450 Sermon Illustrations on Death

“Vessels fitted unto destruction”--how many may be unconsciously so marked by their Maker! A vessel is condemned as unseaworthy; her sails are sold, her spars and rigging, and when all that can be moved is gone, the dismantled hulk is moored in some coaling station. There, black from stem to stern, with a great white number painted on her side, she floats until her timbers rot to pieces--

Anchored forever--sea-lord once, and free-- Fouled by the creeping weeds that work unseen, Lashed by the mocking winds that erst we braved, Dread we the coming of the Southern night. Stars that we tamed to guide our prows of old Laugh in their sky of purple tapestry-- Ay, laugh: we are condemned of man to die! (Text.)

--MARGARET GARDINER, _Century_.

When the great man comes to the hour of his death, we expect him to be natural, avoiding all sentiments that are forced or incongruous. That is the striking thing about the last words of Sir Walter Raleigh; they were the inevitable and necessary words. Looking down upon his enemies and his friends, Raleigh exclaimed about the executioner’s axe, “It is a sharp medicine, but it is a sure cure of all diseases.” When the sheriff asked if the niche in the block would fit his neck, Raleigh answered, “It matters not how the head lies, if only the heart be right.”

— N. D. HILLIS

The following epitaphs, with the comment on them, are taken from the London _Daily News_:

There is an interesting epitaph on a gravestone in Poling churchyard, Sussex. It runs:

Here Lieth ye Body of Alice, ye wife, of Bobt Woolbridge, who Died the 27th of May, 1740. Aged 44 years.

The World is a round thing, And full of crooked streets. Death is a market place, Where all men meets. If Life was a thing That money could buy, The Rich would live, And the poor would die.

Here is another:

Poor Martha Snell has gone away, Her would if she could, but her couldn’t stay, She had two sore legs and a badish cough, But it were her legs as carried her off.

Less comic, but more witty, is the epitaph found at Kingsbridge, S. Devon.

Here lieth the body of Robert (commonly called “Bone”) Phillips, who died July 27th, 1793, aged 65 years, and at whose request the following lines are here inscribed:

Here lie I at the Chancel door; Here lie I because I am poor; The further in the more you’ll pay, Yet here lie I as warm as they.

Here is an epitaph on a last-maker, who is said to be buried at Llanflantwythyl:

Stop, stranger, stop, and wipe a tear For the _Last_ man at _last_ lies here, Tho ever-_last_-ing he has been, He has at _last_ passed life’s _last_ scene. Famed for good works, much time he passed, In doing good--He has done his _last_.

The following, more philosophic and general in its application, is on an eighteenth-century tombstone in Saint Mary’s Parish Churchyard, Mold, North Wales.

Life’s like an Inn where Travelers stay. Some only Breakfast, and away. Others to dinner stay, and are well fed. The oldest only sup and go to Bed. Long is the Bill who lingers out the day. He that goes the soonest Has the Least to Pay.

The correspondent also sends us an epitaph which has pithiness and force. It runs:

Here lies W. W. Who will nevermore trouble you.

It was an epitaph which called forth the following topical epigram from Dr. Samuel Clarke, who had just seen the inscription, “Domus Ultima,” on the vault belonging to the Dukes of Richmond in the Cathedral of Chichester. In a mood of satire he wrote:

Did he who thus inscribed the wall Not read, or not believe, St. Paul, Who says there is, where’er it stands, Another house, not made with hands. Or may we gather from these words That house is not a House of Lords.

Clinton Scollard, in _The Outlook_, draws a lesson from the new-fallen snow:

The evanescent wonder of the snow Is round about us, and as in a cloud-- A vestiture inviolate--we walk. Earth seems bereft of song and shorn of sun, A cloistral world. Even the lyric throat Of the rapt brook is like a pulse-beat faint. The wood--white architrave on architrave-- Is as a temple where the lips of prayer Tremble upon the verge of utterance. Hush! In the heart of this great gulf of sleep, This void abysmal, may we not divine The inscrutable Presence clothed about with dreams, The immaculate Vision that is death yet life, For out of death comes life: the twain are one! (Text.)

