Betty Jane Brooks Funeral, March 29, 2022

Behalf of the Brooks family, I want to welcome you to Sunnyside Baptist Church this afternoon as we celebrate the goodness of God in the life of Betty Brooks and we are grateful for the opportunity that we have to gather together here this afternoon.

You're here because you love Betty. You've known her and loved her for a long time and she's been a part of many lives and so we are grateful for for Betty and for her life. Grateful for her family and for the influence that she had in them and through them and and by them an influence on each of us.

So again we're grateful to have you here today and I just ask if you would to bow with me as as we ask the Lord to bless our time this afternoon. Lord God Almighty we are grateful for this day, thankful for the opportunity that we have to give you thanks and to give you glory and honor and praise and blessing for you are a God of mercy and grace and you displayed that in the life of your servant Betty.

We pray Lord that you would give comfort and peace and strength today to those who come here with the burden of sorrow and grief. Thank you that you are a God who knows our hearts, that you know our frame, you know our weakness, you know that we are but dust and yet you have set your love upon us in the form of Jesus Christ our Savior.

So Lord we pray that Christ would be exalted in these minutes here this afternoon. May you give us joy in your presence. May tears of sorrow be mixed with tears of gladness because of your goodness and your mercy and your grace.

Thank you Father that your eye is upon us even now and we give you glory honor and blessing in Jesus.

Opening Remarks and Prayer

Name amen. Who knew. Betty knew that she loved to sing so I am not envious of those who had to pare down. From all of the songs that could have been selected just three but the first one I think is excellently selected given Miss Betty's passion for singing and her love of birds his eyes on the sparrow so I encourage you to sing along with me and or just listen if you enjoy the song that way.

Oklahoma City left her earthly home of 96 years on March 24th 2022. She.

Was surrounded by her children as she went to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Betty was born on October 20th 1925 in Washington DC to Charles Benjamin and Tenny Jane Fox. She was the firstborn of six children.

She graduated high school from Capitol Hill in 1944 and after high school she met the love of her life J .D. Brooks and they were married for over 71 years. What a grace and they were blessed with three sons.

Betty loved to spend her time sewing crocheting and drawing. She crocheted many doilies and hats that she would bless others with. She had a deep love for God's Word and his creation especially birds.

She loved serving in her church and taught the little children's Sunday school class for over 50 years. She was a faithful charter member of this church Sunnyside Baptist Church. Betty loved reading God's Word which she did every day until she was unable to to continue to do so.

Betty loved to sing songs and hymns from her youth and she knew many of them and many of them she knew by heart. Her sweet nature brought smiles to many faces. Betty is survived by her three sons Jerry and his wife Susan, Randy and his wife Cindy and Mike Brooks.

She's also survived by grandchildren Jonathan and his wife Julie, Daniel, Valerie, Ryan and his wife Kelsey and Ashley and her husband Finn. Great-grandchildren Boston and Lennox, Collins and Ada Jane.

By her sisters Ellen Rhodes, Marjorie McGuffin and Barbara Gilliland. Betty is preceded in death by her parents, by her husband JD, by a grandson Andrew, by her brother Charles and sister Beverly. The family particularly wishes to express their gratitude to the rest of Betty's wonderful team of caregivers.

Particularly her main caregiver Rhonda Burchen and sister-in-laws Dee, Doris and Janice. Her brother-in-law Grady and Lorene and Danessa. In light of Betty's love of singing and in light of her love for God's Word, family has asked that I read from Psalm 100 and I won't get very far into Psalm 100 and you'll know why this psalm is so appropriate for not only giving thanks to God but remembering Betty.

Thanksgiving and the Life of Betty Brooks

Psalm 100, a psalm of thanksgiving. Make a joyful shout to the Lord all you lands. Serve the Lord with gladness. Come before his presence with singing. Know that the Lord he is God. It is he who made us and not we ourselves.

We are his people and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving and into his courts with praise. Be thankful to him and bless his name for the Lord is good. His mercy is everlasting and his truth endures to all generations.

This is the Word of the Lord.

Let's sing another one of Miss Betty's favorites, In the Garden. You begin to think about what constitutes a life well-lived, really a life long-lived, which is a blessing and a grace from God, but a life well-lived.

There is still a great deal of respect for our elders. We hear that there's somebody who has lived as long as Betty lived. Folks sometimes want to interview them and ask them questions to glean something from their many years of lived experience.

They want to know not necessarily how to exist a long period of time on the face of the planet, but really how to live well. What have you learned about living life well? And this is of course the concern of most people.

