Easter changes everything!

We sang some great hymns and songs this morning as we celebrated Easter Sunday,  but one we didn't sing (maybe because its  more often associated with All Saints Day) is Bishop How's " For all the saints who from their labours rest"  which is a great biblical hymn usually sung to Vaughan Williams lively tune. Nevertheless it is  that hymn has been on my mind since I got up this morning .
The later verses express the New Testament teaching on death and life beyond death wonderfully well

The golden evening brightens in the west;
Soon, soon, to faithful warriors cometh rest.
Sweet is the calm of Paradise the blest.
Alleluia! Alleluia!


 But, lo, there breaks a yet more glorious day;
The saints triumphant rise in bright array;
The King of Glory passes on His way.
Alleluia! Alleluia!

. From earth's wide bounds, from ocean's farthest coast,
Through gates of pearl streams in the countless host,
Singing to Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
Alleluia! Alleluia!

The Christian church is amazing in it's diversity ,people from every tribe and tongue and nation but also from every generation.

So today I thought  of so many of the people whose funerals I have taken down the years, from the retired police inspector and  the elderly pioneer missionary,  to the young student ,to the children and still born babies and many many others,and how Christ's Death and Resurrection changes everything for them,  and means "we sorrow not as others sorrow who have no hope"
Easter is an incredibly hopeful time
As I parked my car on arriving home from church I noticed this  young apple tree in full blossom in the garden.

It is a tree generously given to me by the parents of a fine young Christian man killed in a road traffic accident not so long ago, and whose funeral I took part in .From the depth of a harsh winter new,beautiful and hopeful life has sprung.!
From death comes life .
In the words of Stuart Townend's great hymn which we did sing this morning "Death is dead love has won Christ has conquered!

Hallelujah!

Hope and death- Sally's poem

There is a lot I would like to blog about if I had time, but I was really struck by this poem on Sally's blog
Hope and death
It took me back  16 or 17 years to a time when I was a part time assistant chaplain at a hospice.
I found it a difficult but enormously fulfilling role.The people I tried, imperfectly, to minister to knew they were dying.
Many wanted no spiritual comfort from me,others wanted a miracle of healing,still others accepted their situation and simply wanted someone to walk with them on the journey.It was my immense privilege simply to be there
I can still remember many of them Bill,Jean and Joyce among others. They gave me so much more than I gave them and a number renewed a long abandoned faith, and some found faith for the first time.

 I especially love the line in Sally's poem  "She was the spiritual giant in the room" because it sums up what I so often felt.
Opening a door into a room where a patient lies dying is a tough thing to do . Perhaps I was not very good at it.Sometimes people were angry ,sometimes inconsolable,sometimes simply frightened but occasionally they were full of faith and joy knowing they were beginning a new and great adventure into Gods closer presence
They were the spiritual giants in the room!

The hospice also taught me the value of listening  and the value of being vulnerable. I may not be good at these things but I would be a lot worse without this experience

After a few years with the demands of a growing church and family I gave it up but I am always glad I did it   To be honest I learned more about pastoral work there than in 7 years of theological education!

Mr Fox

We have really enjoyed our ex battery chickens ,we gave them names nursed them back to health after their experience in the battery. First thing in the morning and last thing at night, I got them out and put them away. After the first few weeks they were more than happy to be handled and they were amazing creatures!
This morning I went out at about 7am as usual but no sign of the chickens, just a lot of their feathers around.All 3 had been killed. I can only assume by a local fox I had seen on a couple of occasions recently. How he got into the cage I am not yet sure
We will get more hens soon and I will try and improve security, but better people than me have lost hens to foxes
Reflecting on the experience ,one of the great values of pets is not only the fun they are but the reminder they give us of their and our mortality . When I was a child a pet cat got run over. It was my first experience of the death of something I loved,a reminder that not only will animals die but one day we die too!
Of course because time is short the call is redeem the time ,to use it for Gods glory. Secondly, in Jim Elliot's words When the time come to die we must make sure all we have to do is die and that we have made our peace with God long before

Michele

Yesterday we buried Michele ;She was a young woman of 41 who recently died following a very brave batlle with cancer. Michele leaves a devoted family, and as they were very proud of her ,she I am sure would have been very proud of the way they took part in her funeral despite the obvious pain they were feeling in their loss.
During the service my mind went back to the fantastic occasion when Michele testified to her faith in Jesus by being being baptised ,it was a wonderful service ,full of joy and praise !

The symbolism of baptism is powerful as Michele went down into the water she was saying I die to myself as she came up out of the water she was proclaiming I rise to live again for Jesus!
Michele did live for Jesus in the short time that was left to her, and now she has gone to be with Him forever
We took Michelle to the grave and left her there; knowing that God would not leave her there

Our thoughts and prayers are with Kevin ,the children and all Michele's family