Milestones (Dispatching)
Starting off with a wild generalisation but … I suspect that most people’s main contact with church / clergy is during life’s milestones - hatching, batching or dispatching. Or during high days and holidays - annual church visit during Christmas or Easter. Sunday attendance is for those of us who are Overly Keen. (I’m not getting into the whole school thing as that’s not something that tends to affect Baptists. Although there tends to be low level bitching from Baptists et al about not getting school places because they’re not Anglicans and it Not Being Blooming Fair).
Mr T did his first funeral on Tuesday. It was for Harold, a lovely 90 year old man who’d died after a long illness. (If you have prayers and good thoughts to spare, please share them with Harold and his family. “May he rest in peace and rise in glory”).
After consultation with the family - who were also lovely, very kind and aware of Mr T’s situation and happy for him to take the service anyway - Mr T planned a short ceremony with some prayers, a hymn - “All things bright and beautiful” - and a talk about Harold’s life. The funeral was at the local crematorium and went as well as these things can. (And yes, Mr T did have to press the button to make the coffin disappear into the crematorium).
I worked from home in the morning as there was no one else available to look after the Tubblet. Opinions about whether or not children should attend funerals are mixed, but I guess that most people would be unanimous about the presiding Minister not bringing his child along.
We’re now heading towards one of the busiest periods of the year for clergy - five services over three days. All needing to be planned, sermons written, songs chosen, visuals found etc. Mr T has spent many hours in his Study Pit. (Simon, Mr T’s boss, has probably spent just as much time in whatever his equivalent of the Study Pit is). Like most clergy families, we’ve got next week off and are going to the in-laws for a rest. (And free babysitting).
I was trying to think of something to write about Easter, but stumbled across this in yesterday’s Metro and figured as Father David Delargy made a much better job of it than I’d manage, I’ll leave it to him and just share. Father David is a member of a singing group called The Priests. (I have never heard them perform but suspect that they sound like Westlife in cassocks. Rather than Ted and Dougal performing “My Lovely Horse”). So, over to Father David:
Do you literally believe in the Easter story?
Without a doubt. The earliest Christian and Roman writings attest to the historical Jesus and his death. His Resurrection was attested to by those closest to him, who devoted the rest of their lives to it. I can’t see they would have given their lives if it was just a spiritual, rather than a literal Resurrection. Christianity would be emptied of its richness if Jesus had not risen - it is a divine endorsement. I know to modern ears that can sound naive or plain barmy. I do question it - it is not a blind acceptance. When I went to Rome to study, my faith was seriously challenged. They deconstruct your faith to put it back on proper foundations.
Why hasn’t Jesus come back to put all these doubts to rest?
I prefer to leave that answer for Him.
What is the Easter message - apart from chocolate?
It’s remembering the death - not just the Resurrection. It’s about Jesus giving us an example of love and service to others. You lay down your life for your friends. It’s the ultimate sign of hope in our trials in life: life triumphs over death. There is an eternity and a heaven.
Happy Easter everyone!