Memorial Service for Donna Marcello

Memorial Service Welcome, Grief, and Hope in Christ

On behalf of the family of Donna Marcello, for the glory of Jesus Christ, I welcome you to this memorial service, a service to remember Donna's life and to remember the Savior that Donna worshipped and conquered death and made heaven a reality for Donna, even to all those who believe.

I love Donna. She was my age, but I felt like she was a mother to me and mother to my family, sitting right there in that motherly seat. Thank you to the family that has opened their hearts to me, and I feel like I'm a member of Donna's family because I really am.

It's going to be very sad this morning. We have mixed emotions. We've lost a wife, a mother, a grandmother, sister, family member, and we're going to miss Donna. But her physical death represents an event, a glorious event, that she is now with the presence of her Savior, Jesus Christ.

Would you bow with me in prayer? Our loving, eternal, heavenly Father, this morning we come to remember a loved one, a dear friend. We ask you to be the God of all comfort this morning. We would ask you that you would help us to remember Donna's life, what she meant to us.

We would ask that you would be the God of all grace here to these dear people who loved her. Lord, would you give us a perspective this morning to face the reality of death and to gain in our perspective of the truth of how we should live our life for your glory, just like Donna did.

And Lord, we couldn't do it without you. And I think about your son, Jesus Christ, who at the graveside of Lazarus, his dear friend, he was weeping and he was crying, and the reality of death, and it makes us sad and sorrowful.

So Father, undergird us, help us, help us to praise you even though we hurt, and give us wisdom in the days ahead not to forget Donna nor her Savior, Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen. I don't think this is going to be a funeral today.

I want to call it a memorial service. We want to remember Donna's life and her Savior. I cannot answer many questions this morning. Why did this happen? God is finite, infinite, and we are finite. I can't make everything all right today with just a few words, but it is not a time to vent anger to God or somehow blame Donna's Heavenly Father.

God is in control and he's on the throne and Donna is there worshiping him, matter of fact, even now. In AD 125, there was a Greek by the name of Aristides, and he was writing to his friends trying to explain this weird religion called Christianity.

And in his letter he said this, if any righteous man among the Christian passes from this world, if there's another Christian that dies, the other Christians rejoice and offer thanks to God. And they accompany his body with songs and thanksgiving as if he were setting out from one place to another nearby.

And that's what we'll do today in this worship service. We will praise the God that Donna worshiped until her last day with her last breath. Donna's obituary reads this, Donna Lee Marcello, 47, of 154 Washington Street in Lemonster died Friday, April 20th, 2007 in Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Boston.

She was born on June 22nd, 1959 in Stoneham, Massachusetts. She was the daughter of Bobby and Carol. Mrs. Marcello was in charge of the Girl Scouts of America, I think we have some Girl Scouts here today, don't we?

Are there some? Would you just raise your hand? And enjoyed and helped with many activities within the organization. She was very active in the life of Bethlehem Bible Church in West Boylston. And I can say a hearty amen to that.

How many people here do we have from the church? Many. By the way, I just remember her in that kitchen eight days ago, cleaning. And when you'd walk by Donna and you would say, how you doing? Her response three years ago, two years ago, one year ago, and even last week was what?

I'm doing great. She just loved to serve. Someone asked her eight days ago, why are you serving in the kitchen ministry? And Donna said, because I love it. I love to serve. Mrs. Marcello survived by her husband of two years, Robert Marcello of Lemonster.

Her parents, Bobby of Oklahoma and Carol of Florida. Two sons, Eric and Brad, both of Lemonster. Three daughters, Kelly, Katie, and Amy, all of Lemonster. Two brothers, Bobby of Florida and Tim of Lemonster.

Two sisters, Valerie of Florida, Monique of Virginia. And thankfully, she got to see her one grandchild, little Grace. And many aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews. We're going to need comfort today. We're going to need guidance.

And the Bible tells us everything we need to know. It answers many questions, 1 Thessalonians says, given to hurting Christians. We do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who have died.

That you may not grieve as the rest do who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord shall not precede those who have fallen asleep.

For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord.

