This is a variation on a theme - or, if you wish, a sort of rerun. Today in Morehead, many are mourning the passing of Jay Flippin, who was not only a wonderful musician and teacher, but a heck of a guy. It's making me think back to July of 2013, when our friend Al Baldwin passed away; the sense of loss that one person's life can have on a community. Folks are calling and sending texts, taking to social media, all speaking in their own way of their feelings of loss and gratitude to such a one as this.
Sometimes preachers are repetitive because they are lazy, but most times we repeat ourselves because messages are important enough to hear more than once. So, I'm copying a partial post from one of my blogs from July of last year. It's still true:
The book Life Lessons ,by Kubler Ross and Kessler, is one that is very much loved by many people here at church. It was originally given to me by a friend in 2000, and I've done close to 10 book studies with it over the years. It is comprised of several short chapters on aspects of life that we don't always bother to remember or revere until we are at the end of our lives.
The point of the book is a simple one: "Is this the way I want to be living my life?". And if not, then we are not to wait until we reflect back as older folks; we can make the choice to honour and acknowledge the essentials right now.
Seems particularly important - right now, to me, sitting here finishing up a funeral homily for a friend who should still be alive and amongst us -to remember the gift of time, and of life. The last two sentences of the book are good things to keep in mind:
Don't wait for one last look at the ocean, the sky, the stars, or a loved one. Go Look Now.
Sometimes preachers are repetitive because they are lazy, but most times we repeat ourselves because messages are important enough to hear more than once. So, I'm copying a partial post from one of my blogs from July of last year. It's still true:
The book Life Lessons ,by Kubler Ross and Kessler, is one that is very much loved by many people here at church. It was originally given to me by a friend in 2000, and I've done close to 10 book studies with it over the years. It is comprised of several short chapters on aspects of life that we don't always bother to remember or revere until we are at the end of our lives.
The point of the book is a simple one: "Is this the way I want to be living my life?". And if not, then we are not to wait until we reflect back as older folks; we can make the choice to honour and acknowledge the essentials right now.
Seems particularly important - right now, to me, sitting here finishing up a funeral homily for a friend who should still be alive and amongst us -to remember the gift of time, and of life. The last two sentences of the book are good things to keep in mind:
Don't wait for one last look at the ocean, the sky, the stars, or a loved one. Go Look Now.
RSS Feed
