the undead

A guy I see from time to time was reading a book today.

The guy's called Robert and the book he was reading was simply called - "The good, the bad and the undead".

Which seemed quite apt in many ways, considering where he works. (The title, that is - the content's rather dodgy!).

Robert works along at the crematorium. I was back there again today. Sort of a second home these days.

Robert must see a whole load of very different folk in the course of a week or two.

The good. The bad. And the 'undead'.

The words I always use in the course of a funeral service have a similar sort of ring.

Jesus said - 'I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, even though he dies yet shall he live. And whoever lives and believes in me shall never die'.

The 'undead'. In a way.

People in whom the work of death has been undone.

Good people, bad people - all alike will die. But will the work of death in them be finally undone?

That was certainly the case with the lady whose life we remembered today. Ina.

She was a lovely, humble follower of Christ. She believed in this Jesus who said he is himself the resurrection. The one in whom the resurrecting power of God can be encountered by us all.

Even though she died, even though the death-dealing claws of a cancer had shrivelled her down to her end, yet still she lived. And lives.

The undead.

Even in her dying she was very much alive. The grace and peace of the Lord Jesus Christ in evidence throughout. In life, in death alike.

There was a good crowd of folk attending the service today. I was pleased it was so.

Her family isn't large, but in her own quiet way she eased her way into the hearts and affections of countless different folk.

That was the bulk of the morning, what with preparing and travelling and waiting and then getting back when all was over and done.

The SU group at lunch was great as well.

Three new children there. And when we enquired as to what had brought them along, they all of them said they'd been asked by a friend who had told them the time was fun.

Children are good that way.

Two of the girls came up at the end and they told me they'd had a party the day before. A birthday bash in their worship times as they celebrated the birth of the church.

Yesterday was 'Pentecost Sunday' which marks the start of the church. An impressive start it was as well. The birth of the undead indeed!

We'd had a bit of a party, too. A cake and a candle, the lot.

So we had a laugh, these girls and I, recounting the things that we'd done in our different places of worship the day before. It's great seeing these children so keen.

I was seeing folk at different points throughout the rest of the day. Visiting folk in their homes.

And then when I got back here, the ladies of the Guild were here, engrossed in an evening of chat. It's good for them, a time like that. I gladly joined them.

Even though there were other things I'd planned to do, people always matter. And it's good to be able to pause and to chat and to spend such time with folk.

That's the only soil in which relationships will grow. And relationships are everything I guess.

Me and chat? You're maybe wondering if you read that right!

I'm pretty much a total dead loss when it comes to that.

But, by the grace of God I'm becoming myself not good, perhaps, but at least 'undead' - even in things like that!