Friday, December 29, 2006

 

General Funeral Service Sheet

CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF
XXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXX


Loving wife, mother
and friend to all who knew her


BORN ON MAY 15th , 1919
PASSED AWAY ON NOVEMBER 1st , 2006


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ORDER OF SERVICE

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WELCOME Rev. Steve Grose

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PSALM 23
1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
He leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness
for His name's sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me;
Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:
Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

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EULOGY: XXXXXXXXXXX

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SHE IS GONE
You can shed tears that she is gone, Or you can smile because she lived,
You can close your eyes and pray that she will come back,
Or you can open your eyes and see all that she has left.
Your heart can be empty because you can't see her
Or you can be full of the love that you shared,
You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday,
Or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday.
You can remember her and only that she is gone
Or you can cherish her memory and let it live on,
You can cry and close your mind be empty and turn your back,
Or you can do what she would want: Smile, open your eyes, love and go on.

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PERSONAL REFLECTIONS : “ABIDE WITH ME”

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LET ME GO
When I come to the end of the road,
And the sun has set on me;
I want no rites in a gloom filled room,
Why cry for a soul set free?
Miss me little - but not for long,
And not with your head bowed low.
Remember the love that we once shared,
Miss me - but let me go.
For this is a journey we all must take,
And each must go alone.
It’s all part of the Master’s plan,
A step on the road to home.
When you are lonely and sick at heart,
Go to the friends we know.
And bury your sorrows in doing good deeds,
Miss me - but let me go.

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THE LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father who art in heaven,
Hallowed be Thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:
For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

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COMMITTAL AND BENEDICTION

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“The Old Rugged Cross”






If you require my services as a funeral celebrant,
my phone number in Australia is
02 4927 8378

Costs for conducting a service is usually $180 plus transport costs and printing costs.

I often conduct services through James Murray's funerals at Broadmeadow, Newcastle, NSW Australia.

 

Psalm 23 For Funerals

this is by far and large my favourite funeral sermon.


PSALM 23 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they
These words were ritten by David the king of Israel 3000 years ago and have been a source of comfort and strength to untold millions. The Lord Jesus took these words and applied them to Himself when He said " I am the good shepherd. the good shepherd lays down His life for His sheep.
These words (Psalm 23:4) remind us of two things

1. There Is An Appointment WE ALL MUST FACE

“The valley of the shadow of death”
Eccles 3 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: 2 a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
Centrelink Notice "Your payments will be stopped effective May 1992 because we have received notice that you have passed away. If your circumstances change you may reapply at any time.
Woody Allen : Death doesn't scare me I just don't want to be there at the time.
Roy Rogers: The clock of life is wound but once, and no man has the power
To tell just when the hands will stop at late or early hour,
Careless soul , heed the warning for your life will soon be gone,
Oh how sad to face the judgement unprepared to meet thy God


Or in the UK “Pause now as you pass by, As you are now, so once was I, As I am now so you shall be, therefore prepare to follow me.” “To follow you I’m not content Until I know which way you went.”2.

2. There Is An Assurance WE ALL CAN FIND
The Good Shepherd Sympathises with us.
The Good Shepherd Slain for us. John 10:11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
The Good Shepherd Seeking us 14“I am the good shepherd. I know My own sheep, and they know Me, 15 as the Father knows Me, and I know the Father. I lay down My life for the sheep. 16 But I have other sheep that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will listen to My voice. Then there will be one flock, one shepherd.
Matthew 18: “See that you don’t look down on one of these little ones, because I tell you that in heaven their angels continually view the face of My Father in heaven. [11 For the • Son of Man has come to save the lost.] 12 What do you think? If a man has 100 sheep, and one of them goes astray, won’t he leave the 99 on the hillside and go and search for the stray? 13 And if he finds it, I assure you: He rejoices over that sheep more than over the 99 that did not go astray. 14 In the same way, it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones perish.
Matthew 11:28 Jesus said Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.


There is An Assurance We All May Find. The Assurance of Grace!
Several years ago, Wembley Stadium in London hosted a rock concert for 12 hours, much like Woodstock. Groups like, Guns’ ‘N Roses whipped up the crowd with their music. The last scheduled act for the concert was an opera singer named, Jessye Norman. When the time came for her to sing, she strolled onto the stage with no back-up band, no musical instruments, just a powerful voice. The crowd grew restless and began to stir. Some began to shout for more Gun’s ‘N Roses. The scene started to get ugly. But slowly, she began to sing,
“Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me! I once was lost but now I’m found – was blind but now I see. “ A remarkable thing happened that night. 70,000 raucous fans grew silent as she sang. By the time she reached the second verse... “Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved...” she had the crowd in her hands. When she reached the third verse... “’Tis grace has brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home...” ... thousands were singing along, digging for memories they had learned years before. Finally, the whole stadium erupted singing, “When we’ve been there ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun, we’ve no less days to sing God’s praise than when we first begun.” Jessye Norman later admitted she had no idea what came over the stadium that night. I think I know. It was grace. And the world thirsts for grace.
John 3:16 John 3:17, “God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.” “Man is born broken. He lives by mending. The grace of God is the glue!”
1. The Assurance That God Is Doing Something For us We Could Not Do For Ourselves.

2. The Assurance That God Can Make A Way For Us To Heaven.

HOME
Greta NSW AUSTRALIA graveyard:
Richard Grose May 1882 79 years
Weep not for me my children dear,
Because I doe and leave you here
My end you know my grace you see
Prepare yourselves to follow me
Someone wrote at funeral of grandson in same grave and on same gravestone:
To follow you I’m not content
Until I know which way you went.
G. Campbell Morgan, The Gospel According to Matthew
“You are to remember with the passion burning within you that you are not the child of today. You are not of the Earth, you are more than dust; you are the child of tomorrow, you are of the eternities, you are the offspring of Deity.
“The measurement of your lives cannot be circumscribed by the point where blue sky kisses green earth. All the facts of your life cannot be encompassed in the one small sphere upon which you live. You belong to the infinite.
If you only make your fortune on the Earth—poor, sorry, silly soul—you have made a fortune, and stored it in a place where you cannot hold it. Make your fortune, but store it where it will greet you in the dawning of the new morning.”2
HAND
Autobiography of John Todd. In October 1800 John Todd was born in Rutland, Vermont. Soon afterward his parents moved to Killingworth, Connecticut. When John was six years old, both his parents died. A kind-hearted aunt in North Killingworth agreed to take John and give him a home. He was brought up by her and lived in her home until he left to study for the ministry. In middle life his aunt became seriously ill and feared she would die. In great distress she wrote John Todd a pitiful letter in which she asked what death would be like. Would it mean the end of everything, or is there beyond death a chance to continue living, loving and growing? Here is the letter John Todd sent his aunt in reply:
It is now thirty-five years since I as a little boy of six was left quite alone in the world. You sent me word that you would give me a home and be a kind mother to me. I will never forget the day when I made the long journey of ten miles to your house in North Killingworth. I can still remember my disappointment when instead of coming for me yourself, you sent Caesar to fetch me.
I well remember my tears and anxiety as perched high on your horse and clinging tight to Caesar I rode off to my new home. Night fell before we finished the journey, and as it grew dark, I became lonely and afraid. “Do you think she’ll go to bed before we get there?” I asked Caesar anxiously. “Oh, no,” he said reassuringly. “She’ll stay up for you. When we get out of this here woods, you’ll see her candle shinin’ in the window.”
Presently we did ride out into the clearing, and there, sure enough, was your candle. I remember you were waiting at the door, that you put your arms close about me and that you lifted me--a tired and bewildered little boy--down from the horse. You had a fire burning on the hearth, a hot supper waiting on the stove. After supper you took me to my room, heard me say my prayers, and then sat beside me till I fell asleep.
You probably realize why I am recalling all of this to your memory. Someday soon God will send for you to take you to a new home. Don’t fear the summons, the strange journey or the dark messenger of death.
God can be trusted to do as much for you as you were kind enough to do for me so many years ago. At the end of the road you will find love and a welcome awaiting and you will be safe in God’s care. I shall watch you and pray for you till you are out of sight and then wait for the day when I shall make the journey myself and find my Savior and you waiting at the end of the road to greet me1.
“Precious in the sight of the LORD Is the death of His saints” (Psalm 116:15,
HOPE
John 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
We think nothing of tracking packages, but God says:
I have sealed you with My Spirit;
I have written My Name upon your heart;
I have addressed your soul with the very address of Heaven.
When the time comes for you to go home—I am sending My Son to come and pick you up and bring you safely home.
Also, I’m tracking everything you’ve done on earth, and the part that is eternal is going to follow you—it’s going to arrive with you in heaven.”
My Jesus, I love Thee, I know Thou art mine; For Thee all the follies of sin I resign;
My gracious Redeemer, my Savior art Thou; If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.
I love Thee because Thou hast first loved me, And purchased my pardon on Calvary’s tree;
I love Thee for wearing the thorns on Thy brow; If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.
I’ll love Thee in life, I will love Thee in death, And praise Thee as long as Thou lendest me breath;
And say, when the death dew lies cold on my brow; If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now. William R. Featherston,

