This is one hour and 40 minutes. But nowonce was lost am found seeblind but now i twas grace that taught my heart to fear and grace my fears relieved how precious did that grace appear hour i first believed the lord hath promised good to me his word my hope secures he will my shield and portion be as long as life endures through many burdens, toils, and snares i have already come brought umethat safe thus far will lead me home there ten been thousand years as the suning days to sing gods praise we first begun in the name of the father, and of the son, and of the holy spirit. Amen. Peace be with you. And with you. As our sister cokie has died with the lord, so may she live with him in glory. Let us pray. O god almighty father our faith professes that your son died and rose again mercifully grant that through this ministry, your servant cokie, who has fallen asleep in christ, may rejoice and rise again through him who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the holy spirit one god forever and ever [in unison] amen. A reading from the book of ecclesiastes. There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for everything under the heavens. A time to be born, and a time to die. A time to plant, and a time to uproot the plant. A time to kill, and a time to heal. A time to tear down, and a time to build. A time to weep, a time to laugh, a time to mourn, and a time to dance. A time to scatter stones, and a time to gather them. A time to embrace and a time to refrain from embraces. A time to seek, and a time to lose. A time to keep, and a time to cast away. A time to rend, and a time to sow a time to be silent, and a time to speak. A time to love, and a time to hate. A time of war, and a time of peace. What advantage has the worker from his toil . I have considered the tasks god has appointed to the sons of men to be busied about. He has made everything appropriate in its time. And has put the time in his heart without man ever discovering from beginning to end the work which god has done. The word of the lord. [in unision] on] thanks be to god. [organ playing] [singing] the lord is my shepherd, nothing shall i want the lord is my shepherd, nothing shall i fear my lord is my shepherd, nothing shall i want my lord is my shepherd, nothing shall i fear the lord is my shepherd, nothing , nothing i shall want the lord is my shepherd, nothing shall i want nothing shall i fear though i shall walk in the shadow of death i know that he will be there his crook and staff shall give me comfort my lord is my shepherd, nothing shall i want my lord is my shepherd, nothing shall i fear my lord is my shepherd, nothing shall i want my lord is my shepherd, nothing shall live here mercyhis goodness and shall follow me all the days of my life my lord is my shepherd, nothing shall i want my lord is my shepherd, nothing shall i fear good morning. We appreciate all of you being here. This is a reading from the first letter of st. Paul to the thessalonians. Brothers and sisters, rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances, give thanks. For this is the will of god for you in christ jesus, do not quench the spirit, do not despise prophetic utterances. Test everything. Retain what is good, refrain from every kind of evil. May the god of peace make you perfectly holy. And may you entirely, spirit, soul, and body, be preserved blameless for the coming of our lord jesus christ. The one who calls you his faithful. And he will also accomplish it. The word of the lord. [in unison] thanks be to god. Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah [singing] hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah the lord be with you. And with your spirit. A reading from the gospel according to john. Glory to you, o lord. Martha said to jesus, lord, if you had been here my brother would not have died. But even now, i know that whatever you ask of god, god will give you. Jesus said to her, your brother will rise. Martha said to him, i know he will rise in the resurrection, on the last day. Jesus told her, i am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live. And everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this . She said to him, yes. Lord, i have come to believe that you are the christ, the son of god, the one who is coming into the world. The gospel of the lord. [in unison] praise to you, lord jesus christ. [choir singing] hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah there is an appointed time for everything, and a time for everything under the heavens. We do not gather here today to question the truth of gods name or gods word. We have experienced in faith that gods word is authentic in its wisdom, and always generous in its promise. Yet strangely enough today, this assembly filled with many people who believe, who trust, who affirm our confidence in god, most of us may now find those words confusing and equally challenging. We know that cokie believed in gods word. She accepted it and fashioned her life around that word. And she also used her own words so exquisitely. She spoke often about the influence of gods word in her life, about the church that she loved. In particular, the sisters of the sacred heart, who helped form her as a young woman. And she used the often concealed meaning of gods word frequently in reference to the lives of so many of us here present. However, the time that we embrace this morning is not a time that we welcome. We do not welcome it enthusiastically, because we are not yet ready to release cokie from our lives, and from her splendid professional contribution to the life of our nation. There is an appointed time for everything. And a time for everything under the heavens. It is not our prerogative to choose the times in which we live, or the advent or the passage of those times. It belongs to the providence of god to assign all the times of our lives, according to his wisdom, and to direct each life to himself. The eye of the lord views us at the moment of our conception and at the moment of our death, all at once. He sees being baptized and ultimately being welcomed into the fullness of his kingdom, all at once. He sees us in our prime, and in our weakness, all at once. The lord sees us seeking and seekingending reconciliation the lord sees us sinning and seeking reconciliation simultaneously. It is that vision that allows each of us to rest secured in gods love and in his mercy. It is that vision that we celebrate in eucharist this day, as we commend cokie to