August 20, 2011
Call to Worship
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to throw away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace. (Ecc. 3:1-8). Thanks be to God for this time when we can gather to remember and celebrate the life of Wai Ching Mah.
My name is Rev. Don Ng, Pastor of the First Chinese Baptist Church in San Francisco and on behalf of Wai Ching Mah’s family, I welcome you here today. Wai Ching Mah lived for 98 years, born on June 2, 1913 in China and returned to God on August 11, 2011 in San Francisco.
Kem Pei
One of the rich Confucian cultural traditions that many practice to symbolize our love and care for our departed loved one is kem pei or blanketing. The family participated in this act just prior to the beginning of the service and wanted me to explain its significance.
The blankets keep the spirit warm and help brave the cold. The family began with the oldest son and family all the way to the youngest child and family. The first blankets reflecting more opaque colors represent the older members of the family of life well-lived. The other blankets brighter and full of different colors represent the richness and promise of life yet to come in the younger generations. As Wai Ching Mah securely tucked her children in bed to rest and sleep, now her children and family tucked her in for her eternal rest. This is a beautiful ritual of family love.
Opening Prayer
Let us pray. Creator God, we trust you to guide us through every season of life. You carry us from death to life, from weeping to laughing, from mourning to dancing, and from silence to speaking. Inspire us to experience every season in its fullness, and to trust that nothing lasts forever—except your eternal love. In Christ, we pray. Amen.
Scripture Reading
Psalm 23—Matthew Mah
Biography—Robert Mah
Sharing of Memories
Jeanie Joe
Robert Mah
Joe Pirrone (For Diana Mah Pirrone)
Steven Joe
Katie Joe
Laura Mah
Living a Long Life
It is not surprising to have three generations of family remembering the stories of the life of Wai Ching Mah. When one is blessed to live for 98 years, Wai Ching Mah was able to participate in countless milestones and special days of life and serve as the calendar on which her whole family marks their years of living. Mrs. Mah became the matriarch of the family and the connection between the old country in China and the new life in America.
There’s a man listed in Genesis 5:21-27 in the Old Testament named, Methuselah who lived for 969 years and died. He was the son of Enoch and became the father of Lamech but we are not told anything else about Methuselah who lived for 969 years. In biblical times, long life was considered a blessing, largely because it was so rare. But we have no idea what Methuselah did for those 969 years.
Wai Ching Mah lived a long and good life and based on the sharing that we heard, we know what Mrs. Mah did for her 98 years of living. Like many in her generation, Mrs. Mah grew up and worked in the Taishan region of Guangdong Province and was given the opportunity to eventually come to America. This generation was caught in the turbulent chapters of human history of fleeing the Japanese invasion, surviving the crossfire of World War II, and the dream of coming to Gold Mountain for another chance of starting a new life. As a family, they made difficult and at times, heart wrenching decisions to stay together and remain as a family to care and watch over each other. The things that Mrs. Mah and her siblings did provide the sources of strength and fortitude for you today to also survive and endure whatever challenges in life that may come your way.
We know in the Bible that Jesus lived for only 33 years, which at that time was 6 years beyond the average life span in the Roman Empire. We live much longer now, but the principal question remains: What are we doing with the years that we are given?
We can learn from Mrs. Mah with affection and thanksgiving that we are to treat every person as unique and special at all stages of life. She loved every member of her family. Jesus never dealt with people in stereotypes, such as “young” or “old.” He related with persons as unique individuals, created in the image of God.
Mrs. Mah took care of children when they were young and spoiled them with candy, their favorite foods, and countless gifts. And when she grew older, she made the best of life by staying active and busy. She loved life so much that she took her daily lap around the block and wanted to walk up the stairs on her own. Life doesn’t begin after college or at 30 or 40 or even 65 either. Life begins when we give thanks to God for every day that we have and make the most of it.
Another hallmark of a Christian way of getting old is to know how to give. When we learn how to give not only the lesser gifts of money and things, but rather the greater, more sacrificial gifts of time, understanding and love, we begin to reflect the love of God. This kind of love is what we call, agape, the self-giving kind of love. Mrs. Mah gave of her life and energy to her expanding family—going to Chinatown to prepare the food they wanted to eat because that’s the way she showed her love, buying new clothes for them while denying herself of new clothes by wearing hand-me-downs, even recycling things that she thought still may have value believing that there may be a time when hardship could happen again. Mrs. Mah sacrificed for her family out of her love for them.
