Categories
Reflections and Poetry

Service to Honour the Life of Alan Tun

Funeral to be held at 1pm UK time, Monday 29th March: Livestream open link(scroll down on this Homepage): https://tmc-church.org.uk/

to be saved and accessible thereafter: https://tmc-church.org.uk/preacher/tun-alan/

All song selections are chosen from Alan’s personal collection 

Song 

Pie Jesu by Aled Jones 

Pie Jesu, pie Jesu, pie Jesu, pie Jesu
Qui tollis piccata mundi
Dona eis requiem, dona eis requiem
Pie Jesu, pie Jesu, pie Jesu, pie Jesu
Qui tollis piccata mundi
Dona eis requiem, dona eis requiem Agnus Dei, Agnus Dei, Agnus Dei, Agnus Dei Qui tollis piccata mundi
Dona eis requiem, dona eis requiem Sempiternam, sempiternam Sempiternam requiem 

Welcome and Prayer 

by Pastor Deon Esterhuizen 

Reading 

Psalm 23: 1 – 6 by Izzie Jay 

The Lord Is My Shepherd 

I shall not want. 

He makes me to lie down in green pastures; 

He leads me beside the still waters. 

He restores my soul; 

He leads me in the paths of righteousness 

For His name’s sake. 

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, 

I will fear no evil; 

For You are with me; 

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; 

You anoint my head with oil; 

My cup runs over. 

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me 

All the days of my life; 

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Family Eulogy 

by Victor Tun 

Song 

How Great Thou Art by Elvis Presley 

Oh Lord my God when I in awesome wonder Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder
Thy power throughout the universe displayed. When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation And take me home – What joy shall fill my heart Then I shall bow in humble adoration
And there proclaim my God how great Thou art Then sings my soul, my Saviour God to Thee How great Thou art, how great Thou art Then sings my soul, my Saviour God to Thee How great Thou art, how great Thou art. 

Reading 

Scripture Collage
by Jim Goodwin

Verses suggested by colleagues and friends 

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.” 

Psalm 91: 1 – 2 

“Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him;
I will set him on high, because he has known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will deliver him and honour him.” 

Psalm 91: 14 – 15 

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. 

James 3: 13 

But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. 

James 3: 17 – 18 

“The thief does not come except to kill, and to steal, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life and may have it more abundantly.” 

John 10: 10 

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth,
but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it….. 

Joshua 1: 8

“To whom then will you liken Me,
Or to whom shall I be equal?” says the Holy One. 

“Lift up your eyes on high,
And see who has created these things,
Who brings out their host by number;
He calls them all by name,
By the greatness of His might
And the strength of His power;
Not one is missing.” 

Isaiah 40: 25 – 26 

“Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel, And His redeemer, the Lord of hosts: I am the first and I am the last; Besides me there is no other God….” 

Isaiah 44: 6 

Indeed He says, “It is too small a thing that
You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob, And to restore the preserved ones of Israel;
I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles,
That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.” 

Isaiah 49: 6 

Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, And the Lord listened and heard them;
So a book of remembrance was written before Him For those who fear the Lord
And who meditate on His name. 

“They shall be Mine,” says the Lord of hosts, “On the day that I make them My jewels. And I will spare them
As a man spares his own son who serves him.” 

Malachi 3: 16 – 17 

For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, Saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’ 

Isaiah 41: 13 

Precious in the sight of the Lord Is the death of His saints. 

Psalm 116: 15 

His Lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ 

Matthew 25: 23 

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing. 

2 Tim 4: 7 – 8 

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever
things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy – meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you. 

Philippians 4: 8 – 9 

Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear! 

Matthew 13: 43 

Ministry Eulogy 

by Tim Vince 

Song 

Thy Word by Amy Grant 

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet And a light unto my path. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet And a light unto my path. 

When I feel afraid,
And think I’ve lost my way. Still, You’re there right beside me. Nothing will I fear
As long as You are near; Please be near me to the end. 

