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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: INSOUCIANT (06/02/16)
Paul’s death hit me hard. Walking into the church for the funeral service with other mourners, I kept my head down and thoughts to myself. The buzz of friends and family around me couldn’t stop my grief. What a tragedy to lose him. We’d been good friends since grade school. Because of our common interests, even after we each married, we spent hours weekly in sports and conversation. The only area of life we didn’t agree was in our faith.

My wife and I walked to the front to view the open casket. Paul rested there serenely with no indication of the horrible accident that had taken his life. We were fortunate the internal injuries didn’t affect his face. He looked so young, and he was—not yet forty. I placed a hand on his shoulder and said a brief prayer under my breath. “Lord, You alone know where Paul is right now. I pray that he came to know You in the moments before his death.” And that was the problem. I had grave concerns about Paul’s eternal destiny.

His wife and three young children sat in the first row close to the casket. I knew them well, but had little to say. How I wish I could have spoken with great assurance. Despite the urging of my wife, I couldn’t.

“Amazing Grace” started off the service. Who could argue with that? God’s grace is amazing, and for those who know Him, it brings light into their world.

I didn’t know the pastor other than through casual encounters. Paul attended this church, while my heart had taken our family in another direction. Pastor Tom opened with some introductory words that led to many people coming forward to recount stories and remembrances. The family had asked me as his best friend to do likewise, but I didn’t know what to say. As far as I knew, Paul had missed having the most important encounter in life. Without that to build on, it left me speechless.

People laughed and shed tears at the many recollections. Paul was a good man and had lived well in friendships and in work. His widow turned to look at me when the last call came for anyone else to come up. All I could do was shake my head. I felt like a heel not sharing my part in my friend’s life and giving that to the family.

Pastor Tom returned to the pulpit, and I braced myself. He didn’t disappoint. “Grace!” he thundered. “Grace is the glory of God. Our brother, Paul, right now knows the grace of God. How blessed we are that our God gives eternal life to all of His creation. Paul is with our Father in Heaven at this very moment. To his widow, Jessica, I tell you this: Paul was a good man and it’s that very fact that has brought him into God’s presence. You can rest assured that you will see him again. He is in a better place than we could possibly imagine. Rejoice, Jessica, rejoice at the grace of our God who gives life everlasting without condition. Nothing Paul did or didn’t do could change his destiny. How blessed are we to have this God of ours!”

The more Pastor Tom spoke the more my nerve endings tingled. Bile rose from my stomach and settled as a bad taste in my mouth. My foot began tapping without my conscious knowledge until my wife nudged me to stop. When the pastor finally finished, I couldn’t help myself. I rose to my feet. “May I say a word?”

My interruption to the flow seemed to irritate him by the look on his face, but he consented, and I took the pulpit. “This isn’t my church, but I must correct an error. You heard that Paul is in heaven because of God’s grace alone. That’s a lie. Only by truly repenting and trusting in the shed blood of Christ is God’s grace sufficient to enter heaven. Is Paul there? I don’t know. He never repented that I’m aware, or professed a saving faith like the Bible tells us. Turn to Jesus, people. He is the only way.”

Pastor Tom motioned to his deacons, and they dragged me out to the cries of condemnation from those who opposed my message. Was I wrong to speak up? I only knew the truth that a carefree Gospel had misled these people. On the sidewalk I grieved for my friend.
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Member Comments
Member
Date
Linda Goergen
06/10/16
Wow, what a read! I have been to too many funerals where the deceased’s family is being assured they are in heaven, when you know in life the deceased had no desire for the truth of God’s word. What a dilemma, do you disrupt the peace and comfort of a lie with the shattering reality of the truth at the funeral itself? If this were true, I don’t know about doing it at the funeral itself...but then if led by the Holy Spirit, His ways are not always our ways. I don't know but this certainly does provide food for thought. And I thought the story was well written!
Pat Small
06/13/16
Well done. I cannot imagine interrupting a funeral like that, but if God leads then I guess there is nothing to do but obey. I fear it might irritate to the point that the effect would be negated. But, the idea of our comments is to critique the writing. On that, I have no red ink.
Harriett Ford
06/14/16
You were very bold to speak up. I believe there is a boldness which supersedes social and political correctness, an even church correctness. I'm glad you found the courage to keep expose the deceiver.