The Funeral

One of the great privileges of being a minister is walking with people through life’s big events.  One of which is the saying goodbye to a loved one.  It is a great privilege being involved in funerals.  I always try to encourage family involvement for they can bring alive the person whose life we are celebrating more so than I can.  But I recognise this is a difficult thing to do.  I have been moved to hear the many eulogies and tributes.  Every story is very different but every one hard for the teller to say.  Because of this I have a fall back plan where I ask for a copy of the ‘talk’ and if the reader cannot get through it I can then finish the tribute.  However, I have never needed to do this.  When I see someone struggling, tears, looking unable to finish the talk, I or a member of the family just go and stand with the reader, often just placing an arm round them or placed on the back and that is all that is needed.  They suddenly find the strength to complete the task. 

This is my experience of God!  Rarely do the difficulties ahead get taken away or painful experiences disappear.  But the joy of being a Christian is that God comes close and walks the journey with you.  Whatever we go through God is with us, giving us strength, filling us with his presence and guiding us to hope.  Isaiah 43:2 says ‘When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.  When you walk through the fires, you will not be burned, the flames will not set you ablaze’.  Whatever you are going through, whatever struggles lay ahead, whatever things are keeping you awake at night, may you know God coming near and putting his arm around you and walking with you. 

One funeral I did was for an incredible lady who died far too young of cancer.  As she was dying she helped me write my ‘address’.  She asked me too include this poem by the great AA Milne which I will finish this blog with.  This was her experience as she battled cancer and faced death.  God was with her… God was with her… God is with her…  In fact that is the heartbeat of the bible, God is with you… God is with you… God is with you…  May you know this!  Why not ask him to walk with you?

Us Two by AA Milne

Wherever I am, there's always Pooh,
There's always Pooh and Me.
Whatever I do, he wants to do,
"Where are you going today?" says Pooh:
"Well, that's very odd 'cos I was too.
Let's go together," says Pooh, says he.
"Let's go together," says Pooh.

"What's twice eleven?" I said to Pooh.
("Twice what?" said Pooh to Me.)
"I think it ought to be twenty-two."
"Just what I think myself," said Pooh.
"It wasn't an easy sum to do,
But that's what it is," said Pooh, said he.
"That's what it is," said Pooh.

"Let's look for dragons," I said to Pooh.
"Yes, let's," said Pooh to Me.
We crossed the river and found a few-
"Yes, those are dragons all right," said Pooh.
"As soon as I saw their beaks I knew.
That's what they are," said Pooh, said he.
"That's what they are," said Pooh.

"Let's frighten the dragons," I said to Pooh.
"That's right," said Pooh to Me.
"I'm not afraid," I said to Pooh,
And I held his paw and I shouted "Shoo!
Silly old dragons!"- and off they flew.

"I wasn't afraid," said Pooh, said he,
"I'm never afraid with you."

So wherever I am, there's always Pooh,
There's always Pooh and Me.
"What would I do?" I said to Pooh,
"If it wasn't for you," and Pooh said: "True,
It isn't much fun for One, but Two,
Can stick together, says Pooh, says he. "That's how it is," says Pooh.

The Pope Mobile

We have been fortunate enough to have been given two cars.  The first car we were given was from 'The Nan'.  She was not using her car much and saw that when we had our first child we would benefit from being a two car family.  This car we call the pope mobile (a similar shape).   It's old, unfashionable but I love it!  It’s my work car.  It's a mess because Ez (my wife) does not drive it thus does not clean it!  I do clean it once a year for its annual MOT and in doing so I fill a bin bag with rubbish.  This car is parked on the road outside our house and generally looks undesirable.  The second car we were given was a very generous gift from a couple in our church. They saw our growing family and bought us a seven seater VW Tauran.  This is a nice car, certainly the nicest we have ever owned! Socially desirable, new (ish), clean (because Ez drives this one) and practical.  This one is parked on the drive.  Recently we have had a spate of car break in's at night.  We have had a car broken into now three times.  The thieves are looking for treasure!  Sat Navs, mobiles and loose change.  However, they have only broken into the Tauran.  They saw the undesirable pope mobile and concluded that there would be no treasure in there.  They saw the Tauran and broke in with hope.  The thing is Ez drives the Tauran so all the treasure is bought inside at night. They leave empty handed.  If they decided to try the pope mobile they would have found what they were looking for - the Sat Nav was in the glove compartment each time.  Who would believe the pope mobile could hold the treasure?  I wonder if the church today is the pope mobile?!  Unfashionable and largely ignored.  But yet here is where the treasure is. A place filled with people that know the love of God.  A people who know who they were born to be, a worshipping community in relationship with the creator, trying to imitate and follow Jesus and filled with the Holy Spirit.  A community who enjoy the presence of God and are assured of hope.  A wonderful treasure and it is in the heart of the church.  Yet, unlike the pope mobile we want people to have this treasure so how do we get them to come to the unfashionable undesired church?  Trying to be more fashionable and desirable is one way but not the way I would promote.  We can perhaps start with the most simple of things... passing on what we have seen, heard and know.  To be witnesses to the treasure.  I am not expecting the church to be filled with evangelists who have arguments all sorted for penal substitution and why there is suffering in the world.  But a people who pass on what they know, have seen and heard.  Like, I don't know what it is, but every time I take communion I feel more peaceful, forgiven even clean!  Every time I sing truths about God my heart is lifted more than with any other music!  We had prayer ministry at church and someone laid hands on me and I felt loved to the core of my being!  I heard a great talk that has inspired me to be a better person today!  When serving at soup runs, toddlers groups, youth clubs, and cafes I just feel like we are making things better for our community!  I can’t wait for my small group tonight, they are my dearest friends who have and are walking with me through life!  I have been to a funeral and the words of eternity just dwell deep in my soul!  To name a few!  And when the inevitable 'that's weird/amazing/unbelievable comes’... our reply... 'Come and See'!  Come and see, come and find the treasure, come and know the love, come and join the mission... come to the pope mobile, come to the church because what you have been looking for is there! The treasure is in the church!  So if you are reading this and never found the treasure, try the church.  If you are reading this and have found the treasure tell everyone what you have found.