Byron’s remains rest in an old leaden coffin, side by side with those of his mother, and close by lies his daughter, Ada, Countess of Lovelace, who died in 1852. When the vault was opened to permit of the interment of Lady Lovelace many persons visited the church in order to catch a glimpse of the coffin. Upon one occasion a little girl was prevailed upon to descend by the stone staircase into the vault and she returned carrying a narrow strip of faded velvet in her hand, torn from the poet’s coffin. Among the group around the mouth of the graves was a tall, dark foreigner, who eagerly questioned the child as to her possession, and finally, in exchange for a piece of gold, received the strip of cloth. That man was Kossuth.--_Frank Leslie’s._

Sermon in Job series. Job's hope in resurrection. Job 14:13-17

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THERE'S ALWAYS HOPE

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I. Dark night of the soul.

II. Hemmed in by God and circumstances.

A. Life is short and hard.

B. We don't measure up.

C. We must live within strict limits.

III. Hope for trees but not for me?

A. Cut-off trees rejuvenate, but not people.

B. Sometimes life doesn't hold out much hope for us.

IV. Life after death?

A. If we cannot come back to this life, is there another one?

1) O.T. doubts: Eccl 9:4, Isaiah 38:18, Psa. 6:5, Psa. 88:11-12

2) Glimmers of hope: Psalm 16:10, Psalm 49:15, Job 19:25

B. All he can do is wait.

C. Heaven is worth waiting for.

V. Hope in God makes a difference.

John Stonehouse was a former British Cabinet minister who came to America and faked his death by leaving his clothes on a beach in Miami. He then fled to Australia under an assumed name, was discovered, taken back to England and sentenced to 7 years on 21 counts of theft, fraud and deception involving nearly $400,000. He served 3 years before being released on parole. Stonehouse has now found out through personal experience that death can be real! At the time Americans were rushing to beat their income tax filing deadline, Stonehouse collapsed at his home near Southampton and died instantly of a massive heart attack. He was only 62.

"It is appointed unto men once to die...." (Heb 9:27). Fakes don't count!

Hard reality of death. Funeral sermon for Louis XIV of France, the "Sun-King." Most famous preacher of the day, Masillon, looked down at the dead king's coffin and then at the thousands gathered in Notre Dame. "God alone is great, my brothers." Death reduces all of us to our proper size.

Death is unwelcome because it leaves things unfinished. Dylan Thomas to his dying father: "Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light." [see #19253]

Death is an embarrassment in the twentieth century. Humanist authors avoid the topic. Bertrand Russell - "I believe that when I die I rot." (p 163).

One of the most pathetic scenes in history is the execution of Sir Thomas Moore. As he was passing between soldiers from his cell in the tower to the beheading block in the court, a woman was seen to rush from the crowd, and as the soldiers saw her sad face, they instinctively parted, and let her pass through. Hanging upon the neck of the condemned man, she could simply cry with the tears, "My father, my father."

After several minutes of affectionate embrace she tore herself away, and started out of the court, but soon dashed back, and hung again upon the neck of her beloved father. The rough soldiers stood silent and wept. Everybody felt that such a demonstration of love was appropriate, that there was no fanaticism in it. It was just how an affectionate daughter ought to feel towards her beloved but now disgraced father.

And if such enthusiasm of love may exist towards an earthly father how much greater the enthusiasm toward the Father in Heaven, who gave his only begotten Son that we may be saved from death, and toward the Son who sacrificed himself for us.

(Compare story of Rizpath, daughter of Aiah, who kept the birds from her executed sons.)

Melvin Hanson of Columbus, Ohio, was in trouble with his business, took out $1.5 million insurance policy on himself, faked his death. With the help of a doctor (Dr. Hawkins?) he faked a heart attack, went to doctor's office, was pronounced dead. A drifter (murdered?) was put in his place and a picture was taken. He was then cremated. Insurance company almost paid, but an adjuster asked to see the picture and had doubts it was Hanson. Hanson went into hiding but has been found. He is being charged with insurance fraud and murder.

