Words of
Memory, Prayer and Scripture Reading
From: Rev.
Phillip Brown,
March 13th, 2012.
I believe it was an Irishman who said…”Before I speak, I would like to say a few
words…!” and, before I read the scriptures…I would like to take just a
moment to make a few personal comments.
First of all, I want to thank the Evans
Family for the opportunity to share in this memorial service today. I want you to know that I consider it a real privilege
to do so. Olive, … Ruth and I extend our
sincere sympathy to you and to a your very large family in the passing of
Laurence. We don’t say the loss of
Laurence…he is not lost…we know where he is.
He was greatly loved and he will be greatly missed.
It was my privilege to serve as pastor of
this church for some six and a half years.
It began January 1981. I‘d like
to take just a moment to tell you, how I think that came about. For seven years prior to that I was pastoring
along with Ruth at the Port Colborne Baptist Church in the Niagara-Hamilton
Association. In my last year, I was
appointed moderator in that Association of Baptist Churches. The Assembly that year for the Baptist
Convention of Ontario & Quebec, as it was then known, was to be held in
Hamilton. So as moderator, I was asked
to bring words of greetings and welcome to the delegates that were assembled. I didn’t know the Evans family at that time,
but I am pretty sure that Laurence was there. In fact, he was just finishing his term as President of our Convention. I mention this because it was just shortly
after that that the phone rang and I was asked to consider coming to Uxbridge
to be the pastor. Well that process of
course… I don’t need to tell you about all of that, but I feel quite deeply and
so does Ruth that Laurence Evans had a lot to do with that phone call. What resulted was a deepening relationship
and friendship with Laurence and Olive and all the Evans family. A friendship that we have appreciated very
much.
We’ve heard a lot today from members of the
family and there’s been a lot written already about Laurence’s life. I want to take a different tact, if I may…
not to be redundant. I mean, Laurence
was a very gifted man. He was
passionate about the Lord and the Lord’s work.
The one thing I appreciated about Laurence was his sense of
history. In fact Ruth and I coined a
word for him and we kept it just to ourselves.
We called him Mr. Historical. The
reason was that, whenever we engaged in conversation with Laurence he would invariably start his response by saying….do
you know what it is?...”Historically speaking….”. He
would then go on to give you this tremendous history of the particular item or
topic. I’ve been thankful that in every
church I’ve pastored, I’ve had a man like Laurence, a historical person that
when I had a funeral I could call and get the whole background. Laurence had an amazing sense of
history. I think that this is one reason
why he was often sought after to serve on committees and boards because he
could process things very quickly, and I think Brian said that. He could keep things in perspective! Some people were intimidated by that, in
fact. There are many people today on
committees and boards who say “Anything goes,,, well let’s just get on with the
work.” Often Laurence would stop you and
say; “well, you know in document such and such, on page 4, paragraph 3 line 4….”,
and he would begin to give you the sense of history of a decision that had been
made. I appreciated that about him. Laurence’s ability and that of Olives’
enabled them to write a history of this Church.
I think most of you would know this, if you’re from a generation back,
maybe….three volumes that came out. It
goes back to 1857. It’s well written and
it was produced. Also a constitution was
put together by them. Laurence’s sense
of history led him to research the Evans family tree. Now I was waiting for that to come up and it
just came up in one statement that Brian made about I guess…Mary going to Wales. That’s an interesting contact because you will
know that the Reverend David Evans came over form Wales….the UK in the mid
1800’s. He preached in Whitevale, Claremont,
Uxbridge and this church was founded as a result of his ministry. In fact when He passed away, so significant
was his work that the leaders of our Baptist Convention came and conducted the
funeral, right here in Uxbridge.
A few years back Laurence and Olive sent me
some material. Included was this letter
that they had typed. It’s signed by Laurence and it talks about
Rev. David Evans coming to this area and then in his own handwriting at the end. This is what Laurence wrote. “He”, referring to the man, “is my great,
great grandfather and I’m looking forward to meeting him.“ Friends, that reunion has already taken
place. Can you imagine that discussion? “Great, Great Grandfather, Historically speaking,
what was it like? What was it like to
come to Uxbridge in the mid 1800’s?” Ha,
Ha! Well ….God Bless him. Wonderful memories we all have. May they be our strength and stay!
Let
us bow our heads and pray together.
“Heavenly Father, we come today as a family
and as friends to celebrate the life and to honour the memory of Laurence
Evans. We thank you O Lord for his life
and witness, for his deep love of family, for his contribution to the
well-being and welfare of our community, our church and our larger Baptist
family. For all the memories, we thank
you too, that hold him dear to each of us. Grant, we pray, your abiding presence and
comfort to those who grieve today. O,
Lord we ask that Olive and all of her family sense underneath and round about
them the everlasting arms of their heavenly father. And may the hope which is ours in Jesus
Christ be our strength and stay. Thank
you, our Father, for sharing Laurence with us.
May something of his passion and love for the gospel message be carried
by all of us so that others too, may come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. To this end, may we be faithful, through
Jesus Christ we pray, AMEN
I have been asked to read some Scripture, I want to read … I think first of all from
Psalm 1. I’m reading from the New King James Version.
Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the
ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the
scornful. But his delight is in the Law
of the Lord, and in his law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers
of water. That brings forth its fruit in its season. Whose leaf also shall not whither. And whatsoever he does shall prosper.
Then may I read these familiar words from
John’s gospel, chapter 14. I’m sure they are familiar to all of you.
And Jesus anticipating his own death says to his
disciples.
“Let not your hearts be troubled. If you believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I
go to prepare a place for you, and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will
come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there you may be
also. And one of his disciples… doubting
Thomas as we know him….says Lord we don’t know where you are going, how can we
know the way?” Then these Powerful
words, “I am the Way, the Truth, the Life, no man comes unto the father, but by
me.”
And
this passage from Revelation chapter 21 and 14
Part of this greater vision that John
received….. He said, “…and
I saw a new heaven and a new earth for the first heaven and the first earth had
passed away. Also, there was no more
sea. Then I, John, saw the Holy City ,
the New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven
saying. Behold the tabernacle of God is
with men and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people and God
himself will be with them and be their God.
And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes, there shall be no more death nor sorrow nor
crying. And there shall be no more pain
for the former things have passed away”…... “Then I heard a voice from heaven
saying to me write…Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. Yes,
says the spirit, that they may rest from their labours and their works shall follow
them.”
May God bless the reading of this His
word. AMEN
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