Committal : Forasmuch as it has pleased Almighty God to take out of the world the soul of our dear friend etc…….We therefore commit his body to (the ground) (be cremated) earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust, remembering the grace and mercy of our Heavenly Father demonstrated to us in our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Poems used in funerals

'Say not in grief 'he is no more' but live in thankfulness that he was' Hebrew proverb
'Yesterday is a memory, tomorrow is a mystery and today is a gift, which is why it is called the present'
'What the caterpillar perceives is the end, to the butterfly is just the beginning'
'Everything that has a beginning has an ending. Make your peace with that and all will be well' Buddist saying
'There was never yet an uninteresting life. Such a thing is an impossibility. Inside of the dullest exterior there is a drama, a comedy and a tragedy' Mark Twain, The refuge of the Derelicts 1905
It must be borne in mind that the tragedy of life doesn't lie in not reaching your goal.
The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach.
It is not a calamity to die with dreams unfulfilled. But it is a calamity not to dream.
It is not a disaster to be unable to capture your ideal, But it is a disaster to no ideal to capture.
It is not a disgrace not to reach the stars. But it is a disgrace not to have stars to reach for.
Not failure, but low aim is a sin. Dr Benjamin Elijah Mays 1894-1984

Do not stand at my grave and weep I am not there, I do not sleep
I am a 1,000 winds that blow I am the diamond glints on snow
I am the sun on ripened grain I am the gentle autumn rain
When you awaken in the morning's hush I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled light I am the soft star that shines at night
Do not stand at my grave and cry I am not there; I did not die. Anonymous

All Is Well
Death is nothing at all, I have only slipped into the next room
I am I and you are you Whatever we were to each other, that we are still.
Call me by my old familiar name, Speak to me in the easy way which you always used
Put no difference in your tone, Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow
Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes we enjoyed together. Play, smile, think of me, pray for me.
Let my name be ever the household world that it always was,
Let it be spoken without effect, without the trace of shadow on it.
Life means all that it ever meant. It it the same as it ever was, there is unbroken continuity.
Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight? I am waiting for you, for an interval, somewhere very near,
Just around the corner. All is well. Henry Scott Holland 1847-1918 Canon of St Paul's Cathedral

A Child Loaned
"I'll lend you for a little time A child of Mine." He said. "For you to love the while he lives
And mourn for when he's dead.
It may be six or seven year Or twenty-two or three But will you, till I call him back Take care of him for Me?
He'll bring his charms to gladden you And should his stay be brief, You'll have his lovely memories
As solace for your grief.
I cannot promise he will stay Since all from Earth return, But there are lessons taught down there
I want the child to learn.
I've looked this wide world over In my search for teacher's true, And from the throngs that crowd life's lanes,
I have selected you;
Now will you give him all your love, Nor think the labour vain Nor hate Me when I come to call
And take him back again?
I fancied that I heard them say, "Dear Lord, They will be done, For all the joy Thy child shall bring,
For the risk of grief we'll run.
We'll shelter him with tenderness, We'll love him while we may, And for the happiness we've known,
Forever grateful stay.
But should the angels call for him Much sooner than we planned,
We'll brave the bitter grief that comes And try to understand." Anonymous

High Flight
Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of earth And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings.
Sunward I've climbed and joined the tumbling mirth Of sun split clouds - and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of; wheeled and soared and swung High in the sunlit silence. Hovering there
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung My eager craft through footless halls of air;
Up, up the long delirious burning blue I've topped the windswept heights with easy grace,
Where never lark nor even eagle flew; And while, with silent lifting mind I've trod
The high, untrespassed sanctity of space Put out my hand and touched the face of God.
Fl. Officer John Gillespie McGee 1922-1941

Farewell
Farewell to Thee! But not farewell To all my fondest thoughts of Thee;
Within my heart they still shall dwell And they shall cheer and comfort me.
Life seems more sweet that Thou didst live And men more true Thou wert one;
Nothing is lost that Thou didst give, Nothing destroyed that Thou hast done. Anne Bronte 1820-1849

Life Goes On
If I should go before the rest of you Break not a flower Nor inscribe a stone Nor when I am gone
Speak in a Sunday voice But be the usual selves That I have known
Weep if you must Parting is hell But life goes on So .... sing as well Joyce Grenfell 1910-1979

Indian Prayer
When I am dead Cry for me a little Think of me sometimes But not too much.
Think of me now and again As I was in life At some moments it's pleasant to recall But not for long.
Leave me in peace And I shall leave you in peace And while you live Let your thoughts be with the living.

If I should go tomorrow It would never be goodbye, For I have left my heart with you, So don't you ever cry.
The love that's deep within me, Shall reach you from the stars, You'll feel it from the heavens,
And it will heal the scars.

He is Gone
You can shed tears that he is gone, Or you can smile because he lived,
You can close your eyes and pray that he will come back, Or you can open your eyes and see all that he has left.
Your heart can be empty because you can't see him Or you can be full of the love that you shared,
You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday, Or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday.
You can remember him and only that he is gone Or you can cherish his memory and let it live on,
You can cry and close your mind be empty and turn your back,
Or you can do what he would want: smile, open your eyes, love and go on. Anonymous

I am standing on the sea shore, A ship sails in the morning breeze and starts for the ocean.
She is an object of beauty and I stand watching her Till at last she fades on the horizon and someone at my side says:
"She is gone." Gone! Where? Gone from my sight - that is all. She is just as large in the masts, hull and spars as she was when I saw her And just as able to bear her load of living freight to its destination. The diminished size and total loss of sight is in me, not in her.
And just at the moment when someone at my side says, "She is gone", There are others who are watching her coming, and other voices take up a glad shout: "There she comes" - and that is dying. An horizon and just the limit of our sight. Lift us up, Oh Lord, that we may see further. Bishop Brent 1862 - 1926

Remember
Remember me when I am gone away, Gone far away into the silent land:
When you can no more hold me by the hand, Nor I half turn to go yet turning stay.
Remember me when no more day by day You tell me of our future that you planned:
Only remember me; you understand It will be late to counsel then or pray.
Yet if you should forget me for a while And afterwards remember, do not grieve:
For if the darkness and corruption leave A vestige of the thoughts that once I had,
Better by far you should forget and smile Than that you should remember and be sad. Christina Rossetti 183094

Death Be Not Proud
Death, be not proud, though some have called thee Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so;
For those whom thou think'st thou dost over throw Die not, poor Death, nor yet canst thou kill me.
From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be, Much pleasure - then, from thee much more must flow;
And soonest our best men with thee do go, Rest of their bones and soul's delivery.
Thou'rt slave to fate, chance, kings and desperate men, And dost with poison, war and sickness dwell;
And poppy or charms can make us sleep as well, And better than thy stroke. Why swell'st thou then?
One short sleep past, we wake eternally, And death shall be no more. Death thou shalt die. John Donne 1572-1631

Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night
Do not go gentle into that good night Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Though wise men at their end know dark is right, Because their words had forked not lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night
Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight, And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
And you my father, there on the sad height, Curse, bless me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light. Dylan Thomas 1914-53

But Not Forgotten
I think no matter where you stray, That I shall go with you a way. Though you may wander sweeter lands,
You will not forget my hands,
Nor yet the way I held my head Nor the tremulous things I said. You will still see me, small and white
And smiling, in the secret night, And feel my arms about you when The day comes fluttering back again. I think, no matter where you be, You'll hold me in your memory And keep my image there without me, By telling later loves about me. Dorothy Parker

Living Bouquets
When I quit this mortal shore And mosey 'round this earth no more,
Do not weep and do not sob; I may have found a better job.
Don't go and buy a large bouquet For which you'll find it hard to pay,
Don't mope around and feel all blue; I may be better off than you.
Don't tell the folks I was a saint Or any old thing that I ain't.
If you have jam like that to spread, Please hand it out before I'm dead.
If you have roses bless your soul, Just pin one in my buttonhole
While I'm alive and well today; Don't wait until I'm gone away. Mabeel Easley



Let Me Go
When I come to the end of the road,
And the sun has set on me;
I want no rites in a gloom filled room,
Why cry for a soul set free?
Miss me little - but not for long,
And not with your head bowed low.
Remember the love that we once shared,
Miss me - but let me go.
For this is a journey we all must take,
And each must go alone.
It’s all part of the Master’s plan,
A step on the road to home.
When you are lonely and sick at heart,
Go to the friends we know.
And bury your sorrows in doing good deeds,
Miss me - but let me go.