The day after Mrs. Zelkin’s funeral, the rabbi dropped into console the widower. To his astonishment he saw the bereaved on the sofa kissing a dazzling redhead.

“Zelkin!” roared the rabbi. “Your beloved wife is not even cold in her grave, and already you’re… “

Mr. Zelkin cried, “In my grief, should I know what I’m doing?”

The current status of persecution against Christians, which is high. David Barrett estimates 300,000 Christians are being killed every year.

Reasons to keep the suffering in view:

1. Martyrs remind us of God's triumphal power.

2. Support the persecuted with prayer.

[see also #219]

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MARTYRS FOR THE FAITH

• Since the death of Jesus Christ, 2000 years ago, 43 million Christians have become martyrs

• Over 50% of these were in the last century alone

• More than 200 million Christians face persecution each day, 60% of whom are children

• Every day over 300 people are killed for their faith in Jesus Christ.

________

World Evangelical Encyclopedia; contributed by Micah Fries to www.sermoncentral.com, July 5, 2004.

[see also #25164 for more insight on the number of martyrs]

The case for the resurrection of Jesus. The two main facts are the empty tomb and the post-resurrection appearances. Alternate theories are discussed: the body was stolen, authorities moved it, women went to wrong tomb, swoon. For resurrection appearances, hallucinations are discussed.

Death of a eight month old nephew forced author to think of heaven.

1. What is heaven like?

a. God is there.

b. Heaven is a beautiful place.

c. We will be surrounded by wonderful people.

d. We will have a fresh start.

1> A brand-new body.

2> A brand-new nature.

3> A brand-new vocation.

e. We will experience lasting contentment without fear.

2. What difference does heaven make?

a. Knowing there's a heaven can keep us from making a terrible mistake

with our lives.

b. It can encourage us that our daily lives have meaning.

c. It can comfort us when times are hard.

Garrison Keillor talks about his grandmother dying in Lake Wobegon’s hospital. She was shown love but the people were not profound; instead, they sat around talking about cars and farm combines. “I can forgive them for wanting to get back onto familiar ground. Sumus quod sumus. [We are what we are.] She was eighty-two. Her life was in all of us in the room. Nobody needed to be told that, except me, and now I’ve told myself.”

When my grandmother was raising me in Stamps, Arkansas, she had a particular routine when people who were known to be whiners entered her store. My grandmother would ask the customer, “How are you doing today, Brother Thomas?”

And the person would reply, “Not so good today, Sister Henderson. You see, it’s this summer heat. I just hate it. It just frazzles me up and frazzles me down. It’s almost killing me.” Then my grandmother would stand stoically, her arms folded, and mumble, “Uh-huh, uh-huh.” And she would cut her eyes at me to make certain that I had heard the lamentation.

As soon as the complainer was out of the store, my grandmother would call me to stand in front of her. And then she would say the same thing she had said at least a thousand times, it seemed to me. “Sister, did you hear what Brother So-and-So or Sister Much-to-Do complained about?” And I would nod. Mamma would continue, “Sister, there are people who went to sleep all over the world last night, poor and rich and white and black, but they will never wake again. And those dead folks would give anything, anything at all for just five minutes of this weather that person was grumbling about. So you watch yourself about complaining, Sister. What you’re supposed to do when you don’t like a thing is change it. If you can’t change it, change the way you think about it. Don’t complain.”

It is said that persons have few teachable moments in their lives. Mamma seemed to have caught me at each one I had. Whining is not only graceless, but can be dangerous. It can alert a brute that a victim is in the neighborhood.

_________

By from Condensed Chicken Soup for the Soul, Copyright 1996 by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen & Patty Hansen

When John Owen, the great Puritan, lay on his deathbed his secretary wrote (in his name) to a friend, "I am still in the land of the living."