Am I really living a life that is worth living, a life well-lived? I met Betty Brooks well over seven years ago and the first thing she told me was that she was a charter member of Sunnyside Baptist Church and that her uncle was the first pastor here, W .E. Creswell.

She told me that more than once and it was always a happy topic of conversation. My impressions of Betty were that here was a woman who knew her Bible. Here was a woman who knew her hymnal. Here was a woman who loved her family and who was loved by her family.

A woman who loved her church and was loved by her church. Here was a woman who loved her Jesus. She was well loved by her family and friends and caretakers and she has been and is duly honored. Thank you for being here.

Thank you for honoring her. Her life really is an example of a life well-lived. Not just long-lived, but well-lived. In the New Testament letter to the Colossians, Paul writes about a life well-lived.

What constitutes a life well-lived? And the temptations, the theories of how to have a life well-lived were the same in his day as they are today. Perhaps the answer lies somewhere in philosophy. Perhaps the answer lies somewhere in secret knowledge.

Perhaps the answer lies within special lived experience, mystical or otherwise. Perhaps the answer is in what you do without, refraining from certain things. Paul talks about all of those things, Colossians chapter 2, and he discounts all of them, reminding those that he had never met, though he loved them greatly, that a life well-lived, a life that was full of actual life, was a life lived in Christ.

He discounted all of these various options because he wanted to present everyone completed and made mature in Christ. He wanted folks to be built up in Christ. He didn't want anyone to be cheated by counterfeit living.

And in the beginning of Colossians chapter 3, he says, and this is really where it all hinges, if then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God.

Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth, for you died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. I'm going to say that again. You died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

This is where we find a life well-lived. A life that is hid with Christ in God. We come to this funeral service today with all manner of hope, with all manner of joy and confidence about where dear Betty is right now.

Because long before this day came about, she had already died. And been raised in Christ. Her life was thoroughly caught up with Christ by faith. Her life was hidden with Christ in God, safe with Christ in God.

The anchor of her ship had long been laid firm. And she is not lost today. An anchor that goes beyond the veil to the very throne room of God. In Colossians 3, Paul says, this is what a life well-lived looks like.

A life that is hid with Christ in God. And he gives several instructions about what that looks like. One set of instructions particularly reminds me of Betty. In verse 16. He says, let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

I'll read that verse again for you. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

A life well-lived reminds me of Betty. A life lived with the Word of God, richly abiding in her life. The word of Christ, it says here, the word of Christ dwelling in you richly. The word of Christ refers to the word about Christ.

The word that Christ himself declared. The word that he himself wrote. His person and work, who he was. That Jesus Christ, that Jesus of Nazareth is indeed the Christ, the Son of the Living God. That he is God of very God and that he is man of very man for us and for our salvation.

That he did not consider the glories and the crown rites of heaven to be something that he must retain, but he laid aside his divine privileges to take upon himself a full humanity, humbling himself to walk and tabernacle among us, to live in our place and for our sake.

To die upon the cross as God's Lamb who takes away the sin of the world. That in Christ, God is fully satisfied concerning our guilt and transgressions and sin and that in Christ we are fully satisfied as our complete righteousness and standing with God.

That God finds nothing deficient in the person and work of Christ and that we find nothing deficient in the person and work of Christ and that in God's satisfaction in him and in our satisfaction in him by this faith we are reconciled, united in salvation.

The word of Christ, his person and work, also his proclamation. And what did he come saying? The time is fulfilled. The kingdom of heaven is at hand. The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Why was it within reach?

Why could you simply reach out your arm and with your hand touch the very kingdom? Because he himself had come and he is the king. When he rose from the dead he met with his disciples and he said, all authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.

Did you hear that? All authority has been given to Christ in heaven and on earth. The Bible tells us that he has ascended to the right hand of the Father and he's been given a name which is above every name that he has all glory and all power and all authority.

And this is what he came saying that the kingdom of heaven had arrived and that he is the king. And indeed the word of Christ is not only what we know about his person and work and what he himself said, the kingdom of heaven is at hand, but also everything in Holy Scripture is the word of Christ.

For Peter tells us in 1st Peter 1 that it's this Christ through his Holy Spirit who through the prophets wrote the scriptures. So it all comes from Christ. It is his authority to us and it is all about him.

The word of Christ therefore is to dwell with us in us richly. The word means to make a home in. To make a home in. That the word of Christ, the scriptures, the message of his authority, his person and work, the gospel must have a most natural and normal residence in our lives.

That it just fits. You know what home is like. It's where you just fit. The word of God, the word of Christ is to have a home in us and dwell most naturally and normally and abundantly in us. Wasn't that true of Miss Betty?

