A mortician at Forest Lawn Cemetery in California told author Gilbert Beers about a man who many years ago spent $200,000 on his own funeral. Estrangled from his wife and children, that bitter man squandered all his money on his own burial and left them nothing.
Because the best casket and other expenses added up to only $100,000, he ordered that the remaining $100,000 be spent on orchids! Can you imagine $100,000 worth of orchids!? Only three people attended that memorial service. What a warped sense of values.
What a waste of money that might have been used to help the needy or to support a worthy cause! And what a lesson we can learn from such egocentric folly!
Have you seen bitterness in someone’s life go to such extremes? Tell us about it.
Tags: bitterness, funeral, squander, stewardship, waste
The driver of the hearse foolishly tried to warm himself on a rainy Saturday morning by drinking on the job. He didn’t get warm, but he did get lost on the way to the cemetery. The funeral procession waited in vain at the grave for hours. Later that evening, police found the driver asleep in the hearse by the side of the road. By then it was too late for burial, and the cemetery wouldn’t accept the casket on Sunday.
On Monday, the local newspaper reported tha the body of the 62-year old man “was finally laid to rest – 2 days late for his final appointment.”
Actually, his final appointment was kept right on time. His tardy burial in no way altered the fact that his conscious soul had passed into eternity precisely at God’s appointed time.
We learn two lessons from the story. #1 That hearse driver probably has another job today. #2 We’d better stay ready because we will not be late for our final appointment with God.
Tags: appointment, funeral, late, time
Today is Good Friday and the local community service is tonight at New Hope from 7-8PM. I would love to see you here.
Winston Churchill (1874-1965) was British Prime Minister during World War 2. He stirred a war-weary people to fight and made international alliances that helped to win the war.
He made some specific requests regarding his funeral service. He asked that it begin with the playing of “Taps”, the traditional military signal played at the end of the day or the end of life. We often hear “Taps” played at graveside services for veterans in our country.
But when Churchill’s funeral service was over, those in attendance were startled to hear trumpets play the familiar strains of “Reveille,” the stirring call that awakens troops at the beginning of a new day. Did Churchill have it backwards, or did he have a keen insight into his own future?
Paul wrote: “We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8).
Tags: death, funeral, resurrection, Winston Churchill
Pastor Randy Stine’s mother passed away unexpectedly Monday morning and her funeral is today. It would be good if you remembered the family in prayer. Janet Stine and her husband were devout Catholics but attended New Hope on special occasions with family. She was not in bad health so this comes as a shock to the family.
We’re going to take the office staff in the church van to attend her funeral. Our church is providing a funeral dinner afterward.
Death is the way God’s people get to meet Him. Since Jesus is the means of salvation, not the church, we can expect to see her safe in heaven some day.
What lessons has God taught you through the death of a loved one?
Tags: death, funeral
I enjoy doing funerals. There is a minimal time commitment (as opposed to weddings) and I have people’s undivided attention. It provides the rare occasion for me to speak with unchurched people. And I take great care to win the people over and then present the gospel in a way non-Christians can understand it.
Sunday afternoon I officiated at the funeral of a farmer from rural Butler. He was buried the way he lived, wearing bib overalls. It is not unusual for farmers to be buried in bibs, I’ve seen it several times. I did not know him, but knew two of his daughters and his son, and one of his grandsons attends our church. This family wanted to honor their farmer dad and came up with a creative idea. There were 8 grandsons who served as Pall Bearers. They each wore white T-shirts, blue bib overalls, work boots and red baseball caps.
It was the most memorable display of honoring a grandpa I have yet seen. What is one memory you have of how someone honored their parents or grandparent?
Tags: farmer, funeral, honor
Yesterday Anita and I drove over to South Milford to attend the funeral of Randy Sutton’s father, Amos. It was held at a small Baptist church in the country and was a cultural shift for us. This Baptist church had a strong Kentucky hills flavor in everything they did, and they were clearly sincere believers.
I told Anita that I really enjoyed this funeral. My Dad died just less than a month ago and I was under pressure to make everything happen just so at his funeral. I wasn’t able to sit with my family or just receive ministry and grieve. So I did that yesterday. The pastor spoke with firm conviction about our reward in heaven. And one of the ladies sang a song about being with Jesus in heaven that touched my heart. I went to encourage Randy and Jewell and the whole experience encouraged me.
James advises us to “Pray for one another that you may be healed.” When was the last time you did something for someone else and you were the real recipient?
Tags: funeral, sowing
I preached a funeral today for a dear lady in our church. I love doing funerals and I’ve become pretty good at it. I always try to honor the deceased, bring comfort to the grieving, and clearly present the gospel. Today I received a compliment that will encourage me for a long time.
As people were filing past the casket to say their final good-byes, one young lady, perhaps about 30, paused to shake my hand and said, “Thank you for sharing the gospel with my parents; they aren’t believers”. I don’t know who she was or who her parents were, but that made the whole day worth the investment.
Somewhere in a home in this area is a man and woman who have to be thinking about the things they heard today at that funeral. And I’m praying the seed will find good soil and they will act on it. Pray with me.
Tags: , funeral, gospel, thank you