"Stop," said Owen. "Change that and say, I am yet in the land of the dying, but I hope soon to be in the land of the living."

Sermon for dedication of Christopher Blewett. Luke 16:19-31

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YOU CAN'T CROSS OVER

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I. What will happen to you when you die?

A. Most think about it as little as possible.

B. Ancient world dreaded death.

C. Jesus makes eternal life something to long for.

II. Death as the great equalizer.

III. Eternal alternatives.

A. Where we go after death.

B. Why hell?

IV. No crossing over.

A. There is no second chance. Hebrews 9:27

B. No crossing over after death, or before.

V. What would it take to convince you?

A. The Bible is sufficient. Luke 16:31

B. Today is the day of salvation. 2 Cor 6:2

In the film version of Robert Anderson's play "I Never Sang for My Father," the estranged son finally learns, at age 40, to face his father's rejection and get on with his life. The son, played by Gene Hackman (who was also estranged from his father), says his last lines as a voice-over while the screen shows a photograph of father and son - frozen in gesture.

"Death ends a life, but it does not end a relationship, which struggles on in the survivor's mind toward some resolution - which it may never find. What does it matter if I never loved him or he never loved me? But still, when I hear the word 'father,' it matters."

#3201

*

Sermon for Halloween / All Saints Day. 1 Thess 4:13-18

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HAPPY HALLOWDAY

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I. The night of the living dead.

II. Original meaning of Halloween.

A. Pagan festival in autumn, called "sowein."

B. Adapted by Christians.

C. Important themes are involved in Halloween.

III. Honoring saints.

A. Meaning of saint.

B. Exemplary examples.

C. Who are we influencing for eternity?

IV. What happens when we die?

A. Everyone wants the dead to come back.

B. Teaching of Bible on death. Luke 16:19-31; 1 Thess 4:13-19

C. Establishing your destiny.

D. Saving your family.

V. Evil is real.

A. Proof in human history.

B. Evil should be confronted.

C. Jesus has ultimate victory. Colossians 2:15; Revelation 15:2

I have preached this sermon many times in various forms. I have repeated it after a few years because of its power and message. I stole a lot of this from the late Clovis Chapel, a Methodist preacher who published during WWII. I have read and tried to preach many of his sermons in my early days of learning, and learned much from him in the process. I am greatly indebted to the man. This sermon is based on the Gospel passage.

The Old Testament Lesson: Psalm 1

Epistle Lesson: Ephesians 1:11-23

Gospel Lesson: John 11:1-16

Sermon: The Village Tragedy

Then Jesus said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead.” For most of us, that is the last word. There is nothing else to say. We silently turn, hugging our family or friends who are with us. We cry and walk out the door. The worst has happened. The grimmest of all grim tragedies has already been enacted. Lazarus is dead. In our modern world, the nurse can go home. The physician can return to his office. Medicines, IV.’s, oxygen and ministering hands are no longer needed.

There had not been a happier home in the little village of Bethany. They had everything a family could possibly need. They had a comfortable home and plenty of good food. More than that, they had a home whose doors were open to many friends. And there was love there. They loved each other, and they had a love for Jesus. That is a sure foundation for any happy home.

But, Lazarus is dead. The head of the house, the protector, the business manager, the beloved brother could no longer join in their laughter or share their tears. The home which once was among the happiest, is now filled with gloom, darkness, and despair. The light had gone out of their lives. The sun had set. Home can never be again what it once was.

Their home had always been the place where people would go to sing and dance, and celebrate. They made others feel loved and they rejoiced with others in the village. Opened handed hospitality is what would could expect to find from them. Their home was the preacher’s home.

No where on earth was Jesus more at home than when he was with Lazarus, Mary and Martha. Here was a brother to listen, a sister who sat at his feet, and a sister who was the best cook around. What a wonderful place to go! Jesus went there often with his disciples. But, all is changed now. Lazarus is dead.

