October 15, 2018
Short notice. Funerals don’t usually give pastors a great deal of lead time. No one likes to think of the demise of a loved one, so although it’s not uncommon for people to make funeral arrangements well in advance, preachers don’t often get more than a few days’ warning. Today, it was even less; I got the call this morning for a service tomorrow morning for someone I’ve never met. I don’t even know how the funeral home got my name. It’s not like everyone in Dunkirk knows me. Nonetheless, the call came in, and I got the phone number of one of the daughters and made the call.
About half an hour later, I was sitting in a small, smoky kitchen with three grown daughters and a grandson. I don’t like burying complete strangers, so I asked them to tell me about their mother. I won’t put in print the exact words they used to describe her and how she raised them, but suffice it to say she was a hard-ass whom they loved and respected. Through tears and laughter, they told the stories of their mother’s life with all it’s glorious warts. It’s going to be an interesting morning, and I’m looking forward to sharing the Gospel, offering the hope that comes from trusting in Christ.
The Scripture tells us not to be weary in well-doing, but that is exactly what often happens. I’ve been preaching almost non-stop since February 1, 1970, and I have to admit at times, weariness is the best word to describe how I feel. I retired not because I felt it was time to quit, but because I believed the church would be better served by a younger man. I think I was right. But even though at times I wish I didn’t have to push quite so hard, I am energized when I have the opportunity to be with people whose understanding of Christian faith is at best rudimentary. Two things I already know are that they won’t put on any airs to impress me, and they are people loved by God. God has plopped them into my lap to love in his Name, and that is what I intend to do, thanking him all the way for such an unexpected opportunity to offer them Christ. On short notice.
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