Death

This has been a tough last several days. I still have another one to go. I have had two deaths in my church in the last few days. One was an older woman who had been a member of my church for over 50 years. Her health had deteriorated over the last several months and she was unhappy with her life as a result. She had been a Christian for all of her adult life, as far as I know. Her funeral was last Thursday.

The other was a man of 40 who, in essence, had drunk so much that it had finally taken its toll and over the last month or so his health took a turn for the worse. However, I can say with all confidence that this man had, in the last couple of weeks, just before the bottom dropped out on his health, had come to accept Christ into his life, knowing that he could no longer control his life and that he needed Christ to find emotional and soul healing. His funeral if tomorrow.

Of all the duties that I have as a pastor, helping families deal with death is the hardest and the most uncomfortable for me. I feel as if I am walking on pins and needles. I worry about what to say, or not to say. I worry about how involved I should be with the family, what kind of service is appropriate, if I might mess up during the service, of doing anything that would add additional discomfort to an already unbearable situation to family and friends. One hour spent in ministering in this situation is the most exhausting to me. And yet I realize it is nothing compared to what the family is going through.

I know all the things that I should do when serving in this very important role. Above all I know that it's not about me. It's about connecting Christ with those who are grieving and hurting. I know that Christ has an amazing way of revealing himself in the midst of our grief and sadness. I serve simply as a vessel, a servant of his to his people who are hurting.

Still, I feel so much out of my element. But those families are so gracious, so appreciative, even so caring. There has been such a Christ-likeness in them towards me, even in the midst of their own struggles. I have left those families more blessed that I did going in. I feel so much out of my element, but I feel so much in Christ's.