What took Lazarus’ life? We do not know. How intense was his suffering? How long did he linger? Be assured, from the first day of his sickness, his two sisters and others nursed him with the most tender care. During his illness, many times the sisters said to one another, “If Jesus would only come.” There was a dread that death would cross his ghastly foot across the door sill before Jesus would come again.

Why was this tragedy allowed to take place? Why must Lazarus suffer? Why must death lay hold of him? Why must God call these sisters to pass through this Gethsemane? I am sure that these questions perplexed these two sisters long along, just as they puzzle us.

Lazarus grew sick, and died. Some may claim, “If Jesus really loved him, he would have been there.” The Bible says, “Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days.”

Love does not always do what we want or expect. God does not always do what we want or expect. Jesus loved these three as special individuals and as part of a special family. Yet Jesus stayed away from them in the hour of their dire need. He loved them; therefore he delayed until Lazarus died. Jesus stayed away until under-takers prepared the body of Lazarus for burial and put it into the tomb. What a strange event! To put it plainly, “Because Jesus loved them, he stayed away.”

We would expect just the opposite. We expect the Bible to read, “Jesus loved him, therefore he rushed to go help them.” That is what we expect. That is what we want. If you are in the hospital, most of you want your family or pastor there immediately.

Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus; therefore he will let Lazarus die. That is strange to us. What really seems strange is when we read about the disciples being confused about Lazarus really being dead, and Jesus says plainly, “Lazarus is dead, and ... I am glad I was not there.”

God, in his infinite wisdom sometimes delays to act, or refuses to act as we want him to act. For most of us, there is nothing more important than life. For God, death is a transition, not the end.

Jesus loves you, and there are times he brings you to extreme disappointment. God loves you, therefore trouble comes to your house. God loves you, therefore He calls on you to kneel by the coffin of your dear one. None of that makes sense. The goal of God is not to make sense, but to bring people to faith. The desire of God is not to destroy the body, but to build up the soul.

“Why, must this happen?” is a question which ran through the mind of Mary and Martha. If only, Jesus had been there. Why couldn’t things have turned out differently? Why was this village tragedy allowed to take place? Simply, it was because Christ loved these people. Christ loves us and he comes to us through tragedy and grief.

There is something more precious than life, and that is to do the will of God. There is a power greater than death, and that power is in Jesus Christ. More precious than preserving life, are events which bring others to believe in Jesus Christ.

To do God’s will is more precious than life. To believe in Jesus Christ is to triumph over death. And, to help others believe in the power of God in Jesus Christ is worth endangering your life.

It was some time after Jesus raised Lazarus that he gathered with his disciples in an upper room in Jerusalem. They saw the resurrection of Lazarus, and still they did not understand that resurrection power was within Jesus. Many times that sat down at table with Jesus, but on this evening, the meal had a new dimension and a new meaning.

Jesus calls us to himself. He is the resurrection and the life. He is the Lord of the universe and comes as the servant of all. He calls us to die with him, that we might have life. He calls each of us to be a servant, that we might reign with him. He calls us to give ourselves and all we own to his purpose, so we can inherit treasures in heaven. Sin and death are powerful and they stand against us. But, thanks be to God who gives us the victory through Jesus Christ.

The pain of the village tragedy receives meaning when we come to the Lord’s Table. Here we obey the command, “Do this in remembrance of me.” Here also we receive the promise, “Lo, I am with you always, even to the close of the age.” No tragedy, no pain, no tears, no heartache can separate us from the love of God, for he also suffers our tragedy, our pain, cries our tears and experiences our heartache. Trust in the Lord who comes to be with you in your pain, who weeps over you, and gives himself for you to the glory of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. AMEN!

When we have done everything we know to do and have said everything we know to say, we realize it isn’t enough. Death forces us to trust in the Almighty’s boundless love. At death we come to the end of human knowledge, human power and human comfort. We are left to the mercy of God. Comforting it is, therefore, to have a God to trust in, and one who has perfect love, absolute knowledge, boundless forgiveness and infinite patience. God is love, this is a glorious fact to lean upon now.