Dwell richly we read. Richly. Some of you have lived in your houses for a long time and every closet and nook and cranny is stuffed with stuff. There is sentimental value to most of it even though you may have forgotten what that sentiment is.

But it is stuffed full nook and cranny. That's what our lives should look like. That's how the word of God, the word of Christ is to abide in us and dwell in us. Stuffed full. We are to be stuffed full of the word of Christ.

Every nook and cranny where when people come around they accidentally knock over stacks of things. But there is the word of Christ in our life. Was that not true with Miss Betty? A life well-lived. The word of Christ dwells in us richly when we read it.

She read through her Bible how many times? About 62 times. Read through her Bible about 62 times. The word of Christ dwelling richly. The word of Christ dwells in us richly when we read it and when we meditate upon it.

When we pray according to it. When we follow it. And we notice in all wisdom. Do you know what wisdom is? The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord. Where we think of him first and we think of him most.

And we operate under the very obvious sovereign rule of God. An agreement with his word. Many times we will pay attention if somebody tells us this was so-and-so's last words. And we pay attention. Because after all the last things that someone says, perhaps it might be significant.

Perhaps it might be humorous. But we pay attention to those last words. But you know, it's not about our last words. But it's about God's eternal words that last forever. And the word of Christ richly dwelling in us.

That's a life well-lived. A life well lived is also a life lived in song. A life lived in song. That the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom. Teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.

Singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Notice the loving purpose of the songs that are being sung. Teaching and admonishing. Teaching is simply repeating those important truths that we must never ever forget.

And find fresh new appreciation for every day and week. If we're going to know a life well-lived. Admonishing is simply a kind warning. Don't forget. If you forget, you'll be sorry. Singing has a loving purpose.

Teaching and admonishing. And look at the varied expressions. Psalms. The Bible has 150 of them. And they are varied in expression of the, as the people of God express their relationship to God based on the history of all of his goodness and in light of all of his promises.

Hymns. Ordered structured thoughts about the truths of God. Who he is and how he has made the world and who we are in his sight. Spiritual songs. Songs that accord with the Holy Spirit's ministry of bringing to mind all that Christ has taught us.

The inspiration of the scriptures themselves. Loving songs to God. But these songs of varied expression and having a loving purpose are to be deeply rooted in our own hearts. That we sing from the hearts graciously.

Are you ready for the definition of grace? That which affords joy and delight. Do you see the warm smile of Miss Betty? She closes her eyes and she sings the songs to the Lord. She sang these songs from her heart with joy, with grace, with thanksgiving to the Lord.

A life well-lived. A life well-lived. If you're not singing with joy from your heart to the Lord, you're missing out on a life well-lived. God is your maker. He sent his Son to be your Savior. He's made everything and arranged everything.

He holds all of history in his hand. If we're not singing with joy from our heart to the Lord, we're missing out on life. A life well-lived is a life lived with the Word of God. A life lived in song to the Lord.

A life lived in Christian community. The verse says that let the Word of Christ dwell in you. That's y 'all. Not just one of you, but y 'all together. It says that we are to teach and admonish one another.

Look, there's more than one person involved, right? Your hearts, plural. A life well-lived is a life lived in Christian community of loving one another and being loved by the love that the Father has poured out into our hearts by the Holy Spirit according to the death and resurrection of his Son.

A life well-lived is lived in Christian community. And Miss Betty loved her church. She loved being around the people of God. One of the last things she said was she missed being at church. A life well-lived.

That's what I think of when I think of Miss Betty. What a joy it has been to be her pastor. I know that Ken would second that joy. A life well-lived, a life hidden with Christ in God. I stand in the position of John Bunyan's great heart.

It is a privilege to watch in joy as one who is so loved and who is so loving as she passes through the great river. She has left the beautiful grounds and she rests in the celestial city. Praise be to God.

Life Hidden with Christ in God

Father, we give you praise for how you love us in Christ and how you love Miss Betty. Thank you. Thank you for allowing us to love her and to serve her. Thank you for those who have especially, at their own great cost, washed her feet and loved her through these many years.

We give you the praise in Jesus' name. Amen. For our service today, victory in Jesus. He keep you. May he cause his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. May he lift up his countenance upon you and grant you peace.

At this time we will have an opportunity for a viewing and one last opportunity to settle in our hearts that Betty is in heaven with her Lord and that her body is being sown as a seed of hope in the resurrection yet to come.

And everyone is invited to follow the family out to the graveside for one last celebration before we part ways.