Daily Worship

Not simply dust to dust…

Robert Allan February 24, 2025 8 3
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1 Corinthians 15: 47-50 (NRSV)

47 The first man was from the earth, made of dust; the second man is from heaven. 48 As one of dust, so are those who are of the dust, and as one of heaven, so are those who are of heaven. 49 Just as we have borne the image of the one of dust, we will also bear the image of the one of heaven.

50 What I am saying, brothers and sisters, is this: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.

34 years now in ministry, I have lost count of the number of times I have uttered those familiar words at a graveside or crematorium, “earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust” as we entrust someone’s loved one to the ground or to be cremated. They are words of the Church, part of our heritage of faith, part of the grieving process, part of our rites of passage. I think people expect to hear these words. Some think that’s it, there is no more. 

What marks out the Christian funeral are the words that immediately follow: “in the sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died, was buried, and rose again for us.” God embraces us in love in that place called heaven. Paul also says to the Corinthians: “What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a physical body; it is raised a spiritual body.” Thanks be to God and to God be the glory!

 

Prayer:

 

Loving God, we thank you for Jesus: his birth, his life, his ministry, his death upon the Cross for our forgiveness, and for his resurrection. By his death, you have destroyed death, and by his resurrection you have opened the Kingdom of heaven to us all. What amazing love! It is hard at times for our earthly minds to contemplate a spiritual body, but help us to have faith, to trust in you and your promises which are good for this life and forever. Amen.