When Jesus faced what He knew was certain death, He said, I am not alone, because the Father is with me. Jesus is saying now to this family and these friends who are grieved and bewildered, You are not alone for the heavenly Father is with you. God’s promise is to never leave us nor forsake us. What a difference that assurance made to Jesus in dark Gethsemane and what a difference it can make to us today. Can there be any more comforting words for this family than, God is with you, His hand is upon you?

If there were no God, we might despair today. If there were not Jesus, there would be nothing to give us consolation or to give us strength or hope for such an hour. We need not fear, we need just trust in God. Jesus said, Let not your heart be troubled, believe in God, believe also in me(John 14:1-6). Jesus taught us not to fear that which destroys the body only. Rather, He said fear him who can destroy both the soul and the body. We assume that the body is ultimate, all our values are reversed in this life. Man is primarily a soul - his spirit is his real self. That is what makes him different from other animals, this is the mark of sonship. These bodies are mere houses for our spirits (1 John 2:17).

Finally, Jesus taught by demonstration that human life exists beyond the grave, and death is the doorway to the future. Without the experience of death, we could never know the future.

Death is not an unforeseen accident, not something left out of the scheme of our Creator. Rather it is something well planned and necessary in the sight of God. It is an appointed event that will come to each of us.

James tells us, Life is a vapor that appeareth for a time and then vanishes away, like a cloud floating through the air, which finally changes to a different form of liquid.

We assume death to be the worst thing that could possible happen to any person. How very wrong this idea is. Who of us would really want to remain here on earth with it’s never ending struggles? ________ had a long life. Life wasn’t easy, but knowing Jesus puts purpose and meaning into life. _______ had been sick for quite some time. Death is a natural step. Death is leaving a dilapidated worn-out house and moving into a beautiful mansion, not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. Where eye has not seen, ear has not heard, neither has it entered into the heart of man the things that God has prepared for them that love Him.

We are quite naturally saddened by death because of our fears, our uncertainty, the personal loneliness that it brings, and by our lack of faith. God knows best. His ways are higher and nobler than our loftiest thoughts. We are, however, reluctant for death to invade our circle of friends and loved ones.

Paul said in I Thessalonians 4:15 not to sorrow over the departed loved ones. But Paul did not intend to prohibit that natural sorrow which believers feel at the death of a loved one, but he did prohibit that sorrow which mourns in hopelessness. For our hope is in Jesus Christ.

We weep over ________________ because of the fond memories. Such memories are a blessing. No one can take those memories from you. They brings tears now, but in the years to come they will bring joy.

We need to make sure that we are prepared to go. These scriptures have been comforting to those that are Christians. And it is a wonderful thing to rest in the assurance of Jesus. The primary question is not When shall death come to me? But, Am I prepared for death, am I ready to meet my Creator and stand before Jesus? We are promised eternal life if we believe and accept Jesus as our Savior. (I John 2:25)

John 11:25-26, I (Jesus) am the resurrection and the life; he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live; And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die (John 3:15-16). So those whom we call death, are alive with God ever more.

John tells us, Peace Christ leaves with you, His peace He gives you, not as the world giveth. Let not your heart he troubled, neither let it be afraid. This peace is the peace that passeth understanding that one has when he or she knows that they are in the hands of Jesus Christ. Do you have that peace today?

A year ago, the front page of The Alabama Baptist (July 23, 1998) carried the story of the death of my wife, Eleanor. The 12 months since have been the longest time span imaginable. Many nights knew no end. Days dragged by. Hour upon hour was spent staring at the same page of books not realizing I had read them over and over again and still could not understand what they said. Frequently I hid behind closed doors of the office so no one would know how many tears I shed or how often they came.

At the same time, the 12 months have gone by so fast. It seems unreal that it has been a full year since I regained consciousness on the side of a street in Durban, South Africa; since Eleanor and I held hands as we lay on gurneys in the emergency room of St. Augustine Hospital; since the doctor came with the terrible news that Eleanor had lost consciousness.

