This is a continuation of: Momento Mori: A Christian Teaching on Death and Burial
To Read Part I Click here.
AVOIDANCE OR PREPARATION?
So why is teaching the doctrine of death and the Church’s response so difficult? First, no sane person desires death or to dwell on it. It was not part of God’s plan for us. Most humans have a healthy aversion to it. Second, (praise God!) death is no longer as ever-present in the life of the family and parish. There was a time when very few parents had not lost a child to death. Third, the historic Commemoration of the Faithfully Departed (All Souls’ Day) on November 2 has been largely abandoned. These have allowed unease to become avoidance. But death is still there. We just can ignore it more easily now. We ought not. The prayer book says, “Man born of woman has but a short time to live,” and “In the midst of life we are in death” (1662 BCP, 332; 2019 BCP, 260). The Apostle James writes, “For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away” (James 4:14, AV).
Another reason people avoid the subject of death is the lack of teaching of the Church on the subject. To be sure, there are many teachings around death (the Passion and death of Our Lord Jesus lasts an entire season) but, by definition, His death is different. The Church’s ministers do a great and unloving disservice to the parishioner not teaching on the subject. Lack of doctrine engenders fear of the unknown. When pressed, blind modelling of what is seen in popular culture or pushed by funeral directors becomes the Christian’s belief. I can remember several older parishioners when asked about funeral arrangements who thought my inquiry inappropriate or macabre. Some have responded, “what do I care, I’ll be gone.” These answers bespeak at best an ignorance, and at worst, fear. The historic Faith has answers grounded in God’s Word. (Rom. 8:38-39, or 1 Cor .15.)
LIFE-EVERLASTING
So, what do we know about death? First of all, all Christians serve someone who has come back from the dead and brought others back as well! Jesus Christ is the Lord of life. He has suffered death, defeated death, and has brought others back from death. (Eph. 4:8) Therefore fearing death and not preparing for it is unbiblical and un-Christian. The Christian follows Christ by preparing for eternal life keeping death in view (Psalm 39:4, Jn. 9:4, Psalm 90:12, 1 Peter 1:17). In a real sense, not preparing for death is faithless for it is fearing the unknown more than the well-known person of Jesus Christ. The historic Church responds to death speaking the words of Jesus in funerals. The two Gospel Lessons traditionally appointed to be read in Christian rites of Burial are John 6:37-40 and John 14:1-6. Both are listed below.
37”All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”
“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
In both lessons, and others throughout the burial liturgy, the grieving are pointed to Our Lord Jesus as the way to life everlasting – eternal and secure. The Christian has that Christ has made a way through death. It is a pity if the Christian does not meditate on these readings taking comfort in them throughout life and in approaching death.
All Souls’ Day and Christian Funerals are tender times when the living are reminded of God’s love and provision. This is meant to prepare the soul and comfort the heart of the living, the dying, and those surviving. The prayer book anthems and our hymns do the same. They do not avoid death. It is a force to be reckoned with! They focus on Jesus and the Christian resting securely in Jesus. For examples of the Church’s response to death in hymnody look up the hymns: “O what their joy and their glory must be,” or “Jerusalem, my happy home,” or “Jesus, Son of Mary,” or “I am the Bread of Life.” In them there is a balance of mourning and hope in Jesus for the General Resurrection just as the Gospels and Epistles teach.
Part III will follow: “Prepare for Death - A Plan”