 

A Funeral sermon based on Ecclesiastes 3

Ecclesiastes 3 11
He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also put eternity in their hearts,
Pascal..a God shaped vacuum Augustine Thou hast made us for Thyself
1. The Contemplation of The Creation The extensiveness of the Universe.
Psalm 19: 1 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky proclaims the work of His hands.
Romans 1: 18 For God’s wrath is revealed from heaven against all godlessness and unrighteousness of people who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth, 19 since what can be known about God is evident among them, because God has shown it to them. 20 From the creation of the world His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what He has made. As a result, people are without excuse. 21 For though they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became nonsense, and their senseless minds were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools
Psalm 8:1 Lord, our Lord, how magnificent is Your name throughout the earth! You have covered the heavens with Your majesty.
2. The Admiration of The Architect To the Intensiveness of DNA
William Blake To see a world in a grain of sand, And a heaven in a wild flower, Hold infinity in the palm of your hand, And Eternity in an hour.
To The Immensities of Life. Sand on a beach, the numberless masses, yet God knows me. Luk 12:6,7 Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows. He loves me, He carries me
My life is but a weaving between my Lord and me. I cannot see the colors; He worketh steadily.Oft times he weaveth sorrow, and I in foolish pride Forget He sees the upper, and I the underside.Not till the looms are silent and the shuttles cease to fly Shall God unroll the canvas and explain the reason why The dark threads are as needful in the Weaver's skillful hand As the threads of gold and silver in the pattern He has planned.
3. The Longing For The Lover The Homing Instinct In Man
When Jesus likens Himself to ' Bread,' it is to remind us that He is to us an elemental, fundamental necessity. He is the simple, wholesome, normal satisfaction the human soul needs,
Our supreme need is of something or of someone, that can satisfy our deepest longings. Nature never creates instincts it cannot satisfy, and God never awakens spiritual aspirations in us that He cannot and will not fulfil. ' He satisfieth the desire of every living thing.' Carlyle once said to Professor Tyndall, 'There is something in man that your science cannot satisfy.' That 'something' is the hunger and thirst of the soul. Science is good; art is good; culture is good; money is good; health is good; but none of these, nor all of these can satisfy our deepest nature. ' Wlioso drinkcth of this water shall thirst again.' ' But he that cometh to Me shall never hunger, and he that believetli on Me shall never thirst.'
In every human heart there is a cry for God, a sigh for that which will satisfy. During a serious illness which Rudyard Kipling passed through some years ago, his nurse noticed at the critical period of his sickness that the great author's lips were moving. Bending over him, thinking that he wanted to say something, she heard him pray—
Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep,
And, if I die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.
Realizing that he did not just then require her services, she apologized, saying, 'I beg your pardon, Mr. Kip­ling, I thought you wanted something.' 'So I do,' he faintly answered, 'I want my heavenly Father.' This is the need that Jesus supplies.
If I am hungry for love, a house will not satisfy my longing, however luxuriously it may be furnished. And, if my soul panteth for God as the hart panteth for the water brook, success in life will not satisfy me, whatever that success may be. ' Christ in you' is the only experience that can satisfy fully and permanently the hunger of the soul. The hymn writer has voiced the life history of millions, when he writes— I tried the broken cisterns. Lord, But, ah ! the waters failed, E'en as I stooped to drink they fled, And mocked me as I wailed.
art thou satisfied ? Shortly before Shelley the poet died, he had a curious dream. He dreamt he saw his spectral self coming towards his conscious self. As the gruesome figure drew near, it raised the hood from its head and inquired of him 'Art thou satisfied?' At some time or other that vision will come to us all, and ask, ' Art thou satisfied?' There are men and women here among us who have been highly and legitimately successful in their respective spheres of life—' Art thou satisfied?' There are others on whose life, habit has riveted itself, and held them in an awful bondage—. Art thou satisfied?' There are others, a great host, whose domestic conditions provide all the earthly love and comfort that heart could desire—but 'Art thou satisfied?'
Whether the conditions of our life are favourable or unfavourable, we shall all come at one time or other to feel as Kipling felt, 'I want my heavenly Father.' To such Jesus says, 'He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father,' and 'he that cometh to Me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst.'

"Life's greatest happiness is to be convinced we are loved." -- Victor Hugo (1802 - 1885), Les Miserables, 1862
John 10:10 A thief comes only to steal and to kill and to destroy. I have come that they may have life and have it in abundance.
"Do not fear death so much, but rather the inadequate life." -- Bertolt Brecht (1898 - 1956), The Mother, 1932 Days of our Lives, “MacDonald Carey, “Like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of our lives.”
Matt 11: 28 “Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 All of you, take up My yoke and learn from Me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for yourselves. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

 

A Funeral Sermon Centred on Psalm 90

Ray Charles said, “Live every day like it’s your last, ‘cause one day you’re gonna be right.” The Bible often reminds us that we should live our lives with the end in view. One of those scriptures is Psalm 90. “So teach us to number our days that we may apply our heart unto wisdom” (vs. 12). George Bernard Shaw once said, “Life’s ultimate statistic is the same for all people: one out of one dies.” This admonition is set against the backdrop of the eternal nature of God. The Psalmist begins, “Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God”
1. God Is Eternal The Eternal Nature Of God
2. Life Is Transient The Frailty Of Man Life Is Speedy a watch in the night.. seems long, but over before barely begun. Life Is A Story Life Is A Dream Life Is A Flood
So brief our days, so very brief Like an autumn rose with its falling leaf, A moment’s light, a glance of sun And then our pilgrimage is done. As the rainbow fades in the summer sky As the green grass flourishes to die
This moment’s triumph, too, will wane And none shall call it back again. Write quickly, then, while the candle glows A little while and the book will close, Go carve your figure of renown For soon you must lay your chisel down.
Use well this hour’s joy, its grief -- For life is brief, so very brief.
• The most important things in life are not things. A philosophy professor illustrates what I am saying. He walked into his class one day and placed some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to .ll it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. So the professor picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly, and the pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He again asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed it was. The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand .filled up the rest of the jar. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous, “yes.” The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table, and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed. “Now,” said the professor as the laughter subsided, “I want you to recognize that the jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things—your family, your children, your health, your friends, and your faith— if everything else were lost and only these things remained, your life would still be full. “The pebbles are the other things that matter, like your job, your house, your car. The sand is everything else—the small stuff. “If you put the sand into the jar .first,” he continued, “there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for our life—if you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important for you. Pay attention to the things that are critical for your happiness. “Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner. Play another 18 holes. Worship God regularly. There will always be time to clean the house and .x the disposal. “Take care of the golf balls first—the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.” One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled, “I’m glad you asked,” he said. “It just goes to show that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a cup of coffee with a friend.”
He was reminding us that the most important things in life are not things. They are relationships. Relationships with your parents, children, family, friends, and, most of all, God. And let me just remind you that no matter what your relationship is to your parents, you’ll miss them when they are gone.
• All glory is fading. Don’t take yourself too seriously, no one else does. The movie Patton ends with General George W. Patton, the colorful and controversial general of WWII, describing the victory parade of a Roman general returning from a triumphant conquest. At the head of the parade were the trumpets. They were followed by the strange animals from the country he had conquered, and then came the chariots laden with treasures he had taken. In a chariot rides the conquering general. Before him, in chains, march the prisoners he has taken. Beside him, or perhaps riding on the trace horses, are his children dressed in white robes, and behind him stands a slave whispering in his ear, “All glory is fading.”
• Even if you have a pain, you don’t have to be a pain.
Elderly peoples’ wedding I began the ceremony by saying, “Win, do you take Sue to be your lawfully wedded wife, and do you promise before God and these witnesses to love her, comfort her, honor her, keep her in sickness and in health and, forsaking all others, to keep thee only unto her so long as you both shall live? Do you so promise?”
And instead of saying, “I do,” he said, “I’ll try.” I like that! That’s enthusiasm. That’s optimism. Eightynine years old and still willing to try. The years and tears had not stolen his joy or his optimism or his willingness to venture.
• Only God is in a position to look down on anyone. Thaddeus Stevens has been called “the best white friend Black Americans ever had.” A congressman from Pennsylvania, Stevens opposed slavery with a vengeance. He flayed his fellow congressmen over the issue every chance he got. Brilliant, fearless, unyielding, Stevens believed that slavery was the lone blot on the world’s noblest document, the U.S. Constitution, and he was determined to have it erased. But in the midst of the conflict, he never became bitter. His wit grew famous. Once, an enemy met him on a narrow path and snarled, “I never step aside for a skunk.” Stevens moved out of the way saying, “But I always do” (Reader’s Digest, June 1971, 169). Thad! Don’t ever stoop to another person’s level except to lift him/her up.
• When we die, it’s more important to leave a testimony than a title.
One day, young ladies and gentlemen, you will die and they will carry you out to the cemetery and throw dirt in your face. Then the mourners will come back to church and have ham and potato salad and talk about you. When they do, what do you suppose they will say? They won’t talk about your titles or positions, but rather what you did in life to make the world a better place.” Then the question I want to ask you is this: ‘When you die and are gone, will you leave a title, or will you leave a testimony?’” Just one life Will soon be past Only what’s done For Christ will last.