To help me get through this season of remembrance, I am keeping a journal. The first entry each day is what I recall of that day one year ago. Every word brings memories as fresh and vivid as if it were yesterday. A year ago? It cannot be, I want to say, but the calendar does not lie.

Life is forever changed. Life is still changing.

A new friend shared a biblical analogy that aptly describes part of what happened to me during the past 12 months. She said those who deeply grieve are like the invalid in Luke 5 who could not get to Jesus. Friends had to carry him into the presence of the Lord. During these 12 months, I have been carried.

I have been carried by family, by co-workers, by directors, by fellow church members and by friends. The list goes on and on. I have been amazed by the number of individuals I did not know who indicated they have prayed for me. At the recent Southern Baptist Convention in Atlanta, people stopped me on the street and spoke to me in lunch lines to assure me of their prayers. I continue to need them.

To all those who carried me, I am indebted. To each one, I am grateful. Your prayers, your encouragement, your help, your strength and your love helped me through this first year. Thank you. Through you, God provided the care I needed to face the issues caused by Eleanor's untimely death. I am among the fortunate. People have allowed me to grieve. I have not been told to "get over it" or "it has been long enough." I am told a year anniversary makes a difference in grieving. For me, however, I faced the same problems on day 366 that existed on day 365.

People still ask, "How are you doing?" and I still do not know how to respond. I could answer them by reflecting on the past 12 months. I could tell them the things I did right and the things I did wrong. I could answer the question by recounting my physical progress -- seven surgeries completed, one to go. If all goes well, the doctors' duties will be complete in December. I am jogging again, up to at least three miles three or four times a week.

I could answer the "How are you doing?" question by reporting present activities. I am working full time trying to carry on the responsibilities of the editor of the state Baptist paper. I've resumed preaching after a layoff of several months. Six of the last seven weeks I have been privileged to preach in Alabama Baptist churches. Grief group, now meeting once every two weeks, is still an important time for me.

I could answer the question by looking to the future, referencing attempts to pick up an old hobby and learn a new skill. I could talk about wanting to meet new people. I could even answer the question from a theological perspective and talk about the spiritual lessons I am learning on this walk through the valley of the shadow of death.

The problem with any answer is I still do not know the path through this experience. That means I still do not know if I am doing things right or wrong. I only know my experience -- and I know that in retrospect. I do not know if I am making good decisions for today or making foolish decisions about tomorrow. I really do not know how I am doing. That is why I usually say, "I'm still here." It is not intended as a funny answer. It acknowledges an accomplishment.

One thing of which I am sure is the faithfulness of God. Even though my prayers were not answered as I was confident they would be, God has been "a very present help in time of trouble." Through his Spirit, through his Word and through his people, God worked. He provided strength when I had none. He accepted and understood when all I could do was scream in confusion and anger. He guided, sometimes corrected, the steps I took. God forgave my mistakes. He loved me, even when I was too numb to feel his presence.

Today I do not cling to life as firmly as I did a year ago. Nor do I abhor death as much. The loss of Eleanor has changed my understanding of both life and death. But because of the experiences of the past year, I do hold to God more firmly than ever. I know God loves me and cares for me and will never forsake me. I know God is faithful.

*

Payne Stewart, the world's eighth-ranked professional golfer who was killed with five others in the crash of a small jet Oct. 25, was a member of First Baptist Church, Orlando, Fla., who, by numerous accounts, had undergone a spiritual renewal in the past year.

Stewart, 42, won the U.S. Open on Father's Day in June -- on the final hole, sinking the longest putt ever to decide the event in its 105-year history, a clutch 15-footer -- and was a member of the U.S. Ryder Cup team which staged a remarkable comeback for a win over the European team in September. Stewart also had won the U.S. Open in 1991 and the PGA Championship in 1989 during a professional career, distinguished also by his knickers and tam-o'-shanter cap, that began in 1979.

