Memorial service remembers those who died in the last year

The Rev. Jan Davis, second from left, led the service.

The Rev. Jan Davis, pastor of First UMC Rowlett, brought words of comfort through her message entitled “Living Letters,” based on 2 Timothy 4:1-8.

Rev. Davis let the bereaved family members know she felt their pain. She too had lost a loved one in the past year. Her mother, a church secretary at Epworth UMC in Western Pennsylvania, passed away on Christmas Eve.

“My mother left each daughter a letter. In frail writing, she wrote in my letter, ‘I love you. I believe in you. I will be watching over you. Persevere in the work God called you to.’ ”

Rev. Davis indicated that in the same way, the Apostle Paul left a letter to Timothy that encouraged his good work.

She also drew an analogy between the tents used on camping trips and our mortal bodies, also known as tents.

“This human body is just a tent,” she said.

“We are connected to these that we celebrate and remember today. We share so much in common. We’ve had the opportunity to know Jesus Christ. This is not the time to be timid. It is a time to be bold until it is time to take down our tents and go home to Jesus.”