Homily in Celebration of the Life of Sally England

Delivered by the Rev. Sam Frazier

At the Requiem Eucharist Celebrated at her Funeral

September 9, 2008
Dear Friends and Family of Sally England.  I am deeply honored to have this opportunity to join with you in celebrating the life of Sally England.  I met her here at Saint Andrew’s about ten years ago, and during the years since then I have been continually inspired by her life – her determination to fight her cancer and her dedication to her family and to her church.  Sally is a person who never gave up and kept on going, no matter how she felt.

Ten years ago Sally came every once in a while and brought her grandson, Ryan.  She regularly attended Blessed Sacrament Roman Catholic Church in Burlington and took Ryan with her.  Then suddenly she and Ryan started coming to Saint Andrew’s on a regular basis.  A year or so later, she confessed to me why they started coming to church here on a regular basis: One day Ryan said, “Nana, I want to go to Saint Andrew’s because that’s where God is.”  Sally smiled and said, “So we started coming here on a regular basis.  We wanted to be where God is.”

The beauty of this little story is that Sally brought God to us.  She was a deeply spiritual woman with the courage to stick to her convictions.  And she was always here.  She attended the Sunday morning forum, our book studies, Sunday morning Eucharist and Holy Day services, and she volunteered to serve in our HOPE Ministry helping meet the needs of 60+ year old elders in Alamance County.  Here is an example of her dedication and her perseverance: while she was receiving chemo therapy, she also served as a volunteer with HOPE Ministry.  Very few of us would even have the strength or the desire to serve others while battling a deadly disease like cancer!  But she kept coming.  She kept coming to church and she kept on serving others.

On Friday evening Arthur and I went to visit her at Barbara England’s house.  At that time I administered Holy Unction and Last Rites, and brought her communion.  We had come because the Hospice nurse had said that she would not last the night.  However, she did not leave us until Sunday morning when her time had come.  Now you must remember that this is a woman whose last day of work was last Wednesday!  I have never met a person with such perseverance and such courage.  Now hear this: on Thursday, Sally and Barbara were planning to come to church on Sunday.  Barbara had even gotten the church’s wheel chair to help Sally get to church.

So in light of all that had transpired, on this past Sunday morning I half expected Sally to show up at church, to show up at church in spite of everything!  I half expected a miracle!  But that was not to be, because she was gone to meet her Maker.  Yesterday, I thought about my expectation of a miracle, and it suddenly hit me – a miracle has occurred!  Sally has given us the greatest gift that a person can give – the inner beauty that is herself, her courage, her strength, and her hope.  We are all so fortunate to have known this powerful woman during our life journey!  She was literally our rock.  By her example, she gave us strength.  By her example, she gave us courage.  And, my friends, the miracle continues.  We are all different people because of Sally.  We are all better people because of Sally.  We are all changed forever because of Sally.  Thank you Sally.  We send you a chorus of thank you’s.  And we know that you are fine now.  Right now you are in the loving arms of your Creator.  Right now you are experiencing the resurrected life in Jesus Christ.  Thanks be to God!  AMEN.