What a beautiful world...

A year back, before I started into my “Cancer Process,” I had the opportunity to help preach at the funeral of a dear friend, who had languished under her own Cancer progression, with a disease so rare that few were even doing research on it, much less finding anything close to a cure.

As would be expected from her, she had stage-directed the whole affair and had pre-approved all funeral sermon topcs before the necessary time to use them. She and I pushed against each other as much as the other could: I not wanting to do the traditional “ashes to ashes” funeral topic, and she not wanting something weepy. What I came up with for her, based on a song by Cynthia Clawson, was instead a note of springtime and renewal. Together, we embraced the time of leaving alongside the season of starting anew, sung in the words of one of the most beautiful love poems found in the old testement.

The verses from the

It’s good for us to think, at the time of our leaving, that we are moving on to a more lovely place, and in that leaving, we should not leave sadness behind, but great rejoicing that we are moving on to a warmer day. That was our message in the sermon, she and I, that even death itself was not the end, and even in our passing, our love rises up to see a bright new day. Amen.

The lyrics are:

Hear the voice of my belovedGently call at close of dayCome my love, come and meet meRise oh rise and come away. Winter’s dark will soon be overAnd the rain is nearly doneFlowers bloom and trees are buddingTime for singing has begun. I have waited through the shadowFor my Lord to call for me.Now the morning breaks eternalIn its sight His face I seeNow the morning breaks eternalAnd at last His face I see. When you see the fields re-buddingYou will know the summer’s nearAnd when you hear the words I’ve spokenYou will know my coming’s nearSo keep on listening my belovedFor my coming’s very near.