Do not Focus on the Body

Tomorrow I encounter one of the difficult moments every Pastor dreads: the funeral of a wonderful, godly young man. It could, of course, be infinitely worse - and I do mean infinitely - I could be taking the funeral of a ungodly young man. All the same it is permeated with difficulty.
One particular difficulty that I've encountered in the passing into glory of this precious man has been the unhealthy, and unbiblical focus on the body that remains. I know I am speaking into things laced with immense emotion but it is essential that we understand all things, particularly things like life and death, biblically.
Here are thoughts of the marvellous English Pastor of the 17th Century Richard Baxter that are notably helpful. His intention within the context of this book, Dying Thoughts, is to impress upon us the truth that this body must be left behind to enjoy our eternal inheritance with Christ. His style is incisive and, obviously, of another age, but his words drive home the point of which I feel we should be aware as Christians - of ANY culture.
(Please note that I am fully aware that his view of the body is somewhat overly Platonic but he is certainly exposing a biblical view within such.)

"I must depart from this body itself, and the life which consists in the animating of it. These eyes must here see no more; this hand must move no more; these feet must walk no more; this tongue must speak no more: as much as I have loved and over-loved this body, I must leave it to the grave. There must it lie and dissolve in darkness, as a neglected thing... It is but an instrument laid by when all its work is done, and a servant dismissed when his service is at an end.
... Or at most, it is but as flowers die in the fall, and plants in winter, when the retiring spirits have done their work, and are indisposed to dwell in so cold and unmeet a habitation, as the season makes their former matter then to be. Its retirement is not its annihilation, but its taking up a fitter place.
It is but a separation from a troublesome companion, and putting off a shoe that pinched me. Many a sad and painful hour I have had in this frail and faultering flesh; many a weary night and day : what cares, what fears, what griefs, and what groans, hath this body cost me? Alas! how many hours of my precious time have been spent to maintain it, please it, or repair it? How considerable a part of all my life hath been spent in necessary sleep and rest? ...
Yea, to depart from such a body, is but to be removed from a very foul, uncleanly and sordid habitation. I know that the body of man and brutes is the curious, wonderful work of God, and not to be despised, nor injuriously dishonoured, but admired and well used: but yet it is a wonder to our reason, that so noble a spirit should be so meanly housed: we may call it 'our vile body,' as the apostle doth..."

Simon

A Little More on 'Paradox'

This past Sunday while taking time to speak to the people of X1 after a week filled with the sorrow, awakening, and reality of one of our dear saints I felt it necessary to attack a heresy that I feel plagues contemporary Christianity.

I quoted one of my fantastic professors from the University of Nottingham called Conor Cunningham - a man I stated has "a mind the size of Nottingham", one of those individuals whom you encounter at an intellectual level and have to use the words of Wayne and Garth (Wayne's World), "You big, me small!" - who noted that, "All heresy is birthed from an inability to live with paradox."

One of the legends at our church felt it necessary to ask me to further explain paradox after the sermon. So here's a quick help for all I hope.

The definition of Paradox is thus: A statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth.
The primary paradoxes of the Christian faith are Christological (fully God, fully man in one being) or Trinitarian (Three persons in one) and the major heresies in Christian history are offshoots of these two - there are of course many more.
But the heresy I was highlighting is that of a demand for the "yet to be realised" promises of glory for Christian saints to be absolutely necessary and realised in our everyday life now.
This comes from an inability to live with the paradox of the "now and not yet" (this may not in fact strictly be a paradox by definition but I considered it one for the sake of the message) reality of life as followers of Jesus today.

The context was that the godliest among us suffer and die, those most worthy of long life die at a young age, those most unworthy of death are those attacked by this venomous foe with complete effect in a totally untimely manner.
We must live with paradox. O yes, and we must be those willing enough to live with it that we shout down the pathetic heresies that may be mouthed by those nearest to us who have bought into some quasi-truth without measuring it against the absolute truth of biblical revelation.