A sermon on John 14:1-16
• Heaven is real.
Sigmund Freud explained heaven as a human fantasy rooted in man’s instinct for self-preservation. Harvard philosopher Alfred North Whitehead once said, “Can you imagine anything more appallingly idiotic than the Christian idea of heaven?” Freud was wrong and Jesus was right. Heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people.
• No more sea (v. 1) — nothing that separates. • No more tears (v. 4) — nothing that saddens.
• No more death (v. 4) — nothing that grieves. • No more pain (v. 4) — nothing that hurts.
• No more sin (v. 27) — nothing that defiles. • No more night (v. 25) — nothing that frightens.
“Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him” (1 Cor. 2:9).
An elderly Christian woman was grief-stricken after the death of her daughter. To adjust, she boarded a ship from England to New York City to visit her other daughter. While at sea a severe storm struck. Passengers frantically raced for lifeboats. The elderly lady showed no signs of panic. A young man excitedly said, “Lady, don’t you know we may sink and all die?” “Young man,” she quietly replied, “I have one daughter in heaven and one daughter in New York City, and it doesn’t make any difference to me which one I see first.”
• Heaven is ready.
Hebrews 6:20 Jesus is called our “forerunner.” In the Roman army the forerunners were the reconnaissance troops. That is what Jesus did. He blazed the way to heaven and to God that we might follow in his steps. He has gone ahead to make things ready for us. “No more patients can be accepted.” Sometimes we want to buy tickets to concerts and discover that every seat has been sold. Periodically we want to take a certain flight and learn that it is overbooked. There was no room in the inn for Mary and the child, Jesus. This experience is commonplace on earth, but it is not in heaven nor indeed on the pathway that approaches heaven. “Whosoever will, may come! . . . and yet there is room.” And, there’s room for you. John, in the book of Revelation, pictures heaven as a city with twelve gates “On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates” Rev. 21:13
• Heaven is restricted.
It is an “exclusive” place. But its exclusion is not a matter of race or face or place. Jesus made this abundantly clear when he said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the father, but by me.” Suppose we are in a strange town and ask for directions. Suppose the person said, “Take the first road to the right, then the second to the left, cross the square, and go past the church, then take the third road to the right and the fourth road to the left, and you’ll be there.” Chances are you and I would get lost before we were halfway there. But suppose the person we asked said, “Come, I’ll take you there.” In that case the person would be to us the way, and we could not miss it.
That’s what Jesus does for us. As Peter declares, “Christ died to bring us to God.” He not only gives us directions, he takes us by the hand and leads us safely there.
Robert Frost wrote a poetic masterpiece entitled, The Road Not Taken. The poem concerns a traveler who comes to a fork in the road and must decide which way to go. After evaluating the options, he makes his choice. Yet, even as he begins his trip down the road of his own choosing, he remarks:
I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in the wood, And I . . . I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference!
There are two roads in life. One is broad and easy. The other is straight and narrow. One leads to life. The other leads to destruction. The difference is heaven and hell. Choose Christ and heaven can be yours.
Life is short, Death is sure, Sin, the curse, And Christ, the cure.

 

A Funeral Sermon centred upon Psalm 121

John 14:1-6 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. 4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. 5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? 6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Psalm 121 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. 2 My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth. 3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. 4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand. 6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. 7 The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. 8 The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.

1. You Have A Problem You Can’t Solve
Enemies Israel.. over the side of the mountains enemies.. Middle east even George W can’t solve.
Emptiness Solomon vanity, vanity, all is vanity Eccles 1:2“Absolute futility,” says the Teacher. “Absolute futility. Everything is futile.”
Pascal: God shaped vacuum that only God Himself can fill
Jesus : John 6:31 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, just as it is written: He gave them bread from heaven to eat.” 32 Jesus said to them, “I assure you: Moses didn’t give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the real bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is the One who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 Then they said, “Sir, give us this bread always!” 35 “I am the bread of life,” Jesus told them. “No one who comes to Me will ever be hungry, and no one who believes in Me will ever be thirsty again
Eternity Centrelink Notice "Your payments will be stopped effective May 1992 because we have received notice that you have passed away. If your circumstances change you may reapply at any time."
Woody Allen : Death doesn't scare me I just don't want to be there at the time.
Plato :”Oh that there was some sure, some definite word, that might bear him across this vast sea of death”.

2. You Have A Preserver Who Can Save You “Keeper” “Preserve”
One of my favorite stories is about the preacher who was talking about being prepared to die. He said, “Every member of this church is going to die!” A kid on the front pew laughed out loud, so the preacher repeated his statement a little louder. He said, “I said, EVERY MEMBER OF THIS CHURCH IS GOING TO DIE!” At that, the kid laughed even louder. The preacher stopped and said, “Young man, how can you laugh at that?” The kid replied, “Because I’m not a member of this church!” Well you and I have to deal with the prospect of death. In the 14th century, the Italian poet, Dante Alighieri, wrote a trilogy of books tracing his imaginary journey through hell, purgatory, and then heaven. His first book in the trilogy was called The Inferno. In it, he described hell as seven circles of increasing punishment, based on the seven deadly sins. His descriptions are fictitious, but he does get one detail of hell completely correct: Hell is a completely devoid of hope. Dante’s inscription above the entrance to hell stated, “Through me the way into the city of woe, / Through me the way to eternal pain, / Through me the way among the lost... / Abandon all hope, you who enter here.” But that need not be the consequence for any one of us. Many years ago Queen Victoria wrote upon the tomb of her dead husband, "Here at last I shall rest with thee--with thee in Christ to rise again." mausoleum of the Prince Consort at Throgmore.
The Lord promises to be the Preserver of those who trust in Him. John 3:16

3. You Have A Person To Possess You need to make the One your God.
Someone once said procrastination is putting off today what you can do tomorrow. But true procrastination is putting off today what you can put off again tomorrow. Scarlett O’Hara from “Gone with the Wind” is the matron saint of all procrastinators. Her mantra was, “I’ll think about that tomorrow.” “Procrastination is my sin. It only brings me sorrow. I know I ought to change my life. In fact, I will, tomorrow.”
Bertrand Russell 1927 wrote Why I am not a Christian. When he was 81, he was interviewed by the BBC. The interviewer asked him, “What do you have to hang onto when death is obviously so close?” Russell’s answer was: “I have nothing to hang onto but grim, unyielding despair.” You don’t have to be like that. You can receive the life that Jesus offers each one of us. Let Him be your Lord, your Keeper Preserver, Your Saviour. Jn 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was created through Him, yet the world did not recognize Him. 11 He came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him. 12 But to all who did receive Him, He gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in His name,

Committal : Forasmuch as it has pleased Almighty God to take out of the world the soul of our dear friend etc…….We therefore commit his body to (the ground) (be cremated) earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust, remembering the grace and mercy of our Heavenly Father demonstrated to us in our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Funeral Music

Generally I ask the grieving family whether there were any songs that were particularly meaningful to their loved one.
If they can't think of any I offer a selection from a CD I have burnt.
These are the songs they often choose from :
1. Abide With Me
2. Amazing Grace
3. How Great Thou Art
4. The Lord’s My Shepherd Psalm 23
5. The Old Rugged Cross
6. Bridge Over Troubled Waters
7. Back Home Again
8. My Cup Runneth Over
9. Everything Is Beautiful
10. For You
11. That’s What Friends Are For
12. Imagine
13. I’ll Never Pass this Way Again
14. You’ll Never Walk Alone
15. Why Me Lord?
16. Wind Beneath My Wings
17. What A Wonderful World18. Somewhere Over The Rainbow

 

Funeral Service Form

I print this form and fill it in with the grieving family.

