Sermon Tone Analysis

Welcome & Gathering

Jesus said, I am the resurrection and I am life.

Those who believe in me, even though they die, yet shall they live, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die.

Friends, we have gathered here to praise God and to witness to our faith as we celebrate the life of Robert Blaine Wofford.

We come together in grief, acknowledging our human loss.

May God grant us grace, that in pain we may find comfort, in sorrow….hope, in death….resurrection.

Pray (Ruth Ann gets in place)

Special Music - Ruth Ann

Hymn of Promise

Old Testament Scripture

Pastoral Prayer

O God, who gave us birth,

you are ever more ready to hear

than we are to pray.

You know our needs before we ask,

and our ignorance in asking.

Give to us now your grace,

that as we shrink before the mystery of death,

we may see the light of eternity.

Speak to us once more

your solemn message of life and of death.

Help us to live as those who are prepared to die.

And when our days here are accomplished,

enable us to die as those who go forth to live,

so that living or dying, our life may be in you,

and that nothing in life or in death will be able to separate us

from your great love in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Add prayer for family:

Sharon (wife)

Shannon and Ian

Shawn and Jocelyn

Dixie (mom)

David and Rebekah (siblings)

Kiera and Mia (granddaughters)

Amen.

Celebration of Life

Robert Blaine Wofford, “Cowboy”, passed away on January 6, 2023 in Conroe, Texas.

He was born on August 17, 1953 in Woodward, Oklahoma.

He attended Southwestern State University in Weatherford, Oklahoma and Amberton University in Garland, Texas.

He started his 42-year career in the Oil and Gas industry with Sun Oil Co in Laverne, Oklahoma as a roustabout in 1974.

He successfully pursued many opportunities learning the business rom field work to plant operations and eventually working in marketing.

During his marketing career he worked for Sun/Oryx in Dallas, Texas, ProEnergy in The Woodlands, Texas, Devon Energy in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and Forest Oil in Denver, Colorado.

Due to his long career, he became an inspiration and mentor to many.

He was always willing to help others succeed and in doing so formed many cherished friendships.

After his first retirement from the corporate world, her moved to Conroe and worked at Red River Midstream in partnership with Cheniere Energy until he retired.

After his retirement, he enjoyed spending time with family, playing golf, and boating on Lake Conroe.

He also wanted to help people in the community through volunteer work.

He became a Stephen Minister in 2017 and also volunteered with Keep Us Fed Montgomery Co.

He is survived by his wife Sharon Wofford, daughter Shannon Rosenfeld and her husband Ian, son Shawn Wofford and his wife Jocelyn, mother Dixie Wofford, brother David Wofford and his wife Pamela, sister Rebekah Hasty and her husband Jason, granddaughters Kiera Rosenfeld and Mia Rosenfeld.

Shannon Rosenfeld

Shawn Wofford

New Testament Scripture

Pray.

Message of Hope

It has been an honor to get to know Blaine more speaking with the family in the last several days.

Reading online the comments written about him from former coworkers or stories shared from Sharon.

Much has already been testified to about the life of Blaine from these witnesses.

I am grateful for them.

Blaine was a family man.

He was committed to his family.

Sharon learned that from day 1, even as his kids joined then on their first dates.

Blaine learned how to be a good parent from his parents, mom Dixie is probably watching right now.

He was so proud of his kids and loved being your dad.

Blaine had a long successful career, even though he struggled to retire, haha, and made an impact on so many that he worked with.

In retirement years he loved to travel; taking ski trips, cruises and spending time with his wife Sharon of 27 years.

More than that Blaine loved well.

He was very active here at FMC in the Tuesday morning men’s group, he became a Stephen Minister, and loved serving in the ministry called “Keep us fed.”

Blaine just could not “see someone that did not have enough and not do something about it.”

University of Tennessee Chancellor, Donde Plowman, defines leadership as “the willingness to act in order to make something better.”

That was Blaine.

He loved “Keep us fed” because it wasnt just making some sack lunches for people but it was going out and getting to know the people that you were serving.

This love comes from knowing you are a child of God as the apostle John wrote and we read earlier.

John writes about love 46 times in the short letter of 1 John.

To know you are a child of God, to know you have been loved gives you the ability to love.

Love embraced is love extended.

Cherished friend, mentor, dad, husband, son.

That is what makes this day difficult.

As a matter of fact that is what has made the last few years difficult with his journey.

We know in our bones that illness, death, is not how it should be.

The apostle Paul taps into this emotion:

“Our momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.”

Two things can be true today: we can mourn, and we can rejoice.

I love the Isaiah passage chosen today because he tells of a hope we must all hold onto on days like this.

In this passage the people of Israel are facing exile, loss, desperation.

The first 39 chapters of the book speak of the downfall of Israel.

And in the midst of complete loss, a word of Hope comes to the people of God.

Here we find:

Comfort

Forgiveness

Promise

Future

Comfort, comfort my people:

The very first word in the midst tragedy and loss is comfort.

God says to the people of Israel, I see you.

The Hebrew word for comfort is encourage or strengthen, to stiffen.

This is the message in the midst of your plight.... Hold on, I see you.

Forgiveness:

When we face hardship, in so many ways our faith is revealed to be very small.

God is not surprised by that, instead God understands.

Blaine wasnt perfect and neither are any of us here.