the reign of god. When in the course of ones life an individual is fortunate enough to encounter a loving and giving person, such as cokie was for so many, then there is a great inclination to forget that it is not without our power to control. And the passages and entrances of people into gods reign is accomplished by gods providence, irrespective of our personal yearnings or desires. We grieve this day and will grieve for a great many days to come, because a woman of faith has touched us, loved us, and taught us. And who has been taken from us. We saw clearly in cokie many of the expressions of the gifts of the spirit that st. Paul described in the second reading this morning. She was, for so many, a wise woman of faith. She called us to be our better selves, and she was quick to point out when we behaved as our lesser selves. She attempted to heal conflicts and occasionally made people realize how childish we were acting in the midst of our incessant squabbles. She challenged people of all ideological persuasions to listen to one another more attentively. She taught men and women to recognize and to rejoice in the dignity of their identity as human beings. She challenged all of us to Work Together for the building up of this nation, and of our church. And for the increase of everyone. She was unafraid of bishop or political figure. And she delighted in letting both know that fact. [laughter] her faith and determination to improve the church she loved and the nation she cherished accomplished great good for us as individuals and as institutions. For that, and many other more personal reasons, we grieve her loss with heavy hearts today. We readily transform marthas words of sorrow into our own this day. Lord, if you had been here, our sister would not have died. We may perhaps seem to feel that somehow our loss questions christs presence, his care, his understanding of what we must all now feel. How quick would cokie perhaps to be to remind us of that presence, especially in moments of sorrow and anguish, when we need to be together in hope and trust that gods providence and wisdom are not compromised, nor are they absent. If we insisted on narrating our hurt, perhaps she would be adamant that we give thanks for all that we have received so generously from god in having her for even these all too few years. In short, cokie would challenge our lack of confidence in gods goodness and his presence, even in this moment of sorrow. For she would tell us again of the lords response to martha. Jesus told her, i am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live. And everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this . Gods word is a comfort for us this morning, but it is also an invitation for us to celebrate the eucharist, to offer the gift of christs own sacrificial death and passage to his father. In eucharist, we reconnect and react christs own submission to the will of his father. And that sacramental action encourages us to consent, enjoy, and in confidence to gods will and to his providence. Even when they are difficult to accept, and even more difficult to understand. There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every affair under the heavens. We give thanks for the time that Cokie Roberts graced this world of ours. We rejoice in her humor, her conviction of faith, and her womanly ability to bring out the best in us. And to insist on nothing less. Thanks be to god for the time that he gave her to us. May the time that she now enjoys be blessed, filled with laughter and reward for the person that we loved, and whom god loved even more. To her beloved, steve, and their children, lee and rebecca, along with your own children, i offer a special word of consolation. It would not be an overstatement to admit that our entire nation is deeply indebted to you, and to your family, for this great lady, this dear friend, this extraordinary, professional servant of the truth. We know that she had a blessed life with you, long before the camera let us meet her. And in that former and personal life with all of you, she continued to discover the great wisdom and the assurance of gods goodness that she so willingly and generously shared with all of us. We all now rightfully claim her as a national personality, born from her proud new orleans roots, may cokie now be one with the lord that she loved, and whom she invited all of us to love as well. Amen. Jesus christ is risen from the dead and sits at the right hand of the father, where he intercedes for his church. Confident, we join our prayers to his. Broughthe women cokie alive in her book and elevated to their rightful place in american history, may their stories and examples continue to enrich our national lives, we pray to the lord. [in unison] lord, hear our prayer. For all those who struggle for justice and liberty, and despise tyranny in all its forms, give them the courage to continue their fight, we pray to the lord. [in unison] lord, hear our prayer. For all those who grieve for cokie, inspire them to follow her example, to put others ahead of self, to live a true Christian Life and always offer a hand and a heart to those in need, we pray to the lord. [in unison] lord, hear our prayer. For the leaders of the country, give them the wisdom to see beyond the battles of the moment and seek the common values and a shared humanity that unites us as americans, we pray to the lord. [in unison] lord, hear our prayer. For the children of the world who cokie cared so deeply about, especially those facing poverty, sickness, and hunger, give them the strength to overcome adversity and grow in grace. We pray to the lord. [in unison] lord, hear our prayer. For our grandmother cokie, who gave us an undying gift of love and laughter, whose care for us knows no end, who we will miss deeply and cherish always. We grant her peace in the arms of her god. We pray to the lord. [in unison] lord, hear our prayer. Lord god, give her peace and giver of peace and healer of souls, hear the prayers of your people whose lives were purchased by the blood of the lamb. Forgive the sins of all who sleep in christ and granted them a place in the heavenly kingdom, we ask this through christ our lord. [in unison] amen. Ave maria gratia plena [singing] ave maria gratia plena [singing] brothers and sisters, pray that my sacrifice and yours will be acceptable to god, the almighty father. [speaking in unison] as we humbly present to you the sacrificial offerings, o lord, for the salvation