Simon

Death: 'Sting' and 'Effect'

Today is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, the day in which we in the United Kingdom are to experience the greatest amount of light in a twenty four hour period. Although for a precious family whom, like me, are from the Southern Hemisphere this day will most certainly be long, very long, but there will be not much light in their life. Why, you might ask. Today the Chemabus family lost their daddy, husband and friend. Today the darkness of death descended upon such a light-filled family. This dear man and his family were unequivocally the most God-loving family I have had the joy to encounter. His life radiated the love of God and was permeated by an 'aura' of one who was Enoch-like in his being constantly with the Lord.

You may rightfully question the apparent gloom with which I have written above. The often accusative finger would point out that surely we Christians are those who should be most full of hope when one whom we love has passed. Can I respond by saying a resounding "yes and Amen" to that! I, his lovely wife, my wife, my co-elder and the beautiful X1 church family will boldly proclaim with valiant assurance that our dear friend is resting in peace indescribable, and is filled with joy unimaginable in the presence of his dearest friend and most loving brother the lord Jesus Christ. NO ONE else has this hope, hope is Christianity's sole prerogative and we will stand in that. Death for us followers of Christ has "lost its sting." But...

Death has not lost its effect. One whom we embraced, one who always charged us to pray, who was an ever-present at every occasion in the life of this family of God's people, one who encouraged many with relentless energy, one who brought immense joy and strength to his wife and family is no longer with us. This rests with rightful sombreness upon us. I think we can often kid ourselves that we deserve in some sense that pain and sorrow and loss shall never come our way because we 'love Jesus.' But that, if I may be forthright, is downright stupid, shallow and in no way reflects truth. Hope is the mighty measure of our faith precisely because we live in a world which is real, broken, and saturated with pain within which we need such hope.

So we rest in hope - the sting of death is hopelessness, apathy, end - but we grieve, we reflect, we contemplate and, and what, we pray and love with deed not just word.

Rest in Peace my dear brother Humphrey Chemabus, I wait with great expectancy till the day we shall meet again. Until then I will seek to be as prayerful and Godly as you, because you were always a model of that to me!

Simon

Johnny Cash on 'the sting.'

After yesterday's provocative post on death and it's sting, I thought I would let the great Johnny Cash drive it home with a force that makes it even more real. Listen to this man who knew God, ran away from Him and then realizes in 'the latter years' that there is so so much more to life than having 'it all.'





Simon

The 'Sting' of Death

There is a biblical phrase that refers to the 'sting' of death. Having grown up in Zimbabwe and encountered African Bees on many occasions (real bees, not like their puny British cousins) I have a vivid sensory picture of what is meant by the word sting. The word refers to that which is painful, striking, certain, eye-opening in one sense. There is no way, when stung, that you can avoid the fact.

In our church over the past 4 weeks there has been two deaths that have deeply stung people that are dear to us as a congregation. I do not mean those who have been taken from this life, 'fallen asleep' as Paul would say as I am sure both were followers of Jesus, but those who are left behind.
Searching, aching, asking, longing, dreaming, feeling, hurting, STINGING!
I certainly feel words are pointless at times like this, more often than not people offer words that do nothing more than add to the sting, not bring relief.

Death is removed from our direct sight as modern people. Oh of course all our young people are killing thousands on video games every day, and there is not a thrilling box office hit without blood and guts and death strewn across the script. But not real death, not the death that STINGS. We have become desensitized to the power and hurt of death. We humans seem to do everything in our power to distance ourselves from what God's divine revelation is pointing us to.

Over the course of 24 hours my wife and I spent time with the two individuals most poignantly affected by death at this time within our church. It is heart-wrenching as you realize the scarring and tearing that has taken place emotionally, spiritually and psychologically. It, death, is the last great reminder of our frailty and finiteness. It is where we great conquerors of all are conquered. It is so final so absolute.

Certainly, if it were not for Christ's & Paul's beautifully reassuring words littered through the pages of the New Testament for those of us who have put their faith in Christ, death would be the ultimate thief and the rightful destroyer of any possible hope. (For those who do not believe, it is... isn't it?) But we do have these words, we must be reassured, we are certain of the great inheritance of those who have trusted in Christ. My hope is for those now suffering from the sting in our midst, and the many many more we will encounter as pastors here, they will receive from the Holy Spirit of God the marvelous assurance of life eternal for those who have gone 'to be with Christ' which 'is better by far!'

Simon