"At the presentation of the coveted U.S. Open trophy, Payne revealed his trust in God and appreciation to God for helping him finish strong," recount Jim Sheard and Wally Armstrong in an upcoming book, "Finishing the Course: Strategies for the Back Nine of Your Life," in a section Stewart had approved for publication the week before his death.

"For Payne Stewart, this was not some hackneyed cliché. It was a revelation of his newfound faith in Christ," Sheard and Armstrong write. "In recent months, Payne has come to faith in Christ as his Savior. He now trusts God for the provision of his strength and for the needed balance in his life.

"Some come to this point in life early, but for others, like Payne, it is later in life that we recognize who Christ really is and what he has done for us. Early or late in life, it is the most profound thing that happens to a person. It is even more profound than winning the U.S. Open at 42 years of age as Payne did," write Sheard and Armstrong, who have written two other golfing books from a Christian perspective, "In His Grip" and "Playing the Game," published by J. Countryman, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Stewart leaves a wife, Tracey, an Australian native, and two children, Chelsea, 13, and Aaron, 10. The children were in First Baptist's Christian school, The First Academy, when the crash occurred around 1:15 p.m. Oct. 25.

The children were called from their classes about 15 minutes later. "They were pulled aside and told there was a problem with their dad's plane," Steve Smith, a First Baptist staff member told The Orlando Sentinel. "They were taken home and told at home."

Stewart "was a wonderful Christian who had Christ in his life and somehow in his death," Jim Henry, pastor of First Baptist, Orlando, and a former president of the Southern Baptist Convention, told the Associated Press. "That brought a great sense of peace to his family in a difficult and tragic time."

Stewart's charitable giving prompted a separate article in The Orlando Sentinel Oct. 26, recounting, for example, that he had given $500,000 to an arm of First Baptist, The First Foundation, less than two weeks before his death and had lent his name and energies to various charity golf tournaments, most recently for the Orlando Children's Charities, which had received nearly $500,000 for the Boys & Girls Club and other children's organizations in the past five years.

"Tracey and I and our kids have more than we deserve, that's just the way it is," Stewart had been quoted as saying. "So it's not hard to give something back."

Stewart's funeral will be at 11 a.m. Friday, Oct. 29, at First Baptist.

The jet was en route from Orlando to Dallas but a suspected malfunction in cabin pressure likely killed the occupants early in the flight. The plane flew 1,400 miles across half a dozen states in the nation's midsection before running out of fuel and crashing in a grassy field in South Dakota.

Sports Illustrated took note of Stewart's newfound faith in its U.S. Open coverage last June, recounting that Stewart had "turned to religion, embracing Christianity with the fervor of a prison convert." He wore a "What Would Jesus Do?" WWJD bracelet during the tournament and began each day by reading a devotional book, the magazine reported.

"There used to be a void in my life," Stewart told Sports Illustrated, which noted that his mother, Bee, formerly had described her outspoken son as "rude;" his wife had used the word, "arrogant;" and his caddie, "impatient and not very self-confident."

"The peace I have now is so wonderful," Stewart told Sports Illustrated. "I don't understand how I lived so long without it."

"Payne talks more with God now," his mother recounted from Springfield, Mo., Stewart's hometown. "He's a different man, a better son."

USA Today, in an Oct. 26 article about Stewart's death, also noted that Stewart's father died of cancer in 1984 and, when his good friend and fellow PGA competitor Paul Azinger was stricken with cancer in 1994, Steward reflected, "I started talking to Paul about it and saw that he had this unbelievable faith. That started me going in a more spiritual direction."

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Graham told of preaching the funeral of former U.S. President Richard Nixon before five U.S. presidents and a worldwide audience. The evangelist said he pointed to Nixon's casket and said, "Every one of you will be there one of these days. Are you ready?" Looking at the U.N. diplomats, he said, "I ask myself that question, and I ask you: are you ready? In the midst of all you are doing around the world to alleviate suffering and bring about peace, I pray you will not starve your own soul."

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