I am often troubled when I attend a funeral, and the leader refuses to let the people mourn. Those in charge of funeral arrangements, and often the families themselves, put so much effort into making the occasion a celebration of life, a graduation to heaven, that those in attendance might feel like their faith is … Continue reading It is a Weakness of Faith to Refuse to Mourn the Death of Loved Ones
Dear Sir, Last Friday I received a note from Mr. Venn, which acquaints me with the loss of your wife, who, I find, expired suddenly after a long illness. When your rib is gone, you must lean firmer on your staff. (Psalm 23:4) What a bubble is human honor, and what a toy is human … Continue reading When Your Rib is Gone, Lean More Firmly on Your Staff
"Blessed are they that mourn." This beatitude is clearly one of the great paradoxes of scripture. "Blessed" and "mourning" almost seem to be contradictory. When we think of mourning, we rarely think about blessing, Typically our minds think of death because mourning is something we do when someone dies, but here again, Jesus is showing … Continue reading What Does it Mean to Mourn? [Beatitudes]
The Fight of Faith 