But the Christian way of growing old has still another hallmark. Skill in giving is just one side of the coin. The other side is the grace in receiving. Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive,” but he did not mean that to receive is not also blessed. As we grow older, our physical dependence on others will be greater. While Mrs. Mah was quite independent and self-sufficient up to the day she passed, she had also grown to understand the gift of receiving. She received the help from her caregiver and dear friend, Mrs. Lee. She received the opportunities and blessings of going to one of her favorite and happiest places in the world, Disneyland. And finally, she received and cherished the love and care of her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren as they shower her with their love, affection, and lives. As much as Mrs. Mah gave her love in her long life to her family, she also learned to receive their love for her all the way to the end.
In the 17th chapter of John’s Gospel, Jesus talks to his disciples about his power to give eternal life. And then he makes the amazing statement: “And this is eternal life…” not in the future, but in the present tense—“this is eternal life”—to know him, trust him, serve him. To live as Christ’s women and men is to have eternal life right now: the kind of life, the quality of life, which makes the transition into a new and glorious life with the Risen Lord.
Jesus lived 33 years and died, but the quality of his life upset the course of human history. He rose from death and promises us eternal life. From Jesus Christ, we count our years from his birth on the calendar and his triumphant life can help us, you and me, to start living a good life today.
Methuselah lived 969 years and he died—a life long on quantity but short on quality. Wai Ching Mah lived a long life as well that was filled with love, self-sacrifice, and faithfulness to her family. She will be remembered for as long as you shall live because of how her 98 years of life was filled with a life-giving love.
Let us pray.
Eternal and loving God, Giver of Life, we thank you for all the stages of our lives, from birth to death and beyond death.
We praise you for the freshness, the innocence of childhood. We thank you for the exciting trials of adolescence and youthful dreams. We praise you for all the right choices we made in early maturity and ask for your forgiveness for making so many wrong ones. We thank you for the satisfaction of our later mature years: for teaching us, sometimes painfully, how to give more and expect less in return.
And we praise you for the sunset years as you may have in store for us—insights and wisdom, the joy of being with grandchildren and great grandchildren, and for the courage to face our own mortality strengthened by the promise of a more perfect life, thanks to the love and willing sacrifice of your blessed Son.
Thank you God, for the life of your child, Wai Ching Mah, ended here, resumed with the Lord. Amen.
Expression of Appreciation & Announcements
After you have come forward to offer your last respects and to greet the family, you will be given two small envelopes when you exit. The white envelope contains a piece of candy to symbolize sweetness in a bittersweet situation. The red envelope contains a coin for you to buy something on your way home to suggest that you will continue to prosper and to have a healthy life.
Immediately following this service, we’ll have a Committal Service at the Old Ning Yung Cemetery in Colma followed by a Memorial Meal at the Yet Wah Restaurant located on 2140 Clement St. at 23rd Avenue. If you desire to go directly to the restaurant, you can expect the family to arrive approximately around 4:30 PM.
The family of Wai Ching Mah thanks you for your presence today and the words of encouragement that have brought great comfort at this time of loss.
Benediction
I challenge you now, beloved in the Lord, to face bravely the journey which our friend, Wai Ching Mah, has completed, having arrived safely in God’s kingdom.
Journey on, without the fear of falling; without any pretense about your true state as a sinner in need of God’s saving grace.
Journey on, with tender memories of Wai Ching Mah and so many others who have gone before you, secure in the hope that, when your time comes, the love of God will be sufficient for you, thanks to our Lord Jesus Christ.
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 forever. Amen.
Committal Service
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 love 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 our sister, Wai Ching Mah; and we commit her body to this final resting place: earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust.
“Blessed are the dead who…die in the Lord…they will rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them.” (Rev. 14:13)
Let us pray.
God, our Maker, you have made our sister, Wai Ching Mah, in your own image; you set her feet on a sojourner’s experience; 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 Wai Ching Mah in the communion of saints—forgiven, transformed, and fit for our new life with the Lord, in whose name we pray. Amen.
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.