Did you ever watch a bird-dog hunt? Probably not. It’s a thing of beauty. This specially trained animal will sniff around through grasses and bushes in a field until he finds the hiding birds; immediately his nose will point and his tail will become rigid and then he will “flush them out” for your joy. A great spectacle! Just fascinating!
I have officiated at many Funeral Services. Many years ago faith was obvious at funerals. In this new millennia many people attend funerals from a sense of tradition and duty. But God can always be sensed ( and sometimes seen) very much “working” the crowd. Sort of like the bird-dog I described.
The minister describes how faith overcomes death, he gets a lot of blank stares at the beginning. Then, as God’s Word begins to speak and faith is awakened, those with faith are “flushed out”. A little smile here, a head nod there, or a hardly audible “amen” is whispered. As soon as the service is over, on the way to the cars, some of these strangers will stop by the minister and identify themselves as “believers” who have been blessed. And I rejoice and revel in it. After all, the Bible says the Lord knows those who are His. The Lord tells those who are redeemed to “say so”.
It is good to see God at work at funerals. Those of us who are people of faith shouldn’t wait to be “flushed out”. When we go to the family Visitation the night before or we join with the mourners at the Memorial Service, we must remember that faith has the final word and we should be ready to speak it.
Christians are uniquely equipped to attend funerals. “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on it’s stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.” (Matthew 5:14-15 NIV) Identify your self. Don’t wait for the Heaven-sent bird-dog (aka: Holy Spirit) to move you.
“Father, the quiet moving of your Spirit in our hearts is always a
blessing to us and then to others as we obey. Keep us alert and ready. Amen”
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