Welcome

Opening Prayer

Gracious God, make us aware of the shortness of our human lives, and let lead us in the right ways of living. So that when we have served our time here on earth, we may be with those who have gone on before us, confident in our faith, comforted by hope, and in peace with your creation.

Be with those of us here today. May my words be your words. And may your presence bring us a sense of hope, a sense of healing, and a sense of comfort. All this we pray this in Jesus name Amen.

Ecclesiastes 3King James Version (NIV)

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:

a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal,

a time to tear down and a time to build up, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,

a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them together, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,

a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend,

a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.

No one can understand what God has done from beginning to end. We know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their life -this is the gift of God. We know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it.

A Time to Remember

We've come together today to remember a true gentleman, who lived his life to the very fullest for 96 years! I had the privilege of meeting Bill Baird several days before he died and it was a meeting full of joy and many, many laughs. As I approached the spot where he was holding court near the kitchen his comment was "Whatever you are selling I don't want any!" and expression I see on the faces of a lot of people I visit but the not usually expressed so succinctly. Bill Baird's next comment was "How many times have you been married?" and he seemed delighted to be able to trump my somewhat embarrassing admission that I had been married three times. Our visit ended with me realizing that I had just spent time with a man whose life was the stuff of legends! Bill touched the lives of his family and friends as no one else could. And for that reason, he will be remembered long after our time here today.

We learn in The Bible that everything has a time and a season. Everything in this world is temporary including life itself. God promises us great things once we leave this world. Heaven awaits, and there, all suffering and pain will be gone forever.

But we're human. While still here on earth, there are going to be hard times, and there is none quite as hard as losing someone you love. There is comfort in believing we will see them again in Heaven, but a piece of our hearts will be missing until that day.

The Bible also teaches us that God has His hand in everything. He finds ways to use the pain and suffering that we experience to make us better and to strengthen us, and He is with us through it all.

We've also come here to mourn our loss. The Baird Family will probably notice the loss more than each one of us, but we will also mourn in our own way, and we can do so in confidence as the bible tells us "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."

As I Chaplain, I want you to know that we may also come knowing that God understands our emotions. As His children He knows what we are feeling. He too felt the sadness as his son was crucified. God realizes that grief and mourning are times of personal crucifixion for us; we also remember that resurrection will follow.

In short, I believe that we are not alone today, but that God, is here with us. And since he is, we can mourn and grieve, we can be honest with what we're feeling, and we can remember Bill. Let us as take this moment turning to God, allowing him to comfort us in her memory and to our friends seeking mutual support and kindness.

In short, I believe that we are not alone today, but that God, is here with us. And since he is, we can mourn and grieve, we can be honest with what we're feeling, and we can remember Bill with love knowing that he has found eternal peace.

Remembering Bill Baird

• Roy
• Cathleen
• Lisa
• Jennifer
• Keith

Benediction

Give courage and faith to those who are bereaved, that we may have strength to meet the days ahead in the comfort of a reasonable and holy hope and in the joyful expectation of eternal life with those we love.

Amen.

Graveside

Prayer of Committal

Gracious God, receive Bill Baird into the arms of your mercy, raise him up with all your people. For it's into your hands, we commend his spirit.

And as we offer Bill Baird back into your arms, comfort us in our loneliness, strengthen us in our weakness, and give us courage to face the future unafraid. We give you thanks for the many gifts he has left to us. We give you thanks for your comforting spirit in these days.

Draw those of us who remain in this life closer to one another, make us faithful to serve one another, and help us to know that peace and joy which is God's gift of eternal life.

AMEN