NAME

DATE OF BIRTH OCCUPATION

DATE OF DEATH

PARENTS’ NAMES

BROTHERS & SISTERS

PLACE OF GROWING UP

SPOUSE PLACE MARRIED DATE

CHILDREN

Grandchildren

PLACES OF LIVING

PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS


PERSONAL INTERESTS


CONTRIBUTIONS TO FAMILY COMMUNITY

BEST PICTURE OR MEMORY




NAME

AGE

FUNERAL DATE

LOCATION

PERSON ORGANISING R'SHIP

ADDRESS



PHONE

PALL ~ BEARERS

SPECIAL REQUESTS

ORDER OF SERVICE
WELCOME

BIBLE READING

EULOGY (s)

POETRY

REFLECTION

FLOWERS

MUSIC

COMMITTAL

REFRESHMENTS

 

Funeral Poems and Pieces

Over the last two years I have probably preached at close to 300 funerals. I print off these poems on a sheet and give them to the grieving folk to select a poem that most suits their loved one.
These are the favourites folks have picked.


Let Me Go
When I come to the end of the road, And the sun has set on me;
I want no rites in a gloom filled room, Why cry for a soul set free?
Miss me little - but not for long, And not with your head bowed low.
Remember the love that we once shared, Miss me - but let me go.
For this is a journey we all must take, And each must go alone.
It’s all part of the Master’s plan, A step on the road to home.
When you are lonely and sick at heart, Go to the friends we know.
And bury your sorrows in doing good deeds, Miss me - but let me go.

Sea Shore
I am standing on the sea shore, A ship sails in the morning breeze and starts for the ocean.
She is an object of beauty and I stand watching her Till at last she fades on the horizon and someone at my side says: "She is gone." Gone! Where? Gone from my sight - that is all. She is just as large in the masts, hull and spars as she was when I saw her And just as able to bear her load of living freight to its destination. The diminished size and total loss of sight is in me, not in her.
And just at the moment when someone at my side says, "She is gone", There are others who are watching her coming, and other voices take up a glad shout: "There she comes" - and that is dying. An horizon and just the limit of our sight. Lift us up, Oh Lord, that we may see further. Bishop Brent 1862 - 1926

All Is Well
Death is nothing at all, I have only slipped into the next room
I am I and you are you Whatever we were to each other, that we are still.
Call me by my old familiar name,
Speak to me in the easy way which you always used
Put no difference in your tone, Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow
Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes we enjoyed together.
Play, smile, think of me, pray for me.
Let my name be ever the household world that it always was,
Let it be spoken without effect, without the trace of shadow on it.
Life means all that it ever meant.
It is the same as it ever was, there is unbroken continuity.
Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight?
I am waiting for you, for an interval, somewhere very near,
Just around the corner. All is well.

Remember
Remember me when I am gone away, Gone far away into the silent land:
When you can no more hold me by the hand, Nor I half turn to go yet turning stay.
Remember me when no more day by day You tell me of our future that you planned:
Only remember me; you understand It will be late to counsel then or pray.
Yet if you should forget me for a while And afterwards remember, do not grieve:
For if the darkness and corruption leave A vestige of the thoughts that once I had,
Better by far you should forget and smile Than that you should remember and be sad. Christina Rossetti 183094

A Weaving
My life is but a weaving between my Lord and me. I cannot see the colors; He worketh steadily.Oft times he weaveth sorrow, and I in foolish pride Forget He sees the upper, and I the underside.Not till the looms are silent and the shuttles cease to fly Shall God unroll the canvas and explain the reason whyThe dark threads are as needful in the Weaver's skillful hand As the threads of gold and silver in the pattern He has planned.

She is Gone
You can shed tears that she is gone, Or you can smile because she lived,
You can close your eyes and pray that she will come back,
Or you can open your eyes and see all that she has left.
Your heart can be empty because you can't see her
Or you can be full of the love that you shared,
You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday,
Or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday.
You can remember her and only that she is gone
Or you can cherish her memory and let it live on,
You can cry and close your mind be empty and turn your back,
Or you can do what she would want: Smile, open your eyes, love and go on.

Forget And Remember
When I come to the end of my journey And I travel my last weary mileJust forget if you can, that I ever frowned And remember only the smileForget unkind words I have spoken Remember some good I have doneForget that I ever had heartache And remember I've had loads of funForget that I've stumbled and blundered And sometimes fell by the wayRemember I have fought some hard battles And won, ere the close of the dayThen forget to grieve for my going I would not have you sad for a dayBut in summer just gather some flowers And remember the place where I layAnd come in the shade of evening When the sun paints the sky in the westStand for a few moments beside me And remember only my best

 

Funeral Scriptures

Here are the scriptures I use with most funerals. I usually give the sheet to the family and ask them to select the one most relevant to them.



SCRIPTURE READINGS

ECCLESIASTES 3
There is an occasion for everything, and a time for every activity under heaven: a time to give birth and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to uproot; a time to kill and a time to heal; a time to tear down and a time to build; a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance; a time to throw stones and a time to gather stones a time to embrace and a time to avoid embracing; a time to search and a time to count as lost; a time to keep and a time to throw away; a time to tear and a time to sew; a time to be silent and a time to speak; a time to love and a time to hate; a time for war and a time for peace. What does the worker gain from his struggles? I have seen the task that God has given people to keep them occupied. He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also put eternity in their hearts, but man cannot discover the work God has done from beginning to end.

Psalm 23
1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil: for thou art with me;
thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:
thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

1Corinthians 13:1-7
1 If I speak the languages of men and of angels, but do not have love, I am a sounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so that I can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 And if I donate all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but do not have love, I gain nothing. 4 Love is patient; love is kind. Love does not envy; is not boastful; is not conceited; 5 does not act improperly; is not selfish; is not provoked; does not keep a record of wrongs; 6 finds no joy in unrighteousness, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things Love never ends.
Romans 8
31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? 32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. 34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

John 14:1-6
Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. 4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. 5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? 6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:
For Thine is the kingdom, and the power,
and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

Committal and Benediction
Forasmuch as it has pleased Almighty god to take out of the world the soul of our dear friend, husband/wife, father, grandfather…….. We therefore commit his body to the ground, earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust, remembering the grace and mercy of our heavenly Father demonstrated to us in Jesus Christ our Lord.
And may the blessing of Father Son and Holy Spirit rest upon us all evermore, amen.

 

Funeral sermon : "The Pattern of Life"

One seldom begins a vacation without carefully plotting his intended course of travel. Unfortunately, too many people do not consider life as an adventure to be carefully mapped out prior to "take-off."
No two people look upon life in exactly the same fashion. Some see it as pessimistically as did Macbeth in William Shakespeare's play by that name when he cried out, "Life ... is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing." Somewhat less pessimistic, but in much the same vein are the words of the great Seneca, philosopher, dramatist, and statesman of ancient Rome, "Life is neither a good nor an evil; it is simply the place where good and evil exist." A more optimistic concept of life was presented to his pupils in Athens some four hundred and twenty-five years prior to Christ's birth by the great Greek philosopher, Socrates, who taught that "The end of life is to be like God, and the soul following God will be like him."
1. _______________’s Life Contained Opportunities.
A. Opportunities for growth. It is a known fact that when one stops growing in some fashion he has begun to decay. Therefore, during the new year we should seize the opportunity for growth.
1. Mentally. When a Christian has stopped studying and has stopped cultivating his mental capacities, he has begun to atrophy; his God-given mental abilities are "drying up." We are stewards to God for the intellect which we have and are responsible to Him for the cultivation and enlargement of that capacity. In our day we find too many people satisfied with mental mediocrity. As Albert Einstein the late brilliant scholar once remarked about our time in history, "We live in a time of perfect mediocrity and confused ends." As Christians we need to be much aware that, in the words of Richard C. Raines, "It does not take a great mind to be a Christian, but it takes all the mind a man has."
2. Spiritually.. My cousin in her thirties had the mind of an infant." Pitiful? Yes, quite pitiful, but there is something more pitiful than that. That to which I refer is the Christian now old in years since conversion, but still no more spiritually mature than a new-born Christian. Let us determine that during the coming year we shall grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour.
B. Opportunities for service.