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet And a light unto my path. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet And a light unto my path. 

I will not forget
Your love for me and yet, My heart forever is wandering. Jesus be my guide,
And hold me to Your side, And I will love you to the end. 

Nothing will I fear
As long as You are near; Please be near me to the end. 

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet And a light unto my path. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet And a light unto my path. And a light unto my path. You’re the light unto my path. 

Reading 

Romans 8: 1 – 39 by Sarah Tun 

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made
me free from the law of sin and death.
For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh,
on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh,
That the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death,
but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Because the carnal mind is enmity against God;
for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.
So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin,
but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
Therefore, brethren, we are debtors – not to the flesh,
to live according to the flesh.
For if you live according to the flesh you will die;
but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”
The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that
we are children of God,
And if children, then heirs – heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 

For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly
waits for the revealing of the sons of God.
For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly,
but because of Him who subjected it in hope;
because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage
of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
For we know that the whole creation groans and
labours with birth pangs together until now.
Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even
we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.
For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope;
for why does one still hope for what he sees?
But if we hope for what we do not see,
we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.
Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the
Spirit is, because He makes intercession
for the saints according to the will of God.
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things?
If God is for us, who can be against us?
He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died,
and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation,
or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: 

“For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” 

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 

For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come. 

Nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

Time of Prayer 

by Pastor Deon Esterhuizen 

Song 

From A Distance by Cliff Richard 

From a distance, the world looks blue and green And the snow capped mountains so white From a distance the ocean meets the stream And the eagle takes to flight. 

From a distance, there is harmony
And it echoes through the land
It’s the voice of hope, it’s the voice of peace It’s the voice of everyone. 

From a distance, we all have enough And no one is in need
There are no guns, no bombs and no disease No hungry mouths to feed. 

For a moment we are instruments Marching in a common band
Playing songs of hope, playing songs of peace They’re the songs of everyone. 

God is watching us God is watching us
God is watching us, from a distance. 

From a distance, you look like my friend Even though we are at war
From a distance, I can’t comprehend What all this war is for. 

What we need is love and harmony Let it echo through the land
It’s the hope of hopes, it’s the love of loves It’s the heart of everyone
It’s the hope of hopes, it’s the love of loves It’s the song of everyone. 

Sing out songs of Hope Sing out songs of Freedom Sing out songs of Love Sing out songs of Peace Sing out songs of Justice Sing out songs of Harmony Sing out songs of Love Sing out Everyone… 

Socially distanced light refreshments will be served in the church hall after the service.

Afterword:

Alan Tun: Total freedom in Christ by Sarah Tun 

Our lovely Alan has gone 

“Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” (Galatians 5:1) 

With Alan’s inverted thinking, taking the Gospel for exactly what it says and with no assumptions, leads us to the logical conclusion that death is not to be mourned, not for the person who has died. He has moved to an address which offers so much more. 

Why did this happen? 

Since we know that GOD is good and rewards those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6), and since I’ve already established in my mind, as well as in my experience with Alan in his last hours, that Alan was ready to go to be with him, then on what basis did the LORD think of me? Did He abandon me or my son? Not at all. 

My logical conclusion to what has occurred is that he trusts me to be able to handle this life without my husband. He trusts our son to grow up in the knowledge of the LORD even without his father. We trust in the LORD with all our hearts (Proverbs 3:5) and so when we look to that scripture, to actually implement it, we can choose to trust it. 

Alan’s perspective 

Alan always looked at scripture afresh. He looked deeply,
rather than at an obvious understanding. We need the obvious when we are young, but as we age in faith (Alan came to the LORD as a teen),
we see through the glass more clearly. 

“For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.” (1 Corinthians 13:12) 

Now that Alan has left us, he sees it all. His perspective will not be limited to his logical, truthful, consistent approach to scripture,
but will be limitless, inspired and full of all truth. 

All glory to GOD! 

Complete article at https://www.laruspress.com