August 21, 2010
Call to Worship
God is gracious. He heals the brokenhearted, and binds up their wounds. Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure. Jesus said, “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” (Psalm 147:1, 3,5; Matt. 11:28, 29; 5:4)
I am Rev. Don Ng and joining me are Dr. Peter Lee and Rev. Chris Otani from the First Chinese Baptist Church in San Francisco where Aaron Tom is a member and an active leader of our church.
We gather today as family, friends, sisters and brothers in Christ to remember a child of God, Douglas You Tom, born into this world on October 24, 1948 in China and returned to the Lord on August 8, 2010. While in today’s standards, living a life of 61 years is too short, Doug Tom lived every year faithfully and fully as friend to many, husband to Annie Wong, a father to Jeffrey, Aaron, and Tiffany, and a child of God his creator.
On behalf of the Tom Family, I welcome you here to this time of celebrating and remembering the life of Doug Tom. By your presence and your many prayers, the Tom family is thankful for your care, support, and love during this time of loss and grief.
Let us pray.
O God, your care is like that of a father who has compassion for his children and a mother who comforts her child. We cast our heavy burdens of grief on you. Be gracious with us in our anguish. Grant us the comfort of your rest. Reassure us with the confidence that your faithful servant, Douglas You Tom, has been received into the arms of your mercy, in the blessed rest of your eternal care. May our lives hereafter bear witness to the hope that is ours in the crucified and risen Christ, who defeated death for our sake and now reigns victorious in your glory. Through his name we pray. Amen.
Biography (English & Chinese) Peter Lee
Douglas (You) Tom, was born in Canton, China on October 25th, 1948. When he was 4 years old, Douglas moved to Hong Kong and spent the next 10 years of his childhood growing up there. In 1962, at the age of 14, he made his arrival to the United States of America.
Douglas, or Doug, spent his adolescent years growing up in San Francisco Chinatown in the 60’s. As a teenager, he attended Galileo High School located in the historic north end of San Francisco. Often, he would be playing the game he loved, basketball, with his closest friends in Chinatown, especially at the Chinese Playground. After college, he married Annie Wong and together they had three children: Jeffrey, Aaron, and Tiffany. Douglas worked several jobs, which include 17 years in an architectural design firm called Leo A Daly, and eventually becoming a Mapping Technician for PG&E.
Douglas enjoyed talking with people on all kinds of subjects, ranging from sports, finances, history, politics, cars or films. His favorite dish to cook was a perfectly medium rare Prime Rib. His favorite basketball player was Magic Johnson for his uncanny passing ability, his leadership skills, his mastery of the fundamentals and complete unselfishness. His other hobbies include traveling (China, Hong Kong, Las Vegas, Canada, Los Angeles), reading (numerous novels and magazines), movies (Westerns, war films, historical documentaries…etc) and food (pastries).
Douglas was a determined worker, who believed in providing for his family to the fullest extent of his ability, hoping that his children could capitalize on having a better opportunity than he had growing up.
On August 8th, 2010, Douglas, at the age of 61, passed away peacefully at home.
Scripture Readings Chris Otani
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
Words of Remembrance
Message—Finished the Race
Douglas You Tom is one whom I did not know personally. All of us know people not because we have shaken their hands or come face to face with them but because we know them through others. I know Doug Tom from the stories that his son, Aaron shared with me. I know the Apostle Paul from the letters that he wrote and brought to life in the Bible. Someone once said that in what seems to be a vast world in which we live, we are often only separated by 3 degrees. I think in the San Francisco Asian community, it’s only 1 degree of separation. But more importantly, when we see ourselves as children of God—all created by the one God made in his image, we are all sisters and brothers already. We know each other because God first knows us.
Doug Tom was born on October 25, 1948 in Canton, China and returned to the Lord on August 8, 2010. He lived in Hong Kong for 10 years and came to the U.S. in 1962 and grew up in San Francisco Chinatown. He went to Galileo High School and graduated from City College. For 19 years, he worked for PG&E as a mapper or a draftsman.
I can imagine that Doug was the kind of person who was able to read those schematic drawings of where electricity was coming from and going to. He worked hard to faithfully provide for his wife and three children.
One of the activities kids do growing up in Chinatown is to play basketball. It’s a city sport. There’s a team picture of Doug when they won a championship. John Tom remembers playing ball with Doug at the Chinese Playground. When one settles down to start a family, we tend to put away what seemingly are childish things like playing basketball, some may say. Aaron told me that he never had the chance to play basketball with his Dad and wish he had.
While Doug might have hung up his Converses, the childhood fun in him remains by being an avid sports fan. He followed the 49ers and the Warriors. In his youth, he adopted the UCLA’s basketball team as his team to cheer for. Following them during the season and when they’re on TV, we can imagine Doug seeing himself on the court playing with the best of them. Doug stayed supporting UCLA to the very end. Once he is committed to something, he stays with them during the good seasons as well as the disappointing ones.
When Doug discovered he had cancer, he fought it with courage. After a time of remission, the cancer came back and he fought it again. For Doug’s wife and his children, they witnessed the hardship that Doug endured fighting ravaging cancer to his once athletic body. At the end, his body gave up but his fighting spirit never did.
