In the twinkling of an eye

by chuckofish

Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.

–I Corinthians 15:52-53

Yesterday I went to the funeral of a lady in my Bible Study class. She was quite a gal who had lived a long and meaningful life. She was a teacher, a missionary, a college professor, and an author. By all accounts she was ready to meet her maker. Anyway, it was the first funeral I had attended at my new church and I was not disappointed.

We sang four hymns enthusiastically, con brio.

Her three adult children read various things. One read the Heidelberg Catechism Q & A #1:

QUESTION:

What is your only comfort in life and death?

ANSWER:

That I am not my own, 1 but belong with body and soul, both in life and in death, 2 to my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ. 3 He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood, 4 and has set me free from all the power of the devil. 5 He also preserves me in such a way 6 that without the will of my heavenly Father not a hair can fall from my head; 7 indeed, all things must work together for my salvation. 8 Therefore, by his Holy Spirit he also assures me of eternal life 9 and makes me heartily willing and ready from now on to live for him. 

One read part of her mother’s testimony and one read from C.S. Lewis’s Mere Christianity. A soloist sang Handel’s I Know That My Redeemer Liveth. The Senior Pastor preached on Romans 8:18-25.

I might have added one or two more scripture readings, but I thought it was pretty close to perfect as is. No pomp, no circumstance. No smells and bells. Just the community faithful gathering at the proverbial river.

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.