Therefore, comfort one another with these words. Friends and family, I've put together a worship service today that I think would honor Christ Jesus, but I think that Donna would love. And so there's going to be some singing, there's going to be a trumpet solo, there's going to be some preaching.

I don't want to brag too often, and it's not good to be the hero of your own stories, but I was Donna's favorite preacher. And so I'm going to preach today, not for an hour, but I'm going to give a sermon that would honor Donna and her Lord.

And we'll have some singing, there'll be a hymnal in front of you for those. There's some special lyrics that are Donna's favorite songs that you'll have. And we would just love to say on behalf of Don and the church that you can be a part of our service today by singing and praising the Lord even though it hurts.

I think of the book of Job. The Lord gives and the Lord takes away, but what? Blessed be the name of the Lord. And we want to praise him today even though we're hurting. And so we would love to have you be a part of that in singing and ministering with us.

And so with that, let's sing a couple of Donna's favorite songs to the glory of God.

In the blue handbook, let's turn to page 43. Page 43, great is thy faithfulness. Yes, you may stand. Great is thy faithfulness, O God my father. There is no shadow of turning with thee. Thou changest not, the compassions, they fail not.

As thou has been, thou forever will be. Great is thy faithfulness, great is thy faithfulness. Morning by morning, new mercies I see. I have needed thy hand hath provided. Great is thy faithfulness, Lord unto.

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest. Sun, moon, and stars in their courses above. Join with all nature in manifold. To thy great faithfulness, mercy and love. Number 25, 25, immortal, invisible, God only wise.

Scripture Reading from Psalm 113 and Praise to the Lord

My name is Dave Jeffries. I'm one of the elders and pastors of the church. And I have the privilege of being able to read a portion of scripture this morning. If you'd like to follow along, one of the Black Pew Bibles, and I'm going to be reading from Psalm 113.

It'll be on page 443. Before I read, I would just like to be able to say that I counted it a great honor and a great privilege to have known Donna. And as Pastor Mike said, she sat about right there. And I used to be able to, I taught Sunday school from the floor down there behind a microphone.

So she was within 10 or 12 feet of me. And one thing that I always remember about Donna is she was always smiling while I was teaching the Bible. Now, not many people would be able to say that when they're sitting there listening for maybe 45 minutes, 50 minutes, and hearing teaching from the Bible.

But she was smiling. And if she wasn't smiling, she was nodding her head. And she always, and she had her children, Amy and Brad, right beside her. And again, it was a privilege to be able to know her and to teach that class and to see how much she loved the truth and loved the Lord of that truth.

In Psalm 113, I'd like to begin reading. I'm going to read the psalm beginning in verse 5 to the end. And then I'll go back to verse 1. And the reason for choosing this hymn, it speaks of praising the Lord.

It speaks of speaking well of the Lord. And I think of Donna's Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. And if she could help us to give us instructions on what to do today, if she had had it written down, she would say, be sure that the Lord Jesus is magnified, exalted, and praised.

Psalm 113, verse 5. Who is like the Lord our God, who is enthroned on high, who humbles himself to behold the things that are in heaven and the things on earth? He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap to make them sit with princes, with the princes of his people.

He makes the barren woman abide in the house as a joyful mother of children. Praise the Lord. And up in verse 1, praise the Lord. Praise, O ye servants of the Lord. Praise the name of the Lord. Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and forever.

From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised. The Lord is high above all nations. His glory is above the heavens.

The next hymn is from Psalm 27. The Lord is my light and my salvation. It was done as God of salvation, too. Sing a solo. Thank you. I just keep thinking about Christ Jesus' voice in Revelation. It is described like a trumpet.

And we're going to have a short time of a eulogy. The word eulogy just means to speak well of. And so I have a microphone right here. And if anybody would like to come up and just say why you love Donna or share something about Donna and her life, I think that would be very kind and sweet.

I know it'll be difficult. It's okay if you cry in front of us. It's okay if you stutter or stammer. But if you'd like to come up and just share something about Donna, I think you'd encourage the family and you could just come up and maybe you have something written.

But we'll just leave this right here. We'd love to have you come up.

