her from the wicked one. She knew Christ’s power and love. Mom’s daily devotional book she was reading this year was Faith’s Check Book by Charles Spurgeon. Her marker was on the June 6th page – ‘The Lord hath heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my prayer.’ Ps. 6:9 It is a text that described her ministry as she lived by faith daily on God’s precious Bible promises.
Mom became a servant of Christ. She served quietly, without complaint. You better not get in her way. She was a whirlwind of energy and activity. She cleaned the bathrooms and swept the sidewalk and watered the plants at church. She helped Terrie and I feed Habitat for Humanity volunteers all over the county. In her bedroom is a small bookshelf with a little book titled, ‘How to clean almost anything.’ I think she might have written it. Yet even such a neat freak characteristic God used to touch people. A simple act of kindness was remembered by a Christian friend who stayed with us on a business trip from his home overseas years ago. He told me how Mom saw him struggling to clean his glasses and took them and washed them for him. He was blessed by her thoughtfulness.
Mom became a friend. She made friends near and far, and kept in touch. Her last day she spent time writing letters. (My cousin said his grandchildren have never received one!) In one she wrote, ‘Guess I can’t enter heaven just yet!’ because there were so many things for her to do. She visited people here in town like clockwork. People opened up to her. She had a quiet, humble way that was so genuine and real that people responded to. God used her to touch lives all over the world. Her witness and testimony reached people and began a little gospel church in her home 37 years ago that has been employed by the Lord to reach out to people with the gospel of Jesus Christ and his powerful love in places like Scotland, Brazil, Columbia, China and many others. It has been my joy and privilege to be her pastor for thirty years. She was a humble woman of faith actively seeking to please God and bless others.
Mom became thankful. She even thanked us when she did something! She really appreciated kindnesses and thoughtfulness. She wrote thank you notes to people for gifts and was always expressing her appreciation for others. Our last conversation was about how thankful she was for Christian fellowship in the church. She saw two of her grandchildren, Billy and Lucy, baptized after confessing their faith in Jesus Christ last Sunday afternoon.
HOW THIS HAPPENED?
Salvation is all of God’s abounding grace without good works. In humble faith she asked the Lord for his mercy and he gave it to her. She came just as she was directly to Jesus Christ with her life all messed up by sin. Look what God has done! God has blessed her and her family beyond anyone’s dreams. “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” That’s what happened to Mom. He made her life to be all about Christ. To her to live was Christ and to die is gain. He provided through the death of Jesus on the cross the covering of his shed blood for sin to be completely paid for and his righteousness to be ours. It is all by grace through faith. ‘If any man be in Christ he is a new creature: old things are passed away, behold all things are become new.’ God’s promise is true.
Her life has enriched us. Her legacy lives on in our lives. She taught us what really matters is knowing Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and following him by faith. God’s Word declares that it is appointed to man once to die and after this the judgment. (Heb. 9:27) The Bible declares that there is an eternal heaven and hell on the other side of death. The only way to heaven is by faith in Jesus Christ without trying to be good enough. Religion can’t save anyone from sin. Success or education or a healthy family can’t save. Jesus Christ is ready to change all who come to him. He will take away your burden of sinful guilt and terrible emptiness and give you his rest and love and peace freely. His grace is greater than all your sin and misery. His saving grace is unlike anything in the world.
‘Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near.’ It is my prayer that every one of us will have it said of us when we die, ‘these all died in faith.’ (Hebrews 11:13) God alone is to be glorified for what he did with Mary Sager. Now she is exalting in the immediate presence of her dear Savior Jesus Christ. In life and death she has called us to come to him.
My brothers, Willi and Tom, joined me in singing God's praises at her service. (It is well with my Soul/When Peace Like a River)
GRAVESIDE:
Time is hastening on for all of us. Redeem the time. Mom made use of the opportunity to seek and serve Jesus Christ. Now she is with Jesus in heaven.
CHS (Spurgeon) – Morning May 10{1 Corin. 15:50-58; Phil. 1:21} {Sing the Doxology}
Ross Benschoter, a long time friend, composed and read his poem about her:
A poem in three parts by Ross Benschoter for Mary L. Sager my friend
Mary’s Home
A long time ago
I met my Savior
In Mary’s home
I was baptized
In the pool
At Mary’s home
Our church was born
And met and grew
In Mary’s home
My Chris and I
We tied the knot (you guessed it)
In Mary’s home
Now our first home
Was very near
To Mary’s home
Whoosh – Along came Ruth
And glad we were
To be so close
To Mary’s home
She nursed and taught
She mothered and fussed
Just down the road a piece
From Mary’s home
Now back to the future we go
Our lives never ceasing to know
The majesty and love that always was
All about Mary’s home
You could hardly hear Mary when she prayed
Many are the answers though that can be heard
And seen and touched among us to this very day
Look around you right now and see
Some young and some not
Who owe so very much
To the incense of prayers which arose to that alter in Heaven
From Mary’s humble home
We all are sad to lose her
Please friends be very glad and joyful
Because now, praise God
Praise God!
In Glory
Mary’s home
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