In the funeral service of Samuel Bickel, Rev. Jeremy Belter, pastor of Atonement Lutheran Church, read these passages from the Gospel according to St. John:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. . . . 

He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. . . . 

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! . . .

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God. . . .

The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all. He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. Whoever has accepted it has certified that God is truthful.For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spiritwithout limit. The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands.Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them. . . . 

“Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. . . . 

You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life. . . . 

From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve. 

Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.

We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.” . . . 

Therefore Jesus told them, “My time is not yet here; for you any time will do. The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that its works are evil. . . . 

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” . . . 

Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”

But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”

Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”

Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

John 1:1-4, 10-13, 29; 3:16-21, 31-36; 5:17-18, 24-25, 39-40; 6:66-69; 7:6-7; 8:31-32; 20:24-31 (New International Version, 2011)

At the beginning of the service, Rev. Belter had read Sam Bickel’s obituary: 

BICKEL, Samuel Samuel (“Sam”) Herman Bickel, of Plano, Texas, passed away on March 24, 2018, at the age of 82. Born on April 15, 1936, in York, Pennsylvania, he was the son of the late Samuel Isaac and Viola Boomgaarn Bickel. After graduating from York High School and Drexel University, Sam earned his Masters and PhD in Electrical Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley. Sam pursued careers with the Mitre Corporation in Bedford, Massachusetts, Texas Instruments in Dallas, Texas, and ARCO Oil and Gas Company in Plano, Texas. Sam received the ARCO Special Achievement Award in 1986 for development of the TXAN modeling/inversion program and patented several inventions before retirement. In addition, he volunteered his time to teach introductory investment strategy at Leisure Learning in Houston, Texas. Sam also enjoyed traveling, snow skiing, performing magic card tricks, and speaking German. Sam is survived by his loving wife of 26 years, Carole Reynolds Bickel of Plano, Texas; sons, David (Evelyn) Bickel of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, Christopher Bickel of Portland, Oregon, and Brian (Denise) Bickel of San Diego, California; step-children Lynna Smith of Fairview, Texas, Gene (Sharon) Clements of Princeton, Texas, and Liz Welwood (Bill) of Dallas, Texas; grandchildren Mary, Christian, Faith, and Lydia Bickel, Sadie and Mae Bickel, Weston (Brittany) Smith and Ellie Smith, Sarah Jean Clements, Travis Welwood and Kimberly Rogers (Reece); sisters Dorothy Johnson of Asheville, North Carolina, and Elizabeth (Irwin) Weinberg of Parkville, Missouri. A funeral service will be held at 4:00 P.M. Friday, March 30, 2018, at Restland Funeral Home and Cemetery’s Abbey Chapel, 13005 Greenville Avenue, Dallas, Texas. Interment will follow the service.

Dallas Morning News, Good Friday 2018