Family Tributes: Donna as Mother, Sister, and Example of Faith

For those of you who don't know me, I'm Donna's sister. I'm the baby. My baby's not here, Courtney. She's in Florida with her dad. But I called her last night and she didn't know when services and stuff were being held.

So she asked and I said, you know, sweetie, it's tomorrow. And she kind of, you know, aw, mom. But I wrote her something. So at first I was going to have her mail it to Kelly, knowing Kelly would get it to the right place.

So instead, we had her email it. So these are my daughter Courtney's words to her Auntie Donna. And keep in mind, she's 13. My Auntie Donna. My Auntie Donna is a great person. Well, I really didn't get to know her like I would have liked to.

But I know her kids and they know a lot about her. So let's say a couple of things. One, I know that about a year ago or two years ago, she accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior. So that means a lot to know that your aunt can and will be going to heaven.

Two, she had breast cancer, but then it went away because the Lord healed her. Then it came back and went away. I believe that the devil kept trying to do things to her, but the Lord kept helping. Last, yesterday they found cancer in her brain.

But we prayed for her and just waited for a miracle. We're still believing for it. In conclusion, I might not know her well because I don't remember a lot of things we did when I was younger. But I know that I will know her for eternity.

From Courtney Rand.

I just got a letter from actually Eric wrote Katie, Brad, and Amy back when he was in the service at boot camp. And through it all, it just kind of shows a lot about Donna and how she raised her kids.

Katie, hi, it's good to hear from you and congrats on making the cheering team. But you don't seem like the cheering type. But I guess I'm wrong. Things are hard down here. I didn't come here for three months vacation.

Everything they teach us and make us do prepares us, makes us mentally and physically stronger. I don't know what movie you watch, so I don't know what to say about it. But if you ever see the Discovery Channel's documentary about Marine Corps boot camp, that's pretty much what it's like.

How was the Marine that talked to your class? Did he get to, did he go to LHS and watch a recruiter? It's good down here, but there's no place I'd rather be now but home. But we all need to grow up someday.

One day you'll move out with someone and we'll have different houses. Sorry, Danny, that's me. That's a someone. And visit each other on Thanksgiving and Christmas. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Take it one day at a time.

Don't be in a rush to grow up because with age comes responsibilities. Have fun. But listen to mom. And do what she says. She really knows how to raise good kids. And spending time with some of the recruits down here, some people have no discipline.

But mom taught us good. Have fun in school and you'll be graduating sooner than you think. I'll see you in February. Take care. Love, Eric. And, I mean, just not even those five. She's raised many kids and everything about her, you just see it all in them.

Definitely it's going to be great.

Friend of the family. Donna, wonderful, lovely, and just a great mother. And that's all I want to say. She's a beautiful person.

I just want to say that, you know, I didn't know her the way I should. But she taught me a lot to be thankful for everything God gave us. Because you know what? Every time I talked to her, she was saying everything she was doing is because she loved it and she was great.

And you know what? And I never, I never thought she was going through all this pain. Because she never let anybody know. And she taught me to love the Lord she loves.

I'm Bob's sister. And I've known Donna for a long time. And recently we lost our dad. And Donna and I were discussing her problem. Because I have kids too. And it's very hard. She was doing so well. And we loved her very much.

To put up with me for a minute, I'm going to do like the pastor said. I'm going to stammer and cry. But we all know Donna. We know what she was. She was a mom to everybody. And when she was here, she would organize this whole event much better than it has been.

Sorry. Whoever is doing it is doing a great job. But you know what? We're at plan Z now. So, and I had thought about some things the other night. And I didn't, I knew in the back of my mind that somebody was going to have to talk.

And I'm like, I didn't write them down. And they were just rambling through my head. And I really can't remember them now. But everybody has all those great thoughts of just remembering Donna. And what she meant to everybody.

I don't know. I think Jen might want to say something to figure out what else I can say.

I just want to say that I have two sisters of my own. And Donna was my sister-in-law. But she always treated me like a sister. And that's how I felt. Because she was always so giving and always so caring.

And I'm going through an illness too. And I would ask her how she was doing. And she would say, I'm great. And I knew better. And when she would ask me how I was doing, I would say, I'm doing fine. And that's just how Donna was.

