This has been a tough week. Many folks in my congregation and people that I know have gone through the shock of the sudden death of a loved one. They had to travel far for funerals and I thought about them because all of us go through this sooner or later and it is not easy. The loss of mothers and fathers and aunts and uncles is the way of the world. We die the common death of all men because the wages of sin is death. Even though we don’t know when death will come, come it will. The funeral service to me is one of the most important things that we do. It is a chance to witness to the love of God. It is a chance to reach people who are at that point receptive to hear
There was another sudden death this week and I am watching the funeral service for Antonin Scalia. His son is the preacher. I much appreciate his opening lines that proclaimed that they were gathered there in that huge Basilica because of one man. Then He said they were gathered there because of Jesus Christ. I am so happy to see that witness and I appreciate it very much. The inexplicable mercy of God for sinners became the theme.
This has brought to my remembrance the old days when we would go out to the cemetery even in the depths of winter to bury those for whom we mourned. That is a custom that is slowly being phased out but it was powerful ceremony for a young Pastor. To stand in the snow and the cold and officiate at the committal and burial was a tribute to the dead and a closure for the families. I wrote a poem about it.
Cold was the wind and dark was the sky o’er an open prairie grave.
Words meant for comfort can be cold like that wind, when you hear somebody say –
We’ve brought nothing into the world, and we’ll take nothing away, but don’t you grieve like those with no hope, we believe we’ll rise someday.
The Lord has created and the Lord has redeemed and the Lord has taken away.
Cold was the wind and dark was the sky o’er an open prairie grave.
Snow starts to fall on a landscape of ice but there’s still more left to say –
“I know that my Redeemer lives”, my ransom has been paid. And even though this body’s destroyed, I’ll stand with Him someday.
The Lord has created and the Lord has redeemed and the Lord has taken away.
There will come a day I don’t know when, heaven and earth will pass away.
The Lord of life will gather His sheep and they will hear Him say,
“Come O blessed of my Father’s heart, come and rise like Me. Come to Kingdom I have prepared for a bright eternity”.
Angels will come and look down in awe at an open prairie grave.
They’ll lift up there voices in praise to the Lamb and we’ll join them to say –
The Lord has created and the Lord has redeemed and the Lord has taken away.
