Articles for tag: Funeral

March 1, 2023

Jerry Harris

The Gift I Need the Most

The Gift I Need the Most

By Jerry Harris  It was October 21, 1999, my 40th birthday. That’s the birthday when many people start thinking they’re heading over the hill and begin contemplating their own mortality. Well, I was definitely contemplating mortality . . . just not my own. That was the day we buried my father.   We headed to the same spot where we had buried my mom five years earlier. The family had picked out an oak casket for my dad, and it was heavy for the pallbearers. I was officiating and walking in front of the casket when I saw my brother buckle

July 28, 2016

Christian Standard

Living the Parable

By Tom Ellsworth Jesus” parable of the vineyard laborers who all received the same wage (despite the fact that some started at the 11th hour) has created more questions than answers for me. It just didn”t seem . . . fair. When I talked with Kenny Ooley regarding his relationship with the Lord, he shared his struggle. He didn”t struggle with his faith; he struggled with his past. How could a perfect God love and forgive him for a lifetime of lousy choices? Could God be that generous? Could forgiveness extend that far? After all, he had wasted a lifetime

July 15, 2016

Christian Standard

A Child Named Faith

By Tim Spivey Greg came to live a better story even through the tragedy of losing an infant child just hours after birth. Greg and his wife (who was a Christian) suffered that unspeakable loss. After I preached the funeral for their dear child, Greg surprised me by asking to study the Bible, and I was thrilled to baptize him into Christ a couple of months later. He eventually became a drummer in our worship band, sporting a large, lifelike tattoo of his recently passed daughter on one arm. He and his wife conceived a second child but were told

February 3, 2016

Christian Standard

Grief: A Solitary Journey

By Jim Tune It was a gray, cold, miserable February day when my father died rather suddenly after a few days of hospitalization for respiratory problems. This month marks five years since his death on February 5, 2011. I miss him and still grieve his loss. It”s a different kind of grief now””not so raw or hard-edged. I miss him on holidays when we celebrated family traditions and rituals. And the February anniversary can still be difficult. It”s possible that the short, dark days of our Canadian winter contribute to my sense of melancholy. Nonetheless, arriving at the five-year mark

May 23, 2014

Christian Standard

How You Can Help at a Time of Loss

By M. Ben Williams A funeral is a hard time. Family and friends are dealing with shock and sadness that accompany grief. Their loved ones are also dealing with confusion. What do I do? We have all heard the phrase, “If there is anything I can do, let me know.” In fact, most of us have said those words. Such offers typically are not helpful. The sentiment may be, but the statement is a step short of actually doing something. When dealing with the throes of grief, we do not always know what we need. It takes an enormous amount

September 6, 2012

Christian Standard

Sad Good-byes, Fruitful Labor

By Mark A. Taylor Two weeks ago we heard the sad news that a member of our church, a dynamic, active physician, died. Remarkably, he had survived a brain aneurysm two weeks before that, but ultimately his system broke down, along with his family”s hope for his recovery. His funeral was Sunday, August 23; he would have turned 63 August 28. We were sharing this story with a couple who told us a mutual friend”s husband, age 57, had just been diagnosed with Stage Four esophageal cancer. Their kids were coming to visit while they waited to hear treatment options

February 8, 2011

Christian Standard

Free for All

By Jennifer Taylor Each year, thousands of people in the Peoria, Arizona, area experience the death of a family member””but only 13 percent attend any kind of church. Christ”s Church of the Valley extends the love of Christ by providing funerals for these unchurched people””at no cost to grieving families. CCV senior pastor Don Wilson began the program and lead neighborhood pastor Bob Fesmire leads it. “For many people, a death is their first experience with church, and it can involve a lot of expenses,” Fesmire says. “We have space dedicated to the services and provide the pastor, the music,

Secret Link