She was very private. But she was a third sister to me. And I loved her.

While she was talking, I had the perfect thing to say. When I was in the room with Donna saying my goodbyes, I thought that was the hardest thing in the world to do. But standing up here trying to say things about her is even harder.

Because I can't express my feelings that I have for her. And I don't know if I'll ever be able to. But just in the conversations of daily life, talking to the family, they will always know how much I love her.

I also just want to say that I'm so grateful. Even though she was sick, over the last two years, I don't think I have ever seen her as happy as she's been over the last two years. And she was happy because of Bob.

Bob made her happy. And I thank God for that.

That she had the time with him. Which gave me some more time to think. Because during that whole time, Donna never bothered anybody with problems. And it's really kind of a family trait that we keep everything to ourself.

And we don't bother people when we have problems. And when we're doing good, we share. And Donna was the biggest example of that. She just gave and gave and gave. And she helped everybody. And she always said, I'm fine, I'm fine.

She could be hurting the worst thing in the world, and she would never ask for help. And those people around her would see it and help her without being asked. So unless you want us to keep standing here and Jen say something and then me say something.

Because it gives us time to think when the other person is talking. We just both loved her. Very much. Very much. So thank you all for coming.

Girl Scout Friends Remember Donna's Service and Leadership

Good morning. We're Girl Scout friends of Donna's. And in Girl Scouts. We have a promise, and it goes like this. On my honor, I will try to serve God and my country. To help people at all times. And to live by the Girl Scout law.

One of those laws is to be a sister to every Girl Scout. And Donna did all of that. She lived her Girl Scout promise to the fullest. And has been an example to all of us. And it's been such an honor to just know her.

And to work with her. But God needed a cookie coordinator in heaven. And he wanted the best. And Donna was perfect. She did her job better than anybody. We were so happy to have her for the time that God gave her to us.

We know she's up there leading girls. She's knocking on doors. And anybody who's sitting in a corner, she's going to greet and pull into the group. Because she never left anybody out. She always had another box of cookies to help us sell.

She always had a hand to give us if we needed her. She drove up to make sure we were all doing okay. She worried about us. She was our mother too. But truly, truly, our sister. She will be so missed. And we're going to miss her family.

Because she shared with us her love of Jesus. We knew about her new church. She was so excited, and we loved to hear about it. We loved to hear about all of the kids and what was going on and who was coming home and who was going away and who was moving in and who was moving out.

So we talked about more than just Girl Scouts. We loved her very, very much. And we knew she loved us. And that's why it was so easy. And as hard as it is to let go, again, we know that we've got great organization up in heaven at this moment.

Because she's there.

And we'll miss her greatly. Well, Sue said pretty much everything. I just wanted to add, I believe three years ago when she started with her disease, I just want to be thankful that I was brought to her.

I spent time with her at her home, praying with her. And I just want to thank God for working through me to go over there and to help her at the time when she was becoming a new Christian, starting with this new church.

And she had some wonderful moments. We didn't have a lot of moments together, but what we had was just wonderful. And I think it's more the quality, not the quantity. And again, she was a wonderful person.

And believe me, at some of our Scout meetings, if we were not on time, she brought us back, definitely. And you all know that, all of you that are here. So before I can't compose myself anymore, I just want to thank all of you and just praise God that she has so many friends and family here, and her church family as well.

And I don't know what else to say. She's a wonderful person. We miss you, Donna. We love you. We need to let go and let God. Thank you.

I hadn't planned on saying anything. But hearing so much about the daughter that I raised and how she helped everybody and was a mother to so many, she let me minister to her. There weren't too many that could because she doesn't let them know what's going on.

But when she told me she was sick, I didn't ask her what she wanted or how she was. I just came. And she let me. She let me stay and take care of her. And that was the greatest privilege I've had with my baby.

And she also brought me to this church, which is my home away from home. I have a wonderful church pastor and church family in Florida. But I know that I can come here at any time. I spent nine months here.

And I love everybody at this church and how they ministered to me and her.

