“Help us to live as those who are prepared to die…”
In my early days of pastoral ministry, when I served as an Associate at several medium-sized churches, I was often called upon to officiate at funerals for members of the community who were not connected to our family of faith. A call from the funeral home usually went something like, “we have a family… who does not have a pastor… and needs assistance with a service…”
While leading a service for someone you have never met can be incredibly challenging, I found great joy in learning about the person’s life and hearing stories from the family about how this person had blessed others and made a difference. Sometimes I received LOTS of information, but many times there was very little to work with, so I had to be creative. I have many fond memories of standing with loved ones at a graveside as we said goodbye to their mother, uncle, cousin, or co-worker.
One of my favorite memories is a couple who lived in Duncan, OK. Both were elderly. The husband had cared for his sick wife for many years and doted on her to the very end. He called me several weeks before she passed and invited me to their humble home. As I sat in their darkened bedroom in a worn-out recliner, I listened to him tearfully share their story. While she could hardly speak, her kind eyes demonstrated a deep love for her husband and his compassionate attention. The only words she spoke were “I’m ready to die, but please look after my dear husband when I’m gone.” While I knew that her physical suffering would soon be over, her concern for his loneliness deeply touched me. A few weeks later, I stood with him at the graveside for more than an hour where we read the words of the funeral liturgy and Scripture and then sat quietly, trusting her to God and His eternal care.
I don’t know that we are ever fully prepared to die, but I also know that many of us are never fully prepared to live! During this season of Lent, we pause again to reflect on our own mortality, upon the life and death and resurrection of Jesus, and we give thanks for the gift of life here and now and the gift of life eternal. I pray that God will give you the strength to LIVE today, knowing that He holds each of us in His loving arms. And today, I hope you will reach out to someone who might be grieving and alone to remind them that we care and have not forgotten! You can be a messenger of God’s hope and God’s love as we look toward Easter together!
Rev. Phil Greenwald, Executive Pastor of Administration
