Memorial Service for Daryl Johnson

Today I attended the memorial service for Daryl Johnson.  Daryl and I attended church together at Antioch Missionary Baptist Church.  My memories of him are fond ones.  He was always smiling, and always making others smile and laugh as well.  He was ten years my senior, but he always had a way of making me feel like I was a part of everything.  I appreciate him immensely for that.

He had an amazing voice.  In my mind, I can see him standing at the side podium singing his heart out.  It seemed that he knew every hymn in the hymnal.

Every week during church service, we recited the call to worship consisting of a few verses.  Every now and then, some of those verses would come to mind and they were a comfort to me during difficult times in my life.  The only problem was, I couldn't remember all of them.  I contacted several of the people that attended church with me growing up and none seemed to remember them.  I sent Daryl a message on Facebook asking him to get me a copy.  He immediately responded with all of the verses in order.  He had them memorized!

Leader: Enter into his gates with thankgsiving, and into his courts with praise.

Congregation: O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.

Leader: Oh Lord open thou my lips: and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.

Congregation: One thing have I desired of the Lord, and that I will seek after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in His temple.

Leader: Who shall ascend into the hilss of the Lord or who shall stand in His hold place

Congregation: He that has clean hand and a pur heart, who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, now sworn deceitfully.

All: Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.

My heart is heavy, but I pray that I will see him again in that great getting-up morning.

~yolanda