There were two brothers in a small town who were the richest men in town. They were also the meanest and most immoral men in town. When one of them died, the other went to the preacher of the local church and asked him to do the funeral. He said that he would give the church $25,000 if the preacher would say that his brother was a saint. “But I can’t do that!” said the preacher, “Everyone knows what kind of man your brother was.” But the more he thought about it, he realized that the church really needed that money. So the day of the funeral he got up and said, “This man was a lying, cheating, stealing, wicked old man. But next to his brother, he was a saint.”
Someday, when we’re gone, somebody is going to have to stand up and say a few words about us and about our lives. When they stand up to talk about us, will it be an easy task or a hard one? Will they struggle to find something good to say or will they struggle to choose between all of the uplifting stories told of your life?
I remember when I was a student at Abilene Christian University, there was a preacher who preached a funeral sermon that became famous. It was in all the papers across the nation. Jim Dotson was the preacher at Brookwood Way Church of Christ in Mansfield, Ohio. His sermon was videotaped and can still be viewed at the ACU library. Dotson’s sermon did not become famous because of its content nor because of the outstanding delivery (although, given the circumstances, the delivery was remarkable). Dotson’s funeral sermon became famous because he preached his own funeral. Dying of cancer, he videotaped the sermon that would be presented at his own funeral. He spoke about the Christian’s victory over death.
It’s a remarkable thing to preach your own funeral. Well, it is and it isn’t. It’s remarkable to videotape yourself speaking so that everyone hears the exact words that you wanted them to hear. But the fact is, we all preach our own funeral sermons. We preach them by the way we live. No matter what the preacher says at the service itself, our lives will leave behind their own testimony, for good or for bad.
So what does your sermon sound like so far? Is it full of jokes and stories, but little substance? Is it a shining example of what everyone would like their life to be? Or, to borrow a phrase from a calendar I saw, is the main purpose of your life to serve as a warning for others?
Make someone’s job a little easier. Don’t make then hunt and scrounge for something good to say when the end comes. Don’t make it hard for them to find words of comfort for those left behind. Live such a life that your funeral will be a celebration of triumph, a joyous remembrance of a life well lived.
Start working on your sermon today…
Well done. Thanks Tim.
This is a terrific practice to go through and is very revealing about what we hold to be important and to matter. Nice note!
Thanks guys.
You are the light of the world. Let your good deeds shine before men!
Glad you’re back!
Great article, Tim.
Thanks Barry and Nick. I actually wrote this for a church bulletin a few years ago, but found it and thought I’d post it.
On another vein, I think I don’t want a funeral (probably afraid of what people would say!), and I’m sure I want to be cremated. Any thoughts?
Great article Tim.
Karen,
I hadn’t thought about the “no funeral.” I guess my view is that funerals are for the living not the dead, so I’d leave that up to my family.
In Carolina’s family, cremation has been the trend. It’s definitely my preference. One of our friends in Stockdale told his family just to leave him at the city morgue; the city would have to do something with the body eventually.
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Being a funeral director and ex-preacher, I am often called upon to officiate (I don’t “preach” at funerals) a funeral service. I’ve given much thought to videotaping not my funeral “sermon” but at least some personal thoughts to be played at my funeral. But that’s assuming there will be a funeral and anyone would come!!
Good thoughts in this blog, Tim.
i knew Jim personally. When I was a freshman at ACU, he took the time
to be my friend and teach me how to live the life of a real Christian. Until that time, I only knew how to act religious. He taught me about how to have a relationship with Jesus, instead of a shallow religion, full of empty “do’s and don’ts”. He changed my life by introducing me to Jesus. I still
think of him and the family he left behind. He is one of the most spiritual people I have ever met.