{"id":3240,"date":"2005-03-19T07:31:00","date_gmt":"2005-03-19T12:31:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.followgreg.com\/revdonaldng\/?p=3240"},"modified":"2020-12-22T07:32:13","modified_gmt":"2020-12-22T12:32:13","slug":"ping-c-lam-wake-service","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.followgreg.com\/revdonaldng\/ping-c-lam-wake-service\/","title":{"rendered":"Ping C. Lam Wake Service"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Wake Service for Ping C. Lam<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

March 19, 2005<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6:00 PM Halsted N. Gray<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Call to Worship<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a deer longs for flowing streams,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So my soul longs for you, O God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When shall I come and behold the face of God?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why are you cast down, O my soul,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And why are you disquieted within me?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my help and my God. (Psalm 42)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On behalf of the family of Mrs. Ping C. Lam, I welcome you here tonight to remember and celebrate the life of Mrs. Lam. Her family thanks you for taking this time to be here to support them and to grieve with them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My name is the Rev. Donald Ng, the pastor of the First Chinese Baptist Church in San Francisco where one of Mrs. Lam\u2019s grandson, Don Lam and his family attend church. My translator for tonight is Ms. Jane Lam, a member of our church. We hope and pray that by your presence here that this occasion during the season of Lent brings you comfort and the promise of new life in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Opening Prayer<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The psalmist longed for you, O God. As the deer longs for the water of a clear-running brook, so did he long to see your face, because of the suffering his enemies were inflicting on him. We, too, long for you, O God, for comfort from you, because our last enemy, death, has taken someone we love from us. But we have seen your face, O God, in the face of Jesus, your Son. And we know that he defeated death, his last enemy and ours. Let your Spirit reassure us at this time, vividly, that the one we miss is now seeing you face to face and that, by grace, we may join Mrs. Ping C. Lam when you call us home. For Jesus\u2019 sake, we pray. Amen. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hymn<\/strong>                         Sandalwood Hills and Mountains of Gold<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scripture Readings<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Psalm 23<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Romans 8: 31-35, 37-39<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Biography<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Words of Remembrance<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Message<\/strong>\u2014Surely Goodness and Mercy<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            The 23rd<\/sup> Psalm is a reading that brings comfort to many people. In the poetic words of the psalmist, we hear about the valley of the shadow of death\u2014at the time, a real place where people traveled to go to or return from Jerusalem. The psalmist is telling us that God lead travelers through that valley even at the most dangerous times. The valley was well-known for theft and murder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Yet, the words, \u201csurely goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our lives and we shall dwell in the house of God forever\u201d is a promise, for us and for Ping C. Lam today. John 14:18-19 tells us that the valley of the shadow of death is not the end of the road\u2014indeed; Christ himself awaits those who pass through into a new place, a place full of light and good health and the presence of God. Mrs. Lam never knew the sense of loneliness because of her wonderful and loving family who adored her and supported her. In death, Jesus will not leave anyone orphaned in this life or in the next; he says, \u201cBecause I live, you will live.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Learning about the life of Mrs. Lam from her grandson, Don, Mrs. Lam literally found herself traveling through the valley of death. While her husband, Charley J. Lam was in America like so many Chinese sojourners at that time, Mrs. Lam with her son, James was in China separated from her husband for many years. When World War II broke out, she lost contact with her husband for over a year. During this time, she went from village to village with her son in tow escaping from the invading Japanese soldiers. She was able to protect enough of her personal belongings so that she can sell them when she needed food for her son to eat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            When Mrs. Lam came to America, she and her husband settled in Needles, California where they operated the Grandeur Caf\u00e9. She started off as a waitress and being unfamiliar with English and American food, remembered how she used to get the orders wrong. She would laugh at her mistakes because it was such a small consequence when she had survived the valley of death of war and hunger and the dramatic changes of making America her new home. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

            When Ping and Charley Lam eventually moved to San Francisco in 1965 to be closer to their children and grandchildren, they lived on Jones Street near Clay. You see, once again, Mrs. Lam was traveling to a new place that may be full of danger. But they chose Jones Street because it was close enough to walk to Chinatown and to come home every day. And with foresight, Mr. Lam chose this location because of the tall building next to their home so that in case they were ever lost, they can always look for that tall Clay Jones tower and return home safely from the valley of shadow and death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Jesus told a parable of the Lost Sheep to those who didn\u2019t believe sinners should come to God. Jesus said,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                        Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does    not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he      finds it? When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them,     \u201cRejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.\u201d Just so, I tell you,       there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-            nine righteous persons who need no repentance. (Luke 15:3-7)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            In God\u2019s eyes, it\u2019s never too late to be found by him. We may find our ways through life traveling through many valleys of the shadow of death but ultimately, God wants all of us to come home safely. I heard that when grandson, Don read Psalm 23 to Mrs. Lam, she took her last breath and return home to God. We know that our long years of life may be a circuitous and wayward journey perhaps too busy with survival to have time with God. We think that sometimes as long as we live faithful and responsible lives, we are blessed. But as the parable of the Lost Sheep teaches us, as long as there is one who is lost, God will go out of his way to find us and to bring us home. The psalmist says, \u201cSurely goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our lives and we shall dwell in the house of god forever.\u201d Christ himself waited for Ping C Lam who passed through into a new place, a place full of light and good health and the presence of God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let us pray.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

