Monday, March 17, 2014

Lent #11

1 Corinthians 15:1-58 The Resurrection Body

(Notice that the Bulletin Insert from last Sunday posted Romans 15:1-58. You may have discovered that there is no Romans 15:34-58! It was incorrectly printed. We apologize for the error, unless it caused you to do some deep study of the Bible to find out where the rest of the passages went or it made you look for where there was a chapter 15 with 58 verses somewhere in the Bible. If that is the case, we are not sorry! : )

I've worked 3 funerals this week. It's the first time that has happened in all my ministry, and I can tell you it is exhausting. We did hold 3 wonderful services, honoring the amazing lives of 3 moms (of our church family, 2 of which were members as well.) They held some things in common as you would expect, holding family, generosity, love and faith in Christ at the center of their lives. Their families' testimonies were touching and heartfelt. We honored their lives and spoke to their faith in the life to come, the perishable raising as imperishable, the mortal putting on immortality, proclaiming that "death has been swallowed up in victory."

But we couldn't even discuss this promise, this truth without one key thing...the work of Christ on our behalf, the Beloved. It is this truth that guided these three women in their journey from this life to the next and it is this truth in which we too must stand.

   “Therefore, my beloved, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, because you know that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:58, NRSV)

I chose this passage long before I knew we would have 3 funerals this week. 

No comments: