This week, I’ll stand at the graveside of a woman I’ve known for over thirty years. She was ninety-seven when the Lord called her home. As a Deacon, I’ve stood in packed churches and quiet cemeteries. I’ve prayed with families, with friends, and sometimes with no one but the funeral director beside me.
Each time, I celebrate the person. I weep. I pray. And I always ask the angels to lead them into paradise.
Because this is part of our journey of faith—walking with God through sorrow and joy, through silence and song. We do not walk alone. We walk with Christ, who has gone before us. We walk with the Church, who holds us in prayer. And we walk with hope, even when the road is steep.
Saint Paul reminds us: “We do not grieve like those who have no hope.” Our grief is real—but it is not final. Because Jesus rose, we believe that those who sleep in Him will rise too. This is the promise that shapes our walk. This is the hope we carry—not just in death, but in every moment of life.
And so we sing.
All creation is to rejoice. lift their voices because the Lord comes to set things right. His judgment is not cruel—it is just. It is faithful. It is the restoration we long for.
We believe in a God who walks with us.
A God who sees what is broken.
A God who comes to heal, to restore, to reign in mercy.
And we believe in a Christ who speaks truth—even when it costs Him everything.
In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus stands in His hometown synagogue and reads from Isaiah:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me.”
He proclaims good news to the poor, liberty to captives, sight to the blind.
He speaks of freedom, of healing, of hope.
At first, they are amazed. But when He reminds them that God’s mercy reaches beyond their borders—beyond what is familiar—they turn on Him. They reject Him. They try to silence Him.
This is part of the journey too.
To speak grace and be met with resistance.
To proclaim justice and be misunderstood.
To walk forward, undeterred, faithful.
And so we stand.
We stand in grief—but not in despair.
We stand in truth—even when it’s hard.
We stand in hope—because the Lord comes.
The Lord comes…
To raise the dead.
To judge the earth.
To set captives free.
The Lord comes…
Not to condemn, but to console.
The Lord comes…
And we must sing.
We must speak.
We must stand.
This is our journey.
This is our walk with God.
And He walks with us—always.
Amen.
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