O Lord, as your Spirit descended upon your daughter, Ping C. Lam, we pray your peace would descend upon us here today. We especially seek your peace for these family members whose lives have been touched with a difficult loss. Even when we expect death, and know that it is inevitable, it is hard not to feel as if something has been left undone, or left unsaid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank you, O God, for the gift of memory. We know that our memories will be painful at first. But in time they will be precious treasures that will help these loved ones bridge the time between now and eternity. Grant them peace, Dear Lord, as they treasure the memories of a life well lived, and a death faithful confronted, and an eternal home secure and sure. In the name of Christ our Lord, we pray. Amen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Announcements<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

On behalf of Mrs. Lam\u2019s family, I expressed their appreciation and thanksgiving for your presence here tonight. The family has requested that if you would like to make a donation in the memory of Mrs. Ping C. Lam, gifts can be sent to the First Chinese Baptist Church in San Francisco. The address is printed in your bulletin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tomorrow, Sunday, March 20, there will be a Funeral Service for Mrs. Lam at 2:00 PM here at Halsted. Following the service, the Interment will be Chinese Six Company Cemetery in Daly City. You are cordially invited to tomorrow\u2019s service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the Benediction, you are invited to come forward to pay your respects and to greet the family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Benediction<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I challenged you now, beloved in the Lord, to face bravely the journey which our friend, Mrs. Ping C. Lam has completed, having arrived safely in God\u2019s kingdom<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Journey on, without the fear of falling, without any pretense about your true identity of a sinner in need of God\u2019s saving grace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Journey on, with tender memories of Mrs. Ping C. Lam and so many others who have gone before you, secure in the hope that, when our time comes, the love of God will be sufficient for you, thanks to our Lord Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now to him who is able to keep you from falling, and to make you stand without blemish in the presence of his glory with rejoicing, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power and authority, before all time and now and forevermore. Amen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Funeral Service for Ping C. Lam<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sunday, March 20, 2005<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2:00 PM<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Halsted N. Gray<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Call to Worship<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation\u2026So we are ambassadors for Christ. (2 Cor. 5:17-18, 20)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On this Sunday, a Day of Resurrection, we come to remember and celebrate the life of Mrs. Ping C. Lam who lived a full and active 94 years of a good life on this earth. My name is the Rev. Donald Ng, the pastor at the First Chinese Baptist Church in San Francisco. Our translator today is one of our church members, Ms. Jane Lam. On behalf the Mrs. Lam\u2019s Family, I share their deepest appreciation and thanks to you for making your presence known to them today. We pray that by your being here that you would comfort Mrs. Lam\u2019s family and that your faith in God\u2019s eternal life would be renewed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let us pray.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Creator and Redeemer God, at this time of deeply felt loss, we turn to you for comfort. We glorify you for creating the universe out of nothing and each one of us in your image. We acknowledge your sovereign wisdom in setting limits to our life on Earth and for setting before us, through Jesus, our crucified and risen Savior, a limitless life. Being reconciled to you through him, we hail him as the divine leader in that ministry of reconciliation in which he expects us to serve as his ambassadors. To him, with you and the Holy Spirit, be all glory and praise. Amen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scripture Readings<\/strong>               Psalm 23<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                John 6:35-40, 47-51<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hymn <\/strong>                                    Amazing Grace<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Biography<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Words of Remembrance<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Message<\/strong>\u2014Dynamic Woman<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the Bible there\u2019s a book called, Proverbs. We don\u2019t read from it often but it\u2019s like the Jewish version of what Confucius would say about wisdom and living a good life. The very last chapter of Proverbs, chapter 31, talks about what a capable woman is like. When a woman of great stature like Mrs. Ping C. Lam is remembered, I quickly thought about this passage in Proverbs once again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Listen to what Proverbs has to say about a capable and godly woman:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            She rises while it is still night and provides food for her household<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                        and tasks for her servant girls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            She girds herself with strength, and makes her arms strong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Her lamp does not go out at night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            She opens her hand to the poor, and reaches out her hands to the needy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            She looks well to the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of                                     idleness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Her children rise up and call her happy; her husband too, and he praises her:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            \u201cMany women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but the woman who fears the Lord is to be<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                        praised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Give her a share in the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the city                            gates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I was listening to the stories about \u201cGrandma,\u201d Mrs. Lam is like the capable and godly woman described in Proverbs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When her son, James Lam started a restaurant in San Francisco, Mrs. Lam and her husband, Charley J. Lam came to help out during the weekends so that James and Mamey may get some rest. The welfare of her family was always foremost in her mind. She didn\u2019t eat the bread of idleness. By doing this, Mrs. Lam gave the grandkids a chance to work with their grandparents at the restaurant too. We can see that her grandchildren and great grandkids call her happy and praises her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It sounds like she was a very active person, tireless in activities and passionate for life. Mrs. Lam was always busy with either this project or that project. She knew what tweaking was all about\u2014trying to make anything just a little better. There was always room for improvement. In her home, she would rearrange the furniture to make it more comfortable and perhaps to better extend her hand of hospitality to all who comes. A godly woman like Mrs. Lam opens her hand to the poor and reaches out her hand to the needy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mrs. Lam\u2019s vivacious and friendly personality made the apartment building where she lived filled with activity and life. Her tenants on the third floor have said that the building is quieter now without Mrs. Lam\u2019s presence. I\u2019m sure that her husband, Charley must have praised her just like how her apartment tenants praise her and miss her right now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to her grandchildren, \u201cGrandma\u201d was industrious\u2014making a supply of joong for each of the families each year. She knew what each person liked and disliked making sure that they got what they wanted. She like the women of her time would use different number of strings on the outside of the joong to tell you what treat will be found inside. When a family member became sick, she would make her healing soups to lower body heat or silent a cough or bring balance back to one\u2019s soul. As a godly woman, she rises while it is still night to provide food for her family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don Lam described his grandmother as \u201cdynamic.\u201d It means energetic, vigorous, in motion as opposed to static and still. Mrs. Lam used her life to become the driving force to bring energy to her whole family. To know her is to know a woman who made things happen because of her love for her loved ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the passage in John 6 that we read, we hear Jesus telling us that he is the bread of life. When we come to Jesus, we will never be hungry or thirsty again. This bread that comes from heaven, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior is the living bread. By believing in Jesus, we will live forever in eternal life. Jesus is the dynamic Savior who actively gave his life on the Cross so that we may have everlasting life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mrs. Ping C. Lam in her own way was a \u201cdynamo\u201d of a person who worked unselfishly to make her household wonderful place to belong. We will miss her dearly but she has also taught us to be dynamic and capable people ourselves to carry on. Today, we can go out into the world to praise God for his love and kindness as well as to give thanks to God for such a capable, godly, and dynamic woman like Mrs. Ping C. Lam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let us pray.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Creator and Provider God, at this time of all times, we thank you for the precious gift of life\u2014the life of Mrs. Ping C. Lam. We thank you for health and for the skill and compassion of those who care for us when our health falters and fails. We thank you for home, for the roof over our heads and the bed where we stretch out to renew our strength in sleep, and for the loved ones who make that roof and that bed and all the rest into a true home. And we thank you for hope\u2014hope for the pursuit of the next goal when one goal has been reached; hope for recovery and a fresh start when a goal has eluded us; hope at last, when all hope seems lost, except for the one shining hope set before us in your raising our Lord Jesus Christ from death. Amen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Announcements<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