II. ______________ ‘s Life Contained Tragedies.
As much as we would like to avoid the tragedies or heart- aches which will probably be woven into the pattern of our lives for the coming year, we need to realize that they are the goads which thrust us along in our Christian growth. As Kirby Page has expressed it, "Tragedy crushes and tragedy ennobles, and you had better find out the dif- ference between that which flattens and that which upbuilds." It amkes you either bitter or vbetter.. and you get to decide. Some of the heartaches or tragedies which touched______... and us.. are
A. Loss of business and wealth. To lose all of one's material possessions may be a blessing in a strange disguise. I heard of a man who, some years ago, lost his business, his home and all possessions. For food for his stomach and a place to lay his head he went to the Salvation Army. Of all things for the Salvation Army worker to confront him with in an attempt to meet his needs of the hour was the subject of tithing! Certainly that was hardly appropriate, considering the fact that he didn't have a penny to share with the Lord. He did, however, accept the principle of tithing. Later he migrated to Oklahoma and "made it rich" in the oil business. True to his newfound principle he became a partner with the Lord and found life to be much more meaningful than ever before.
B. Loss of health. Paul's "thorn in the flesh" has been subject to much conjecture on the part of scholars through the years. I agree with those who hold that it was a physical disability. Paul prayed for its removal. Though this request was not answered in the way he desired, Paul received sufficient grace to bear it. He even saw that the Lord could bring glory unto Himself through this infirmity. Paul heard the Master saying,
"My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weak- ness" (II Corinthians 12:9a).
C. Loss of loved ones. I recently listened to a man as he stood beside the open grave of his beautiful little daughter and said, "God spoke to me through this experience; now I am going to accept the Lord as my Saviour." Even out of this catastrophe of life God can bring a great blessing.

III.________________-‘s Life Contained Victories.
Knowing Christ

Bringing Up his children

Being a respected man/woman in his church.

Effective life changing service. List of people affected by ______'s life.




Tuesday, December 26, 2006

 

Linus Christmas Monologue

This is what its all about


Sunday, December 24, 2006

 

John 1:14 1 Tim 3:16 God was manifest in the flesh,

As she came out of church one Sunday, a young lady said to me, “I need to talk with you, Pastor. I’m confused about the real meaning of Christmas.” I can see how that could happen to anyone, regardless of their age. It’s possible to become so intrigued with the tinsel and glitter that we miss the starlight and straw. One writer in the local rag, The Post, at this time last year summed up the confusion of many as he described his distress at seeing ‘He is the reason for the season”, on the bike shop on the corner of Darby and King streets last Christmas time. He exclaimed, “Imagine that! They’re even trying to drag religion into Christmas now!”
Don’t misunderstand me. I like everything about Christmas. I like Christmas trees. I like Christmas lights. I like Christmas cards. I like Christmas gifts. I even like Santa Claus. And, if that were all there was to it, it would be worth all we put into it because, for at least a little while at Christmas time, all the world is a better place. But, the real meaning of Christmas is not to be found in any of those things. To discover the real reason for the season we need to look again at the Christmas story as recorded in scripture.
So, Christmas is the celebration of the incarnation (i.e., God becoming flesh). It commemorates the time when God invaded this small planet; when omnipotence was wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger. It is the celebration of the fact that God has come to live among us, to reveal himself to us, to identify with us, and to give himself for us. It commemorates a time when God became flesh and dwelt among us in order to be our savior. It is clear, then, that the real meaning of Christmas centers in Jesus Christ. If there had been no Christ there would be no Christmas. The Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We observed His glory, the glory as the One and Only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. KJV

The Word Became Flesh THERE IS REVELATION!
The first reason for the incarnation was revelation. To know God has been the desire of people through the ages. There has never been a time, from prehistoric man until the present, when people did not want to know God. A Roman historian wrote that he could find in his time cities without a stadium and cities without a theater, but he could not find cities without a temple. There is an inner longing in the heart of each person to know God.
But, how can we know one who is indescribable and incomprehensible? We can look up into the heavens and see some revelation of God. We can see design and purpose and power. But we cannot know God fully. There are great revelations of God in the Old Testament, but they are all partial. If you want the surest and purest revelation of God you must find him in Jesus Christ.
The disciples once said to Jesus, “Show us the Father and we will be satisfied.” Jesus responded, “Have I been so long with you and you have not known me? He that hath seen me hath seen the Father.”
If you should ask, “What is God like?” I would reply, “He is like Jesus Christ.” If you should then ask, “How much like Jesus Christ?” I would reply, “Exactly like Jesus Christ.”
Or as Paul put it, “In him all the fullness of the Godhead dwells.”
Some suggest we can see God in all religions. Theologian Karl Barth stood before students and faculty at Princeton in 1963 during his Princeton Lectures. A student asked, “Sir, don’t you think God has revealed himself in other religions and not only Christianity?” Barth stunned many who were present when he thundered, “No, God has not revealed himself in any religion, including Christianity. He has revealed himself in his son.”
The essence of Christianity is this: Jesus Christ is God. He is not just a part of God, or just sent by God, or just related to God. He was and is God.
Plato said that God is so vast that he is indescribable. The ancient Greeks thought that God was incomprehensible. So what did God do? He came down so we could comprehend him.
As John put it, “God became flesh and dwelt among us.”
Clarence Macartney wrote “The Moravians were founded by Count Zinzendorf, who was converted in an art gallery in Dusseldorf by contemplating a painting of Christ on the cross, which had the inscription, "I did this for thee. What hast thou done for me?"
This painting was done by an artist three hundred years before. When he had finished his first sketch of the face of the Redeemer, this artist called in his landlady's little daughter and asked her who she thought it was. The girl looked at it and said, "It is a good man." The painter knew that he had failed. He destroyed the first sketch, and after pray­ing for greater skill he finished a second. Again he called the little girl in and 1 asked her to tell him whom she thought ' the face represented. This time the girl said she thought it looked like a great sufferer. Again the painter knew that he had failed, and again he destroyed the •sketch he had made. After meditation and prayer, a third sketch was made. When it was finished, he called the girl in a third time and asked her who it was. Looking at the portrait, the girl knelt down and exclaimed, "It is the Lord!"
That alone makes the coming of Christ meaningful to the world—not that a good man came, not that a wise teacher came, not that a great sufferer came, but that God came—Immanuel, God with us.
One hears quoted very often, and very thoughtlessly, Richard Watson Gilder's lines:
If Jesus Christ is a man,— And only man,—I say That of all mankind I cleave to him, And to him will I cleave alway. If Jesus Christ is a god,— And the only God,—I swear 1 will follow Him through heaven and hell, The earth, the sea, and the air!
The last part is sense and reason; the first part is nonsense. If Jesus Christ be man, and only a man, there is nothing in him worth following and worth cleaving to. The poet sings as if it made little dif­ference which way the vote fell—man, or Son of God. But it does make a differ­ence—an immeasurable difference.