And if I might say that the person Donna is started with my mom. She learned everything from my mom and her family. And she took care of those kids like my mom took care of us kids. So do you guys. I love you all.

Anytime, anything you need.

I'm a friend of Donna's. Actually, for me, it's a little deeper than that. Because Donna helped raise two of my children when I went off to work. And I know they thought of her as their mother also. I can't thank her enough for those years.

She was loved by me and my daughters greatly. And I will miss her.

I didn't really plan on doing this either. But my heart is pounding, and I feel led by the Holy Spirit. I learned an awful lot from Donna. I learned one of the greatest lessons I can learn. I know everyone knows how loving she is.

But Donna also had a great capacity for forgiveness. I had a conversation with her maybe a year or two ago. We were talking about some things. And I asked her how she could overlook a lot in people, things, family.

And I asked her how could she do it. And she told me that nothing is worth losing a family member over. So I just want to express her loving self. She never needed to forgive anyone because she never took offense.

She just had pure love. And that's a testament of her that I'm going to take with me the rest of my life.

Congregation, may I encourage you, if you've got a special story about Donna, would you write that down? Would you send that to Bob or the kids so they might be able to remember? I think that would be very sweet.

I'm up here because of the way it's going, and everybody keeps telling stories about Donna. We could be here for the next few hours. Are there any other immediate family members that would like to get up and share before we continue with the service?

You don't have to, but I want to make sure you get your opportunity. Well, we sing older hymns at this church, and we sing newer songs, too. And I was so glad Carol told me the other day that one of Donna's favorite songs, it's kind of an Appalachian folk song.

It's called Children of the Living God. And she learned that song right here with these dear brothers playing the song. And so you have the lyrics in front of you. And then she liked another song called Lord, I Lift Your Name on High, and it's almost kind of a kid's song that teaches the simple truths of Christianity.

And we sing it at home, too, Lord, I Lift Your Name on High. And some of our kids even know the hand motions. And so we're going to stand now and sing together these two songs, and I want you to think of Donna and her Savior, please.

Sermon on Psalm 119:68: God Is Good and Does Good

Everybody sit down, please. Just before I give you a word from God's word, yesterday at our church, yesterday morning, we pretty much had our own memorial service for Donna. And if you'd like to get a copy of that message, you can just get online or you can talk to one of us and we'll try to get you a CD.

There's a bulletin right in the back with our website address on there. And then also today, especially for the family members, I believe the whole service today with music and everything will be taped.

We'll have CDs and we want to make sure you have those so you can remember your mom and some of the comments about her. And so that'll all be taped and we can remember her that way. My text today that I'd like to speak on is Psalm 119, verse 68.

And it's a very short verse and it says this, God is good and does good. God is good and he does good. There's a famous preacher by the name of George Mueller and his wife died of rheumatic fever. And he used this text in Psalm 119 to talk about how God is good and he does good things.

I came up with several areas in which God was good regarding Donna and her life. Number one, the Lord was good and did good in creating Donna. Wouldn't you agree with that? He was good and did good when he made Donna.

Psalm 139, it says of God's handiwork making people that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. God is a great creator and he can craft wonderful things including people and in this particular case, Donna.

I just was struck in the last week or so as I've reflected upon Donna and her life. I couldn't believe so many people loved her. I mean, I can believe it. I don't take it wrongly. But there's just so many friends and family at the hospital and then yesterday at the calling hours.

I mean, we needed a parking lot 10 times bigger than what we had. The Girl Scouts and family and the church. She was just a person who was wonderfully made by the Lord. I think of Donna here at the church.

I'll have to, this isn't in my notes really, but I have to tell you the story. One of my favorite stories of Donna. Brad and Amy, you came over to the house a long time ago to go ice skating. And Donna was pretty much concerned about the big picture in life.

Don't let the little things bother you because it's time to live because one day I'm going to die soon and I'm sick. And we had about 40 pairs of ice skates over at our house and then there was a street and then the lake was over here.

And I just remember Brad and Amy walking down my driveway with their ice skates on. And I'm pulling my hair out, what I have left, because you don't do that. And Donna was like, hey, it's just the way we do things is there are bigger pictures and the big picture for us is having fun on that little pond.

