But I do not want you to be ignornat, brethen, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. - 1 Thessalonians 4:13
In Jesus' day, a funeral was a time for an impassioned demonstration of grief. It was a sign of respect for the remaining relatives of the deceased to wail loudly at the event. There was probably no time in human experience when people felt more helpless or vulnerable than at a funeral.
When Jesus conquered death, He forever changed the way Christians view death. Christians still experience the sorrow of losing someone we love, but we have hope because we know that God will bring good out of any situation (Romans 8:28). We have hope in the knowledge that nothing, not even death, can separate us from God's love. (Romans 8:38-39). We have hope because Jesus will bring us to join him in heaven so that we might enjoy eternity in fellowship with him.
We cannot escape the sorrow of death, but we can have hope in the resurrection.
Many people do not plan their funerals - it does seem a little morbid. But I recommend that you take sometime to do so. The music, the tone of the event, the casket if possible, the pallbearerers, the options of burial or cremation. Put these plans somewhere and tell someone that the exist. Your family will appreicate the fact that you cared enough to plan your entrance into heaven!
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2 comments:
I wish I would have had some of these verses with me when I vistited residents in the nursing home last night with my confirmation class. We had a wonderful time, and the residents were so happy to have ears to talk to. There were a few times that deceased spouses were brought up, and I really didn't know what to say. Even for one woman, it had been 34 years, and it still brought a tear to her eye to talk about it. I wish I would have had these encouraging words for her. I will hopefully be back soon, and if the situation is brought up again, I'll know what to say.
what songs are you playing?
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