March 27, 2003
McAvoy O’Hara, Evergreen Mortuary
1:00 PM
Call to Worship
Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and world, from everlasting to everlasting, you are God. (Psalm 90:1-2)
On behalf of Mrs. Yet-Sen Ong Leong’s family, we are grateful and appreciative that you have come today to remember and celebrate the life of Mrs. Leong’s who completed her life on March 22, 2003 at the age of 100 years old. I am the Rev. Don Ng, Pastor of the First Chinese Baptist Church in San Francisco. Your presence is a comfort to the Leong family and we hope that your life is blessed by your loving respect for Mrs. Leong. This is a time for us to remember and celebrate God’s grace and promise of everlasting life in Jesus Christ.
Let us pray.
Eternal God, from generation to generation, you have been our dwelling place. Be gracious with us as we mourn the loss of our beloved, Yet-Sen Ong Leong. Give us the grace to entrust her to your eternal care, confident that our risen Lord has prepared an imperishable place for her. As we journey through life, strengthen us with the assurance that we will always belong to you, whether in life or death; through your Son, Jesus the Lord. Amen.
Scripture Readings
Psalm 23
Romans 8:31-35, 37-39
Reading the Biography
Sharing from Grandchildren
Generations to Generations
In the book of Genesis in the Old Testament, we read about a man named Me-thu-se-lah who lived for 969 years. The Bible said he died and that’s all. We are not told about what he did with all those years.
In biblical times, long life was considered a real blessing, largely because it was so rare. When Jesus died at 33, he lived six years beyond the average life span in the Roman Empire of his day—27 years. We live much longer today, but the principal question remains: “What are we doing with the additional years that we are given?”
Unlike Methuselah who lived for 969 years and we have no idea what he did, Mrs. Leong’s 100 years of life was filled with love, loyalty and perseverance. Today we remember, with affection and thanksgiving, Yet-Sen Ong Leong, a friend who lived a long life and who managed well the daunting challenges of coming to Gold Mountain to raise her family from one generation to another generation
One of the hallmarks of long life is the ability to be patient and loyal. Although we live in a society today dotted with fast food, connected with DSL, and communicating on instant messaging, to live a long and faithful life means waiting for a long time for your dreams to come true. Mrs. Leong endured many years raising her children in China while her husband was in the U.S. making a living to send money back home. This is how it was in those days. And every time, her husband was able to come back to the village, they were blessed with another child. When you wait, God gives us the joy and beauty of new life. And when Mrs. Leong was not permitted to come to America like her children were, she remained patient and loyal living in Hong Kong for 10 years before being reunited with her family.
Another hallmark of long life is the skill in giving and receiving. We know that only when we are willing to empty our pockets will we have enough room to fill them up again. Particularly during the time of the Japanese invasion of China, we see that Mrs. Leong gave unselfishly of herself. Against great threat on her life, she gave of herself to protect her children. She fed them, clothed them, and even with her limited amount of education, was able to teach them. She brought them up to become responsible and contributing members in the world.
And when it was time for Mrs. Leong in her later years to be cared for by her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren, she was equally graceful in receiving as when she once gave. When I was over at Judson and Winnie’s home and was privileged to see pictures of Mrs. Leong, I can see how you, her loving family gave generously to her and how she gracefully received your loving kindness. She received many birthday cakes. She received your invitations to eat out in restaurants. I also saw how she was willing to wear all kinds of funny hats as a way to receive your love for her as the matriarch of the family.
I am not surprised to learn that Mrs. Leong enjoyed gardening. When one is patient and perseveres, you would see the fruits of your labors. It takes time to see seeds sprout and vegetables grow. It requires care and tending to ensure healthy plants. For Mrs. Leong, she has seen many more seasons of planting, harvesting, and enjoying the fruits of her labor than most of us will. And with every good harvest, her happiness comes from seeing how you enjoy her sweet bok choy and snow peas.
Jesus said in Matthew 11,
“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.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Mrs. Leong lived a full and productive life always caring for her family in times of hardship as well as in times of joy. God has given her rest for her soul in a dwelling place in heaven.
Methuselah may have lived for 969 years. His life was long on quantity but short on quality. Jesus Christ lived on earth for 33 years. But the quality of Christ’s life upset the course of nature. Jesus Christ rose from the dead. Christ changed the course of history. Now we are counting our days beginning with his birth.
Truly Yet-Sen Ong Leong was a child of God who lived patiently and persevered to make a difference in each one of your lives. She has brought blessings to her generation, her children’s generation, to her 11 grandchildren’s generation, and to her 15 great grandchildren generation. In the name of Christ, we give thanks to God for the life and love of Yet-Sen Ong Leong and for the promise of eternal life.
Let us pray.
Creator and Provider God, at this time of all times, we thank you for the precious gift of life. We thank you for our health and well being and for all those who care for us when our health falters and fails. We thank you for our homes—for the roof over our heads and the dinner table where we gather to enjoy the fellowship of being a family that makes us a true home. And we thank you for hope—hope 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.
Announcements
The Leong Family is most appreciative and thankful for your presence here today. We pray that your expressions of respect for Mrs. Yet-Sen Ong Leong and your condolences to the family will also grant you peace and prosperity in your life for many years to come..
We will proceed from here to the Committal Service at Cypress Lawn Cemetery and immediately following that, the family invites you to attend the Longevity Dinner at 4:00 at the Hong Kong Seafood Restaurant at Noriega and 33rd Avenue in the Sunset District where they would welcome your presence.
Benediction
Remember, beloved brothers and sisters, God has promised to blessed us and keep us in this life and in our new life with the Lord. The same God whose face now shines on our friend, Yet-Sen Ong Leong, has promised, through our Lord, to forgive us and shelter us throughout eternity. Let us find comfort and peace in these gracious promises of a loving God.
Now may the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace. Amen.
Committal Service
Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.” (John 11:25-26)
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, crucified and risen, we commend to God’s merciful care our sister, Yet-Sen Ong Leong; and we commit her body to its final resting place, earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust.
“Blessed are those who die in the Lord…they will rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them.” (Revelations 14:13)
Let us pray.
God of grace and mercy, comfort and assure us with the knowledge that Yet-Sen Ong Leong is with you, at peace in your eternal love and care. As we go forth from this place, grant us faith in your goodness, faith in guiding wisdom, and faith in your everlasting promise, through your Son, Jesus Christ.
Now as the shadows lengthen, and the evening comes, and the busy world is hushed, and the fever of life is over, and our work is done, O Lord, in your mercy, grant us safe journeys, a holy rest, and lasting peace through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Please come to the Longevity Dinner at Hong Kong Seafood Restaurant at Noriega and 33rd Avenue in the Sunset District.