On behalf of Mrs. Lam\u2019s family, I expressed their appreciation and thanksgiving for your presence here today. The family has requested that if you would like to make a donation in the memory of Mrs. Ping C. Lam, gifts can be sent to the First Chinese Baptist Church in San Francisco. The address is printed in your bulletin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following the service, the Interment will be at the Chinese Six Company Cemetery in Daly City. You are cordially invited to attend. There will be a Memorial dinner at Far East Caf\u00e9, 631 Grant Avenue, between Sacramento and California Streets in Chinatown at 5:30 PM.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the Benediction, you are invited to come forward to pay your respects and to greet the family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Benediction<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beloved, in the midst of sadness, I charge you to rejoice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rejoice in our hope of sharing the glory of God!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rejoice even in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rejoice above all that this hope does not disappoint us, because God\u2019s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Committal Service<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jesus said, \u201cI am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. (John 11:25-26)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. (John 3:16)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, crucified and risen, we commend to God\u2019s merciful care our sister, Ping C. Lam; and we commit her body to this final resting place: earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blessed are the dead who\u2026die in the Lord\u2026they will rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them. (Rev. 14:13)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let us pray.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

God, our Maker, you made our sister, Ping C. Lam, in your own image; you set her feet on our sojourner path; you watched over her along the way. As you lovingly received and welcomed her to the ranks of the redeemed, we pray that you would continue to guide our sojourner steps so that, at the appointed time, we might join Ping C. Lam in the communion of saints\u2014forgiven, transformed, and fit for our new life with the Lord, in whose name we pray. Amen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Benediction<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace. Amen.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Wake Service for Ping C. Lam March 19, 2005 6:00 PM Halsted N. Gray Call to Worship As a deer longs for flowing streams, So my soul longs for you,Continue readingPing C. Lam Wake Service<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3240","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-donald-ng-funerals"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.followgreg.com\/revdonaldng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3240","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.followgreg.com\/revdonaldng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.followgreg.com\/revdonaldng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.followgreg.com\/revdonaldng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.followgreg.com\/revdonaldng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3240"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.followgreg.com\/revdonaldng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3240\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3241,"href":"http:\/\/www.followgreg.com\/revdonaldng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3240\/revisions\/3241"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.followgreg.com\/revdonaldng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3240"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.followgreg.com\/revdonaldng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3240"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.followgreg.com\/revdonaldng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3240"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}