The Apostle Paul writing to the Church in Corinth spoke about the meaning of this life that we have on earth and the everlasting life we have in heaven. Paul said, “This perishable body must put on imperishability” and “this mortal body must put on immortality” (1 Cor. 15:53). Paul’s important point was that just as we have been provided for in this life, so shall we be provided for in the afterlife. The package changes, but our unique personality continues on.
In another passage from the Apostle Paul, he talked about living in the earthly tent that is easily destroyed, but we can be confident that we have a building from God, a house not made with hands but eternal in the heavens. Under this earthly tent, we groan under our burden but when we are away from this tent, we will be home with the Lord (2 Cor. 5:1-10). Paul also spoke about life is like being clay jars that is fragile and breakable but inside these common clay jars are treasures of extraordinary power that comes from God. When we are afflicted in every way, we are not crushed. We may be perplexed but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed (2 Cor. 4:7ff).
As Doug fought cancer in the past few years, his body suffered greatly. As a family, you saw how debilitating cancer was to him. But according to the Apostle Paul, his physical body was only the perishable putting on the imperishable. His body was the earthly tent that may be destroyed knowing that God’s house is permanent in heaven. His body was like a fragile clay pot but when it finally was crushed, we see that there were powerful treasures inside.
Aaron told me that after his father’s passing, one of his Dad’s old friends shared with him that his father was a determined and tough man. Doug kept going back to work even after he had poor health. He stayed at work and didn’t step away for a medical leave or an early retirement. He kept at it. He finished the race that he started. When Aaron, Jeffrey, and Tiffany looked inside the clay jar, they found a long-lasting legacy from their father—never give up, keep at it, stay focus like always cheering for Magic Johnson, and finish the race.
Doug liked traveling, talking with his friends over a variety of topics, and enjoying good food. He enjoyed reading books about historical fiction and dramatic fantasy. He read magazines about sports. While he rarely talked with his children in deep conversations, he was always ready to chat about sports.
Doug and the Apostle Paul have a lot in common. Educated by the Romans, Paul also enjoyed sports. Paul most likely participated in playing in the Roman games. In Paul’s writings, there are a number of sports images that Doug probably could identify with. In 2 Timothy, Paul after serving the Lord faithfully and now passing the baton to his young disciple, Timothy said, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. From now on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have longed for his appearance.”
We believe in faith that Doug Tom has fought the good fight. He has finished the race. And he has kept the faith with his wife as being a good husband and with his children as a good father.
Our Lord, Jesus Christ said, “I 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). Christians believe that while the package changes, our unique personality continues on. We believe that Jesus Christ went through death himself, came out on the other side, and told us that we have nothing to fear. Christ said that it is like going home. He talked of his Father’s house, where there is room for all. And he said, “If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?” (John 14:2). Jesus said he would meet us when the time came and take us home, that we may be where he is. We Christians believe him to be absolutely right about that promise.
In death, we believe it is only the beginning of a new life. Our Lord has taught us that when we finish the race here, it’s only our beginning again. It means a new and glorious life in the Father’s house. For Doug Tom, it’s watching UCLA basketball games whenever he wishes and cheering them on whether they win or lose.
Someone once wrote this poem:
Think of stepping on shore
and finding it heaven.
Of taking hold of a hand
and finding it God’s hand.
Of breathing a new air
and finding it celestial air.
Of feeling invigorated
and finding it immortality.
Of passing from storm and tempest
to perfect calm.
Of waking and knowing
I am home!
Doug Tom is home with God, his Creator because he fought the good fight, finished the race that he started and kept the faith.
Let us pray.
O Lord, your grace and mercy are more than we can grasp, but we are grateful. Your steadfast love is overwhelming, bountiful beyond our understanding, but we are appreciative. We glorify you, holy Father God, and pray that you will enable us to serve faithfully through the days of our lives on earth as Doug You Tom has and now throughout eternity. All of which we ask in the name of the one you sent for our salvation, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Acknowledgements & Announcements
The Tom family expresses deep appreciation and gratitude for your presence here today. They hope that you have been blessed because you have come. After you have come forward to express your last respects and to greet the family, the interment will be at Hoy Sun Memorial Cemetery at 2101 Hillside Blvd in Colma. Following the committal service, the Tom family invites you to come to the memorial reception at Lichee Garden on
1416 Powell Street in San Francisco beginning probably at 1:30.
Other announcements:
Benediction
Beloved, in the midst of sadness, I charge you to rejoice.
Rejoice in the hope of sharing the glory of God!
Rejoice even in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance and endurance produces character, and character produces hope!
Rejoice above all that this hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit! (Romans 5:2-5)
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.
Committal Service
Douglas You Tom
Jesus said, “I 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)
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)
In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, crucified and risen, we commend to God’s merciful care of our brother, Douglas You Tom; and we commit his body to this final resting place.
“Blessed are the dead who…die in the Lord…they will rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them.” (Revelations 14:13)
Let us pray.
God, our Maker, you made our brother Douglas You Tom in your own image; you set his feet on an immigrant’s journey; you watched over him for 62 years of life. As you lovingly received and welcomed him 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 Douglas You Tom in the communion of saints—forgiven, transformed, and fit for our new life with the Lord, in whose name we pray. Amen.
Announcements
Following this service, you are invited to a memorial reception to meet and greet one another in celebration of Doug Tom’s life. Please go directly to Lichee Garden on 1416 Powell St. in San Francisco.
Benediction
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.