And she was just a dear lady. I'll always remember her look when I said, you're going to let your kids walk on my driveway with my skates. Didn't faze her. There are bigger things in life, fun and excitement and joy and spending time together.

I love Donna because God made Donna. Secondly, the Lord was good and did good in giving Donna to us all. She was truly a gift from God. If you think for one moment Donna was the process of evolution, I'm sad for you and you're mistaken.

That her life would mean nothing but she would be a bunch of random molecules coming together. What a travesty that would be to believe something like that. There's an old song that says, praise God from whom all blessings flow.

And we would count Donna as one of those blessings. Number three, the Lord was good and did good in so long leaving her to us. Yes, she was young. She was 47, but she lived a full life. She lived for the glory of God.

And she even made it to be a grandma, didn't she? What a blessing from the Lord and a blessing to Amy and the family to let her see little Gracie. I can just imagine Donna saying to herself, I am going to live no matter what till I see that baby.

And God granted her that gift. And then it was time for glory. The Lord is so good. I got to teach Donna about God. And I taught her what Peter said in 1 Peter. And it says there that Christians are to entrust their soul to a faithful creator in doing what is right.

As Jesus the Son committed himself to the Father, so too Donna committed her life to her faithful creator in the midst of trials, suffering, cancer, no matter what. And this verse promises that God would not lose interest in her.

Number four, the Lord was good and did good when he gave Donna eternal life. I bury a lot of people. And it is very difficult to bury those people who you know didn't live for God, who you know had no idea what heaven was, who think to themselves, as long as you die, you go to heaven.

But that's not the case for Donna. There was an old preacher, his name was D .L. Moody. He said, someday you'll read in the papers that D .L. Moody of East Northfield, Massachusetts is dead. Don't believe a word of it.

At that moment I shall be more alive than I am now. Donna is more alive than any of us today. This is just a shell, this is just a body. Donna was given by God the hope of heaven while on earth, that she could live every moment for God's glory and for her family, not afraid to die, not afraid of judgment, not afraid of damnation.

And three years ago or so, Donna came to realize that her relationship with God was not based on her goodness, even though she was a good person. It was not based on her baptism when she was a baby. That can't cleanse a heart.

It was not based on her being a good girl scout, a good mother. Many of those things were excellent. But that's not how God is pleased. God taught Donna that heaven is a gift that only God can give. And God was pleased to give that to Donna.

Listen to what Jesus said. John 10, my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me and I give eternal life to them. The Lord was good and he did good when he gave Donna eternal life. And that eternal life didn't start when she died, on Tuesday or Friday or whenever God took her soul.

Donna came to realize, and I hope you realize as well, that heaven is for those who are forgiven. Heaven, did you know this? Matthew 5 .48, Donna heard me speak of this often. Therefore, Jesus said, if you want heaven, you are to be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Now, how do you get to heaven when you're not perfect? We're all sinners, the playing field's even. We all fall short of the glory of God, so how can we get into heaven? How can Donna's soul be in heaven now if she had to be perfect?

Well, there's three great transactions. One is, Jesus Christ lived a perfect, sinless life, and his life gets credited to, or charged to, or placed, given to his people. That perfect life that Jesus lived, do you ever wonder why he never sinned?

Because he lived such a perfect life, and he was God, that he could give his perfect life to others. And the transaction goes the other way as well. As Jesus gave his perfect obedience to Donna, God took Donna's unrighteousness and sinfulness, and placed it on Jesus at Calvary.

Donna didn't deserve eternal life, Jesus did. Jesus, in kindness and in goodness, gave Donna his righteousness, and he took Donna's sin. And it was such a great plan, and Jesus did such a great job at it, that the Father did what?

He raised Jesus from the dead. If it wasn't for God being good and doing good, Donna wouldn't have had a chance to get to heaven. No one would have. The book of Galatians says, Cursed is everyone who does not abide in all things written in the book of the law, and perform them.

How can we get to heaven when we are under the weight of this book? We need someone to obey for us, and Donna had a Savior who obeyed this book perfectly for her. We sometimes think of forgiveness, and we don't think about the bloodshed.