Funeral Time

FRI., JULY 7, 1995, 11:25 AM
OFFICE, PULLIAM HALL

You just have returned from a funeral… of a friend, though not a good, close friend. It was a good service, with much reference to Me, the Triune God, and particularly to the significance of My death, as Jesus. That was reality, of a sort, but more of a symbolic reality. The body died, but My spirit simply had that as an experience, which resulted in more “freedom” than I had before. But, symbolically, it brought the promise of eternal, everlasting life to all who accepted Me as Lord. (I’ll return to this later.)

The highlight of the service was the remembrances by the grown daughter, a wonderful mixture of happy, smile-producing memories and those that brought tears, sniffles, and near break-down. You would like to be remembered in some similar way, as it is eventually you that is being remembered, but you don’t feel that there will be such. You are not greatly bothered that you are not as outstanding as you’d like to be, as husband, father, grandfather, teacher, churchman, friend…

As you think about it you are quite above most of your fellow humans – family, friends, churchfolk – in your close relationship with Me. A relationship that you’re unwilling to talk much about. I tell you it is the supreme relationship, one that I chose for you. And yet your expression of it pushes you toward weirdo status, and you resist this. I don’t mind, really. If I want some more overt expression I’ll certainly let you know… and count on it being as insistent as calling you to these Teachings.

It is quite appropriate for you to consider, in the midst of this and other funerals you will attend, how you would want your remembrance to be. This is still premature, of course, but if you should want a “home-made” casket it would need to be build “ahead of time.” You’re still not sure about your disposition of body, and that’s an important decision. If it goes to Mortuary Science then there’s nothing to be concerned about, in viewing or casketing. If cremation is your choice, with scattering in special places around the Farm that still could be with or without a casket of the home built type. If you’d be buried in Peter’s Park then we’re back to some pre-need building.

The two hymns in this service today were good ones, especially Blessed Assurance. Yet you’d want some more variety, including some Kingston Trio selections. Again, there is no urgency, but begin to consider how a final service for you could represent your life, in music as well as in words. Naturally, some of My Teachings to you should be read, but there will be many more before that actual celebration.

“Celebration”… that’s the key. There wasn’t enough of that today. Remember the service for Bob, Thad, and David, with its “Celebration of Life” theme… and also Peter’s service, with the variety of testimonies to his life. Keep those remembrances as “models” for your own or other family celebrations. For, you see, the Scriptures that were read today have this as their major theme – there is no death of the soul/spirit. It continues its journey, just without a body, that doesn’t function right any more. It is a wonderful crossing over for those who are ready for it, as you shall be. Then I must say that it is sad when some cling to life on earth as the only “good life.” Wrong. For everything there is a season… a time to be born, and a time to die.

John had accepted that his time had come. Yet he still hung on, not quite assured as to the beauty and peace of life after death. Yet his wasn’t a hard transition.