Seasoned pastors with hundreds of funerals under their belts have seen the rites go from one extreme to another over the past three or four decades. “Growing up, almost every funeral was morbid, with open caskets and everything from the pulpit…
Death, the Prosperity Gospel and Me
Durham, N.C. – ON a Thursday morning a few months ago, I got a call from my doctor’s assistant telling me that I have Stage 4 cancer. The stomach cramps I was suffering from were not caused by a faulty…
Praying the Psalms in time of grief
By Joe LaGuardia Like many who grieve the loss of a loved one over the holidays, this past Christmas was particularly difficult for me. I lost my father over two years ago as a result of a mass shooting in…
Don’t let the darkness eclipse the light of Christmas
By Barry Howard It’s dark outside, and today seems even darker than usual. And it should. Today is the darkest day of the year. For those of us who live in the northern hemisphere, the shortest day of the year,…
The light shines in the darkness
By Alan Bean This sermon was recently preached at a memorial service for those who have lost loved ones in the past calendar year. Before preaching, I sang an old country gospel song by Merle Travis, I am a Pilgrim…
Looking for signs of the future
By Bill Prather This article is based on a Nov. 15 sermon from Mark 13:1-8, the Revised Common Lectionary text following the terrorist attacks in Paris. I have to confess that I’m not a big fan of disaster movies. I…
Answers that mean more death, only mean — more death
By Russ Dean So, what do we do when the world comes crashing down? When skyscrapers fall? When mad men appease their merciless god with fear and death, a bloody worship and the praise of a mother’s agonizing grief? Today…
Dad’s ‘Heart Shield’ Bible: A Veterans Day reflection
At right is the image of my Dad’s “Heart Shield” Bible, an edition of the New Testament on to which a metal plate has been attached. The engraved cover, now smudged by corrosion, reads “May this keep you safe from…
Death is behind them
By Molly T. Marshall Death remains a great mystery for humans, and we want to know more about what transpires on the “other side.” As my friend Babs Baugh says, “I just wish I could get a postcard.” We do…