tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14261952.post8312094587526674959..comments2024-03-25T13:40:30.747-04:00Comments on Faith and Theology: Homily for Helen: a funeral sermonBen Myershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800127501735910966noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14261952.post-90367986453800808072015-08-28T17:23:13.481-04:002015-08-28T17:23:13.481-04:00Hi John,
Thanks for your comments, which, as ever...Hi John,<br /><br />Thanks for your comments, which, as ever, are both thoughtful and helpful. Your practice seems sound to me. I guess, however, what I generally try to do is to place the person's life in the context of the Christian hope to which the scriptures witness without <i>necessarily</i> preaching from a <i>specific</i> text. In this instance, the Galatians 5 passage did seem to me to speak to Helen's character, but the theological dimension of the homily is not so text-specific -- though I had previously and purposely read from Psalm 139 with its theme of the inescapability of God's awesome presence.<br /><br />Two other points regarding this particular service. (1) The two tributes, by granddaughter and son, pretty comprehensively covered Helen's life and character, so my take on Helen was, I think, rightly personal and brief, and my job simply to preach the gospel. (2) The two tributes took over half an hour, and quite apart from the issue of congregational attention-span, the entire service was at a crematorium, so there were time constraints. (In fact, to be honest, I started to get quite anxious during the second tribute, with an ear to the words but an eye on the clock!)<br /><br />Finally, on your suggested text. I don't mean to be captious, but the suffering that Paul refers to in II Timothy -- the setting is a prison in Rome where Paul is awaiting his imminent execution -- is specifically Christian suffering, i.e., suffering that is the direct result of witness, whereas Helen's suffering was not. To be sure, your point about the safety and certainty of the Christian hope stands whatever the origin of our suffering -- which, again, is why I don't feel it is necessary to preach from specific texts at funerals. And, of course, Christian funerals -- or rather our Services of Death and Resurrection -- are informed by and infused in the scriptures from beginning to end.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15489409381009363165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14261952.post-25118368525578906492015-08-28T06:14:32.344-04:002015-08-28T06:14:32.344-04:00Dear Kim,
I agree with all the words you've s...Dear Kim,<br /><br />I agree with all the words you've said, and I like very much the way you have shared memories of Helen and given significance to her last few years. (I wonder whether the gentleness of Christ will sway my behaviour if / when I reach that state?)<br /><br />But I wondered if you had ever adopted the model of speaking about the deceased, then having the bible reading, and then speaking about the bible reading - so that your "address" is divided into two parts, enabling you to do full justice both to the deceased and to the scripture? Many years ago I resolved to do this at funerals, because without it I saw clergy being trapped into drawing out lessons only from the deceased's life and not from the scriptures. It's a formula I would recommend.<br /><br />In Helen's case 2 Timothy 1:12 springs to mind, for none of us knows in what way we will have to suffer in the years which remain to us. The verse invites a sermon about how Paul could justify his certainty, and how we can be sure too - a sermon that considers not only how Helen is safe in Christ's arms but also the grounds on which we can rest in his arms too.<br /><br />Every blessing, yours in him - JOHN HARTLEYJohn Hartleyhttp://www.stluke-eccleshill.org.uknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14261952.post-42211066097607566652015-08-25T10:48:40.497-04:002015-08-25T10:48:40.497-04:00A timely sermon as the Assisted Dying Bill goes be...A timely sermon as the Assisted Dying Bill goes before Parliament. Thanks.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com