And Dwelt Among Us … THERE IS IDENTIFICATION!
The second reason for the incarnation was identification. God came not only to reveal himself to us but to identify himself with us. Someone has said, “To walk in another man’s shoes you must first take off your own shoes.” That’s what the Lord did in the incarnation. He took off his divinity in order to put on our humanity. In order to identify with us, the great God of heaven stripped himself of his deity and became one of us. That’s the reason for the season. The incarnation was for the purpose of identification.
One of the most famous tsars of Russia was “Peter the Great.” When he came to power Russia was an isolated and backward land. His father, Tsar Alexis, like the rulers before him, had been far removed and inaccessible to his subjects. The tsars were all august figures, enclosed in an aura of semi-divinity. But Peter was not like that. He freely moved among his people and identified himself with them. Peter had an inquiring mind and frequently associated with the foreign merchants who lived in his country. He soon became fascinated with western civilization and desired to modernize his country.
On one occasion he sent a “great embassy” of more than 250 of Russia’s young men, from the noblest of families, to western Europe for more than eighteen months to study seamanship, navigation, and ship-building. They would go to learn about western civilization and bring ideas back to re-mold the country along western lines and open the country to Europe. They would modernize Russia and cause it to emerge with new influence in the world.
The most remarkable thing about all this is that the tsar himself traveled with the great embassy, incognito. He traveled as a mere member of the ambassador’s staff to see and learn for himself.
In a sense, that’s what Jesus Christ did. He traveled from heaven to earth incognito. He was born in a manger in Bethlehem. He grew up in a carpenter’s shop in Nazareth. He died on a cross in Jerusalem. And, he did it, not only to reveal God to us, but to identify himself with us.
He was born in a stable, not in a mansion, that he might identify with the homeless of our world.
He was born in Bethlehem, the house of bread, and not in Athens, that he might identify with the hungry masses. He grew up in the home of a carpenter, rather than the home of a Caesar, that he might identify with the working class. He was born a Jew and not a Greek, that he might identify with the oppressed, the despised, and the rejected of all times. And, he died on a cross and not in a hospital to share the suffering of the world. He was born and reared at the crossroads of the world that touches Africa, Asia, and Europe, because he belongs to the whole world.
Have you ever noticed that there were never any real pictures of Jesus? Many pictures exist from after the third century, and they all display Jesus in the culture of the are in which they were painted..
Jesus’ favorite term for himself was the “Son of Man.” It is used over 97 times in the gospels. He called himself the “Son of Man” rather than the “Son of God” because he really was the representative man, the man in whom humanity finds its perfect expression, its perfect example, its consummation, and its peak. As F. W. Robertson wrote, “There was in Jesus no national peculiarity or individual idiosyncrasy. He was not the son of a Jew, or the son of a carpenter; nor the offspring of the modes of living and thinking of that particular century. He was the son of man.”
And what does all of this mean to you and me? The writer of the book of Hebrews says, “Wherefore in all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted” (Heb. 2:17-18).
And again the writer of Hebrews writes, “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:14-16).
At the heart of the Universe there is a heart!
WE Sangster wrote “Stars are lovely to look at—but they can't love. Flowers are beautiful—but they have no heart. It says in the florist's window: 'Bouquets and Wreaths.' Either! The flowers don't mind. They will come to the wedding or the funeral. It is all the same to them. They are beautiful, but they are not personal. The mountains are majestic, but there is no comfort in their cold hearts.
Dr Stanley Jones has told a story of a little boy who stood before a picture of his absent father, and . . . said wistfully, “I wish Father would step out of the picture'. That little boy expressed, in his own way, the deepest hope of the deepest souls who lived before Christ. They believed in God! Socrates and Plato did—the finest of the Greeks. The ancient Eastern sages did:... with overpowering intensity the Hebrew prophets did: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and all the rest of them ... the most daring of them rose even to believe that the great Creator of the universe might be called a Father. ... In their heart, this longing, I fancy, could easily have taken shape: I wish the Father would step out of the picture'. ...
Oh for a warm heart in the Universe.... Listen! Listen! He stepped out of the picture. He stepped out at Bethlehem. Here is the glorious truth of it: 'The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. ... No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him.' At the heart of the Universe there Is A Heart!

And We Beheld His Glory As Of The Only begotten Of The Father… THERE IS ADORATION!!

HE NEVER WROTE A BOOK, BUT THOUSANDS HAVE BEEN WRITTEN ABOUT HIM. HE NEVER GOT A FORMAL EDUCATION, BUT SCHOOLS HAVE BEEN BUILT TO LEARN ABOUT HIM. HE NEVER WROTE A SONG, BUT SOME OF THE GREATEST WORKS OF BACH AND BEETHOVEN WERE WRITTEN IN HIS HONOR. HE NEVER FOUNDED AN EMPIRE, BUT HAS HAD THROUGH THE AGES HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF FOLLOWERS. SOMEONE HAS WRITTEN ABOUT JESUS THESE WORDS, “I AM FAR WITHIN THE MARK WHEN I SAY THAT ALL THE ARMIES THAT EVER MARCHED AND ALL THE NAVIES THAT EVER WERE BUILT AND ALL THE PARLIMENTS THAT EVER SAT AND ALL THE KINGS THAT EVER REIGNED PUT TOGETHER HAVE NOT AFFECTED THE LIFE OF MAN UPON THIS EARTH AS HAS THAT ONE SOLITARY LIFE.”

Napoleon “ I know men, and Jesus Christ is more than a man”
Glory Exodus 34:6 And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,
John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
18 :No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
Only begotten God.
1 Cor 2: 7 On the contrary, we speak God’s hidden wisdom in a • mystery, which God predestined before the ages for our glory. 8 None of the rulers of this age knew it, for if they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
2 Cor 4:4 4 Regarding them: the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers so they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For we are not proclaiming ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your slaves because of Jesus. 6 For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness”—He has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of God’s glory in the face of Jesus Christ.
Robert Browning in “Death in The Desert” I say, the acknowledgment of God in Christ "Accepted by thy reason, solves for thee "All questions in the earth and out of it,

Angels Worship Luke 2:9Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: 11 today a Savior, who is • Messiah the Lord, was born for you in the city of David. 12 This will be the sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped snugly in cloth and lying in a feeding trough.” 13 Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: 14 Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people He favors![

Down from His glory, Heaven's own Lamb; Born as a baby, I AM THAT I AM;
Not in a palace, not as a king; But in a manger, this small little thing,
Wrapped all in swaddling clothes- God' precious Son Come to give life to the world-everyone.
Is it no wonder the angel choirs sang, Or shepherds left fields for the place where He lay?
Wise men, they traveled-just following the star And gave gifts to God, Who had come from afar. "Bill Cathy Spain"

Full Of Grace And Truth SALVATION!!
He came not only to reveal himself to us and identify himself with us. He also came to give his life for us. The son of God became the son of man that we who are the sons of men might become the sons of God. Paul expressed the truth in these words, “He was made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons” (Gal. 4:4-5).
GRACE Provides Pardon
These two essential features are ascribed to God in the Old Testament and characterized the Son of God when He changed the form of His preexistence and took upon Himself frail flesh to die. Christ came from the Father, who was "abundant in grace and truth" (Exod. 34:6), "full of grace and truth" (John 1:14). Some expositors translate the passage, "Glory full of grace and truth." Of this summing up of the character of the divine revelation, Westcott says, Grace corresponds with the idea of the revelation of God as Love (I John 4:8-16) by Him who is the Life: Truth with that of the revelation of God as Light (I John 1:5) by Him who is Himself Light.
What is grace? Godet describes it as "the divine love investing the character with affableness towards friends, with condescension towards inferiors, with compassion towards the wretched, with pardon towards the guilty; God consenting to give Himself."
Grace taught my wandering feet To tread the heavenly road;
And new supplies each hour I meet While pressing on to God.
Grace all the works shall crown Through everlasting days;
It lays in heaven the topmost stone And well deserves the praise.
Taxes in Graux and Domremy cancelled for 400 years from 1429 “cancelled on Account of the maiden”
Joan of Arc.
He and I in that great glory , one deep joy shall Share, Mine to be forever with Him, His that I am there
TRUTH Provides Promises
Objective fulfillments of O.T. Prophecies. John 3:16. Acts 10: 42 He commanded us to preach to the people, and to solemnly testify that He is the One appointed by God to be the Judge of the living and the dead. 43 All the prophets testify about Him that through His name everyone who believes in Him will receive forgiveness of sins.”
Subjective Offers of NT Promises. John 3:16 john 6: 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do My will, but the will of Him who sent Me. 39 This is the will of Him who sent Me: that I should lose none of those He has given Me but should raise them up on the last day. 40 For this is the will of My Father: that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”
The bottom line? Crown Him with many crowns,
All hail the power of Jesus name let angels prostrate fall, Bring forth the rouyal diadem and crown Him Lord of all.Have you crowned Him Lord of all?

 

Try this next Sunday


Saturday, December 23, 2006

 

Hurt - Johnny Cash

We need to remember, that in the end it all goes back in the box.
Johnny Cash reminds us that the Lord Jesus told us Mark 8:36 For what does it benefit a man to gain the whole world yet lose his life? 37 What can a man give in exchange for his life?

Whn it comes down to it, the bottom line is that Jesus said: “If anyone wants to be My follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.
35 For whoever wants to save his • life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of Me and the gospel will save it.


 

Amazing Grace movie trailer

A trailer for a wonderful movie about the abolition of the slave trade through John Newton's friend, the evangelical parliamentarian William Wliberforce.