of your servant cokie, we beseech your mercy that she who did not doubt your son to be a loving savior may find in him a merciful judge, who lives and reigns forever and ever. [in unison] amen. The lord be with you. Lift up your hearts. Let us give thanks to the lord, our god. It is right and just. It is right and just, our duty and our salvation always and everywhere to give you thanks. Lord, holy father, almighty and eternal god, for even though by our own fault we perish, yet by your compassion and your grace, when seized by death according to our sins, we are revealed through christs great victory and with him fall back into life. And so with the powers of heaven, we worship you constantly on earth. And before your majesty, without end we acclaim. Holy, holy, holy lord god [choir singing] you are indeed holy, o lord, and all you have created rightfully gives you praise, for through your son, our lord jesus christ, by the power and working of the holy spirit, you give life to all things and make them holy. And you never cease to gather a people to yourself, so that from the rising of the sun to its setting, a pure sacrifice may be offered to your name. Therefore, o lord, we humbly implore you, by the same spirit graciously make holy these gifts we have brought to you for consecration, that they may become the body and blood of your son, our lord jesus christ, at whose command we celebrate these mysteries. For on the night he was betrayed, he himself took bread and giving you thanks, he said the blessing. Broke the bread and gave it to his disciples, saying, take this, all of you, and eat of it, for this is my body which will be given up for you. In a similar way, when supper was ended he took the chalice and giving thanks he said the blessing and gave the chalice to his disciples, saying, take this, all of you, and drink from it, for this is the chalice of my blood. The blood of the new and eternal covenant, which will be borne out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this in memory of me. The mystery of faith [organ playing] [singing] lord, as we, o celebrate the passion of your son, his wondrous resurrection and ascension into heaven and as we look forward to his Second Coming we offer you in thanksgiving this holy and living sacrifice. We pray upon the oblation of your church, and recognizing the sacrificial victims whose death you will to reconcile us to yourself, grant that we who are nourished by the body and blood of your son, and filled with his holy spirit, may become one body, one spirit in christ. May he make of us an eternal offering to you, so that we may obtain an inheritance. Especially with the most blessed virgin mary, mother of god, with blessed joseph, her spouse, with your blessed apostles and glorious martyrs, with the st. With st. Matthew and all of the saints on whose constant intercession in your presence we rely for unfailing help. And may this sacrifice of our reconciliation we pray, lord, advance the peace and a of all and salvation of all the world. Be pleased to confirm in faith and charity your church on earth, with your servant, our bishop and the order of bishops, all the clergy, and the entire people your son has gained for you. Listen graciously to the prayers of this family, whom you have summoned before you in your compassion, o merciful father. Gather to yourself all your children scattered throughout the world. Remember your servant cokie, whom you have called to from this world to yourself. Grant that she who was united with your son in a death like his may also be one with him in his resurrection, when from the earth he will raise up in the flesh those who have died, and transform our lowly body after the pattern of his own glorious body. To our departed brothers and sisters, and to all who are pleasing to you in the passing from this life, give kind admittance to your kingdom. There we hope to enjoy the fullness of your glory, when you will wipe away every tear from our eyes. For seeing you, our god as you are, we shall be like you for all the ages, and pray to you without end through christ our through whom you bestowed all that is good in the world. Through him and with him and in him, o god almighty father, in the unity of the holy spirit, all glory and honor is yours forever and ever [singing] amen, amen, amen, amen amen, amen, amen, amen at the saviors command, informed by divine teachings, we daresay our father who art in heaven hallowed be thy name thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespassers, as we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Deliver us, lord, we pray , from every evil. Graciously grant peace in our days, but by the help of your mercy we may be always free from sin and safe from all distress, as we await the blessed hope, the coming of our savior, jesus christ. Lord jesus christ, you said to your apostles, peace i leave you, peace i give you. Look not on our sins, but on the faith of your church, and graciously grant her peace and unity in accordance with your will, who live and reign forever and ever. [in unison] amen. The peace of the lord be with you always. [in unison] and with your spirit. Offer each other a sign of peace. [in unison] peace be to you. [indiscernible] lamb of god, you take away the sins of the world [singing] lamb of god, you take away the sins of the world have mercy on us have mercy on us lamb of god, you take away the sins of the world grant us peace grant us peace behold the lamb of god, behold him who takes away the sins of the world. Blessed are those called to the supper of the lamb. [speaking in unison] [indiscernible] the body of christ. The body of christ. The body of christ. The blood of christ. The blood of christ. The blood of christ. [singing] and he will raise you up on eagles wings bear you on the breath of dawn make you to shine like the sun and hold you in the palm of his hand [singing] and he will raise you up on eagles wings bear you on the breath of dawn make you to shine like the sun and hold you in the palm of his hand [singing] and he will raise you up on eagles wings bear you on the breath of dawn make you to shine like the sun and hold you in the palm of his hand [choir singing] and he will raise you up on eagles wings bear you on the breath of dawn make you to shine like the sun and hold you in the palm of his hand [choir singing] [choir singing] let us pray lord god, whose son left us in the sacrament of his body food for the journey, mercifully grant strength and