She cared about each of her clients as though they were the only person in the world. Betty had a habit of limiting the number of appointments she would let Linda make for each day. When Linda asked why, Betty said she needed enough time to visit and to come to know the person well.

Anyone in financial services knows the due diligence dictum "know your client," but Betty was doing more than exercising fiduciary responsibility. One could see that clearly in her billing practices- they were a pastoral response to the reality of her clients lives, not just a professional fee based on services rendered.

It is not that great a leap from tax accounting to physics if we look at the intent of each discipline- both intend to give an account of the activities observed - but, in each of them, there is more going on than meets the eye. So you can see why now, in this funeral homily for Betty, I feel it is appropriate to mention Albert Einstein.

Einstein once said that God does not play dice with the universe. This statement was Einstein's rejection of the theory of quantum physics. But it was also a statement of faith. Einstein was not prepared to believe that randomness lies at the foundation of reality.

Neither was Betty. While as far as I know, she did not directly comment on the validity of quantum physics, in her role as the Yahtzee Queen she shook the cup, rolled the dice and banished the possibility of anyone believing in random action.

Linda shared that on one day Betty rolled five Yahtzees in a row. As an expression of the statistical improbability of this Linda commented, "you must be getting outside help." "Hush," Betty replied, "roll the dice."

Just as Betty was silent on the matter, Holy Scripture does not comment on the validity of quantum physics either- the bible is not a science textbook. But Holy Writ is meant to show us the truth that lies beneath outward appearance and visible sign.

Our reading this morning from the Book of Wisdom reminds us that Betty's departure from this life is not a disaster. I do not mean that we will not miss her.
I mean that she is simply gone from our sight, not destroyed.
She is at peace - but if there is Yhatzee in heaven, they are in trouble.

Let us look together at the shape of the game of life - it run across all three lessons we have heard this morning. God is at the beginning and the end of our turn at the table. Christ is with us in our birth, our baptism and our death. But pull back the lens and we can see that God is, in fact, at the beginning and the end of all things. God is the Alpha and the Omega.

We may be tempted to imagine that dice are rolling to determine the final outcome, but we are promised that this is not the case. God is, and will be, sovereign. Chaos does not reign. Randomness is not at the foundation of reality. When we cannot see a pattern in our lives it is not because it is missing but because as one of the psalms says "O Lord your ways are higher than my ways."

God does not play dice with the universe or with our lives. There are both the laws of physics and the mercy of Christ in operation. There are rules to follow but also times when compassion is needed. The Lord is our Shepherd, not simply our judge. There is compassion for those who mourn and welcome for those who have died.

As it says in the Book of Revelation, "To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life. Those who conquer will inherit these things, and I will be their God and they will be my children." The Book of Wisdom assures us that "the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God." I assure you that Betty was righteous. From the stories her family has told me I think it is appropriate to say that Betty was, in fact, "awesome."

And the God we worship is an awesome God. Through Christ we are promised that even if we die, we will live again. When Lazarus had died Christ comforted the family but also drew out their faith- moving their vision to a deeper level. "I am the resurrection and the life," Christ said, "Everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?"

Let us, with Martha in the Gospel respond, "Yes, Lord, we believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world." In that proclamation lies our hope. In that promise Betty will rise again. AMEN.