Wednesday, December 20, 2006

 

A Saviour Christ the Lord

Luke 2:11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

Sometime back, MOODY MAGAZINE told the story of a guy named George Mason. His life was consumed by his work. He lived alone, which only contributed to his work addiction. Although he had few friends, each Christmas he received several invitations to spend Christmas Day with a family. He always declined the offers. This particular Christmas was no exception. On Christmas Eve, after all his employees left, George Mason went into the office vault to get a little extra cash. To his shock, the heavy door of the walk-in safe shut behind him. Desperately, he pounded on the steel door, but no one was around to hear. Even the custodian had left early to do some last-minute Christmas shopping. The lonely miser consoled himself, "I can make it alright until morning." But suddenly he recalled, the next day was Christmas. No one would be coming in for TWO DAYS. He panicked as he tried to figure out if there would be sufficient oxygen. Then he remembered: The vault had recently been installed and was supposed to have a safety air hole built in somewhere. He felt around in the dark and eventually found the emergency feature in a corner near the floor. On the day after Christmas, early in the morning, the chief cashier arrived. As was his routine, he unlocked the vault but didn't bother opening the door. George Mason, exhausted, faint, hungry, and thirsty, exited the human-size safe without being spotted. And by the time he went home, showered, dressed, and returned to the office, no one suspected a thing. Life went on as usual - except for one thing: George Mason had missed Christmas. Can you believe it? He missed Christmas because the door to the safe closed on him. He's the only person I've ever heard of who had that happen.
But do you know what is more common? People who "miss" Christmas year after year. You understand what I mean by that, don't you? People who buy and receive presents and decorate their homes and trees and make an appearance at the appropriate number of parties and church programs, but who miss the opportunity to savor the splendor and contemplate the mystery of God's love made visible.

“Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people." The message was not just for religious leaders or rulers at Herod's court, but "for all the people". That included men like shepherds. Never think you are too ordinary to meet with God and hear his word. Perhaps God is speaking to you - not out in the fields at night in Palestine, but here in the quiet of this building. Luke gives no description of an "angel" or "messenger". Angels are not dead humans with wings. Contrary to TV shows (like Touched by an Angel) and movies (like Angels in the Outfield), angels are not dead humans who've earned (or are trying to earn) their "wings." Angels are a separate creation from humans. Ps 8:4-5.
We are simply told that the shepherds had an experience of the "Glory of the Lord" - an experience of great brightness - and they were terrified. But they were not to fear. Rather they were to hear the message of "good news of great joy". For, the angel went on ..."Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you."
1. A Saviour
Jesus Christ was born to "save".
A Saviour From Stress?
Sir Henry Cole - the founder of the Victoria and Albert Museum - invented the Christmas card in 1843. He found Christmas a stressful time, having to write individual Christmas letters to everyone. So he asked an artist to create a small picture that could be printed by the thousand. A survey tells us that Christmas is the most stressful time of year for 60 percent of women. And men are experiencing more and more stress. But Jesus said and still says: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest" (Matt 11.28). He comes as a saviour for those who are weary.
A Saviour For the Sad?
He also comes as a saviour for those who are sad.
Ann, along with her two small sons, went to live with her parents in Texas. It was during World War II and her Air Force husband was fighting in Europe. It was Christmas time and her mother and father were making great plans for the holidays. They wanted the boys to have a very special time this year, especially since their Dad wasn't going to be there. The tree was up and decorated, gifts had been bought, wrapped and hidden away. There was the excitement and gaiety of the Christmas season that we all associate with this time of year. The gaiety pushed the sorrows and the war aside for a time - but only for a time.
News reached the family just a week before Christmas Day that Daddy would not only be away for this Christmas, but for every Christmas to come. He had been killed in action. When Ann heard the news, she left the company of her family and closeted herself in her room. Closing the door behind her, she wanted to be alone with her grief. While she was there for a couple of hours, Grandma and Grandpa quietly talked with one another. What were they going to do, they thought? The gaiety and festivity of the season had turned into despair, sorrow and deep grief. Finally, they decided that perhaps it would be better to take the tree out and to take down all the lovely decorations.
Finally, Ann came out of her room. When she saw the empty space where the tree had been, she questioned, "Why, Mother? What have you done with the tree?" "Daddy and I set it out, Sweetheart," her mother replied. "It seemed so out of place with you and the boys so brokenhearted." Anne said, "Oh, but Mother, please let's bring it back. Christmas was made for such times as these."
There is sadness this Christmas in the home of a number of folk this year. It’s the first Christmas without.. A number here will have experienced great sadness. The all time Number One Christmas hit is "White Christmas". But it was written by a very sad man, Irving Berlin. His first wife died on their honeymoon. He then married again and his only son, Irving Jr, was born on 3 December 1928. Three weeks later, on Christmas Day, Irving Jr died. Ever after, Christmas Day in the Berlin household meant laying flowers on their son's grave. But Jesus is the saviour who has conquered the sadness of death. For he died and rose again. The first Easter the tomb was empty; a new age had begun; and death was defeated. The good news is of an assured eternity in heaven beyond death for those who trust in Christ. His resurrection confirms that truth. It also confirms his uniqueness. It confirms he is the only saviour with no equals and no successors. Mohammed's tomb is in Medina; the Buddha's tomb is in India. But in Jerusalem there is that empty tomb. Jesus alone has broken the power of death. And he alone has broken the power of sin.
He, supremely, comes as a saviour for sinners. One day the baby born at Bethlehem (as a man) would be abused, forsaken and cruelly crucified. There, on the Cross, he would bear the sin and guilt of the world. And the greatest sin, says the Bible, is to reject him. Is one of your fears for the wrong you know you have done? The good news of Christmas is that Jesus was born to take away all the failure, all the wrong and all the evil of this world. He came to bear our punishment through his death on the Cross. So you are forgiven not because of what you do, but because of what he has done. As you seek his forgiveness, you can be free from guilt.
Jesus, Thou art all compassion, Pure, unbounded love Thou art.
Visit us with Thy salvation, Enter every trembling heart.
"Today," said the angel, "in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you."

2. Christ.
Christ means "the anointed one" - the one who was to fulfil all God's promises the prophets had foretold. Do you fear that this world is out of control? Do you fear that your own future depends on blind chance? The message and meaning of Christmas is that God is in control of all history and so of your history. He, therefore, has a plan for you and cares for you. Jesus said: "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows" (Mat 10.29-31).
At the beginning of the 20th century a woman had been bed-ridden for 20 years. Her husband also was an incurable cripple. But they lived contented lives and brought comfort to others. A friend asked what the secret was of their amazing hope and cheerfulness. The woman replied, echoing those words of Jesus:
"His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me."
Inspired by this couple the friend wrote what became a popular Edwardian song. It opened with these words: "Why should I feel discouraged, why should the shadows come, Why should my heart be lonely and long for heaven and home, When Jesus is my portion? My constant friend is He. His eye is on the sparrow and I know he watches me."
Perhaps you are saying, "that is all right for the early 20th century. But this is the 21st century."The most powerful woman in the world today is Condolezza Rice, the new US Secretary of State. Just after Christmas two years ago she travelled with a diverse group of friends to Florida to watch an American Football game. After dinner following the game, the group had an impromptu prayer meeting in Rice's hotel room. Laying aside their differences of gender, race and politics, one of her friends said they then sang, together, this very song: "His eye is on the Sparrow." And the group "prayed," we are told, "for each other and the world." They believed the coming of Christ that first Christmas and his second coming at the end of history proves this world is not out of control. It is under God's control.

3. The Lord
Finally, the Angel said that the Saviour is not only Christ, but Christ the Lord. The one born was God come in the flesh - God the Son, the second person of the Divine Trinity - truly God and truly man. And his kingdom comes as you confess him and obey him as the divine Lord. The Bible says:
"if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved" (Rom 10.9).

One of my favorite poets of the nineteenth century is Christina Rosetti who lived from 1830 to 1894. Christina was the daughter of Italian immigrants, a woman of great beauty, it is said, striking beauty. A woman if immense poetic talent, a devout Christian once engaged to a Roman Catholic who promised to convert. When he had second thoughts, she broke the engagement and remained single all her life. Through that life she wrote some of the most magnificent poetry, all of it a tribute to Christ. She wrote this poem and it was set to music twelve years after her death. "In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan, earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone. Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow in the bleak midwinter long ago. Our God, heaven cannot hold Him, nor earth sustain. Heaven and earth shall flee away when He comes to reign. In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed, the Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ. Angels and archangels may have gathered there, cherubim and seraphim throng the air, but His mother only in her maiden bliss worshiped the beloved with a kiss." Then she ends with this great, great stanza, "What can I give Him, poor as I am? If I were a shepherd I'd give Him a lamb. If I were a wise man I'd do my part, but what can I give Him? Give my heart." And maybe it was John Francis Wade who died in 1786 who summed it all up in the simple words, "O come let us adore Him, O come let us adore Him, O come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord."

Will you receive this Saviour, Christ, your Lord?
So this Christmas open your lives to allow the "Saviour, who is Christ the Lord" into your life as your Saviour and Lord. Make it real this day.
O holy child of Bethlehem, descend to us, we pray; cast out our sin and enter in, be born in us today.

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