Message from the Pastoral Care and Eldership Team (PaCET) for Sunday Meeting 9th March 2025

Dear Friends,

Some weeks ago in our meeting we heard very moving ministry about the death of a friend and her bravery in facing her last few weeks before she died.  In the short time she had left she was able to celebrate her life and at the end to have a good death.  This is something that we would all yearn for ourselves and for those that we love, though we all know too that this might not be possible.  Over my lifetime we, as a society, have become a little more open in talking about death and the emergence and growth of the hospice movement has greatly helped in allowing some lucky people and their families to make some positive choices at the end of their lives.  People also are becoming more adventurous and creative in planning their funerals with more of a focus on celebration of a life well lived than on mourning a death and a loss.  We have all heard the instruction ‘don’t come in black – wear something bright’.

I’m not sure actually, when my turn comes, that this is what I want.  I think, no I’m sure, I want people to be devastated that I’m not there any more.  I want people to wear black, to weep, to wail even.  I’ve chosen hymns that move me to tears and I want tears streaming down the faces of those who mourn as they sing them out!  Yes, I am being slightly flippant.  But I have a serious point too.  Because I have a strong feeling that real hope and even joy can only come after bleak despair, when all hope seems lost.  This is the most profound, yet difficult message from the Christian faith.  Take the story of Jesus and Lazarus.

Following reports that his dear friend Lazarus is ill Jesus makes the trip to Bethany at great risk to his own safety.   Last time he was there the people tried to stone him.  When Jesus sees his friend Lazarus’s sisters weeping outside his tomb he is greatly disturbed in spirit and when he hears that Lazarus really is dead he himself begins to weep.  It is only this profound emotion that moves Jesus to perform his miracle and raise Lazarus from the dead. Now whatever we may think about miracles the message could not be clearer – if we have faith new life can come from death.  In the words of the hymn written by Archbishop Desmond Tutu:

Goodness is stronger than evil, Love is stronger than hate;
Light is stronger than darkness, life is stronger than death;
Victory is ours, Victory is ours
through God who loves us.
Victory is ours, Victory is ours
through God who loves us.

John Pares

on behalf of the Pastoral Care and Eldership Team (Patricia Cockrell, David Hitchin, Sharon Krummel, Tim Pitt-Payne, Caroline Pybus, Theresa Samms)