Yesterday, I attended the funeral of a dear Christian friend, Tom, who had died of Covid 19 in late October.
He had come to Christ very late in life and was on fire. My Church played a blinder. Most of the family of his wife are believers. Most of his own family are not.
1) A poem was read which Tom had written at his baptism several years ago. It was evangelical, moving and reached out to the unbelieving.
2) Tom's brother appeared on a video link and, in telling Tom's story, he emphasised the effects of Tom's faith to his own family.
3) Our retired Church pastor - exceptional in preaching the Gospel at funerals - did the same as ever as he explained Tom's contributions to the church and placing the Gospel at the fore.
4) Our current pastor preached the gospel superbly.
5) Hymns and songs were Gospel-based emphasising the reality of Tom's faith.
A lady who is neither part of Tom's family nor our church sat amongst Tom's relatives. She reported that the service had been so well done that you could see the visual effects of it all on the faces of our dear friend's family.
Tragically, not all funerals can be like that. The previous three I had attended were all empty and godless.
