(Original prepared and read by Elizabeth Ross-Lamm for Luke's Memorial service 16 February 2013 at St. Elizabeth Seton Ann Church, Houston -- email copy) In my father’s best words of thanks and appreciation I say to each of you, “How thoughtful of you to be here... but you didn’t have to have to make such a fuss you know...” Eighty eight years ago, you would find a bible in almost every home in Jamaica, and a young boy began to read. Of a God who looked out upon a void and said, “Let there be light: and there was light.” Gen.1v3 Then God went on to create the whole world with those same words of command but of Adam; He formed him from the dust of the ground, in His own image. And the Lord God, “breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living soul.” Gen. 1v27 and Gen 2v7. Now in St. Luke, we find this, “which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God.” Lk 3v38. And God brought the animals to Adam to see what he would call them and the Lord God went, “walking in the garden in the cool of the evening.” with Adam and Eve. Gen 2v19 Gen 3v8. So this young boy read his first lesson on fatherhood. To talk with your children and share good times with them. We have many such memories. Then he went on to read of young men and women, like Jacob, who wrestled all night with an angel, Gen 32v24. Hos 12v4. Like David who fought off a lion and a bear. He grabbed that bear by the beard and slew him. 1Sam 17v35. Goliath was nothing after that. King Nebuchadnezzar himself tested Daniel and his two fellow students and said, “they were ten times better than all his magicians and astrologers.” Dan 1v20. Joseph spent at least two years in prison because he would not betray his masters trust and there is Deborah, who led an army and was a judge in Israel at that time. Jud 3v25. These were the people who fired Luke Lamm’s imagination and inspired him to always do his best, to be honest and truthful in his dealings with people. As a father he made these values the diet of our souls. When he faced fatherhood, the mission of John the Baptist struck his heart. It was to, “turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” lk 1v17. Luke Athealstan Lamm’s heart turned completely, till his last breath Raymond, you said, he asked about your welfare? He was a first time father with me, then two times over with Raymond, three with Peter then up to four with Douglas but then like the tree in Ps1v3, “planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in season; his leaf also shall not wither;” so his sense of fatherhood grew outwards to cover his children’s friends like Paul, Richard, Eric; then to any child, remember Winston? But while we grew into adulthood and reared our children in far places his sense of fatherhood grew ever outwards to characterize his relationship with everyone about him until even age shrank before it. Think about Winnie. Having now gone before us leaving us as fathers and mothers ourselves we can do no less than to, “turn our hearts to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”