This Hope in Glory
On Monday I received a request to play at a memorial service on Wednesday. I didn't know the people, but a little extra money in my dry month is nice, so I agreed. Oddly enough, it was in a dining room of a retirement facility. I sure wasn't expecting that. Tables were set up in a horseshoe shape where the small group sat during the service, followed by a catered lunch. There were only about 25 or 30 people there, made up mostly of family as well as intimate friends of the deceased man.
The first interesting thing I noticed about the retirement village was that a large percentage of the staff were Polynesian or Indonesian or Mexican or something. Then I saw four or five staff members who were deaf. I wondered how they could communicate with the residents, but they signed quite fluently between themselves. One lady I interacted with could sort of talk, but was no comparison to Sue Thomas (DeAnn Bray)! I wish I knew sign language, but not bad enough to learn it. :-)
Anyway, back to the funeral - there is really nothing more depressing than a non-Christian funeral. The family's sorrow was understandably evident, but they didn't have the hope and inner peace that we Christians experience in times of grief. The minister was a woman with a sort of Unitarian or United Methodist flavor, but I really wasn't sure. She mainly facilitated the family's remembrances and expressions, but at the beginning she droned on and on about the psychological value of letting the grief out and expressing their feelings. I saw one teary lady whisper to someone next to her, "Would she just shut up?!" Gulp. There were some definite tensions in the group. But though they recited the 23rd Psalm and the minister said some trite prayers with God's name in them, the name of Jesus was never once mentioned. Real comfort was never offered, and their prayers to commend the man to God's mercy were without solid ground.
By the time I left I had a major stomach ache and couldn't wait to get out of there! I reflected on the way home about the wonderful joy that we Christians can experience because of the wonderful grace of Jesus. We have a future and a hope! We know the meaning of life, and we have a bond with each other that's so precious. In 2000 we went to three funerals, two of them for victims of tragic accidents (including Mindy). There was profound grief, yes, but there was a heaven-sent feeling of celebration and hope that the world cannot comprehend.
I went home with great gratitude for the great hope I have in Christ, but also with an increased burden for the millions around us who barely have a clue to what is available to them. Let's keep our lights bright and our salt salty!
The first interesting thing I noticed about the retirement village was that a large percentage of the staff were Polynesian or Indonesian or Mexican or something. Then I saw four or five staff members who were deaf. I wondered how they could communicate with the residents, but they signed quite fluently between themselves. One lady I interacted with could sort of talk, but was no comparison to Sue Thomas (DeAnn Bray)! I wish I knew sign language, but not bad enough to learn it. :-)
Anyway, back to the funeral - there is really nothing more depressing than a non-Christian funeral. The family's sorrow was understandably evident, but they didn't have the hope and inner peace that we Christians experience in times of grief. The minister was a woman with a sort of Unitarian or United Methodist flavor, but I really wasn't sure. She mainly facilitated the family's remembrances and expressions, but at the beginning she droned on and on about the psychological value of letting the grief out and expressing their feelings. I saw one teary lady whisper to someone next to her, "Would she just shut up?!" Gulp. There were some definite tensions in the group. But though they recited the 23rd Psalm and the minister said some trite prayers with God's name in them, the name of Jesus was never once mentioned. Real comfort was never offered, and their prayers to commend the man to God's mercy were without solid ground.
By the time I left I had a major stomach ache and couldn't wait to get out of there! I reflected on the way home about the wonderful joy that we Christians can experience because of the wonderful grace of Jesus. We have a future and a hope! We know the meaning of life, and we have a bond with each other that's so precious. In 2000 we went to three funerals, two of them for victims of tragic accidents (including Mindy). There was profound grief, yes, but there was a heaven-sent feeling of celebration and hope that the world cannot comprehend.
I went home with great gratitude for the great hope I have in Christ, but also with an increased burden for the millions around us who barely have a clue to what is available to them. Let's keep our lights bright and our salt salty!
posted by Kristi | 5:29 PM
3 Comments:
How people can face a cemetary without Christ is beyond me. I don't like them as it is, but without the Hope? It must be crushing for them...
My Guide posts magazine has a story about a man who was drowning; when his spirit left his body, everything was vivid, and there were beautiful colors everywhere. When his spirit went back into his body cuz he didn't die, everything in the regular world looked dull--as if he'd gone from a color movie to one in black and white!
Yes, I know what you mean. It's like someone says they believe in God, but not organized religion. Then they turn around and gripe about others. Forgiving others is foreign to them too. Strange.
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