Thoughts I've had Lately

My neighbor Roger's death has been hard on Kedra and me. We loved the old guy, stubborn as he was. I really expected that I would find him dead at home, so at least that didn't happen. I don't think I will soon forget carrying his bony little 84 pound body out of his house--the house to which he would never return--a couple of weeks ago. Roger did not want any kind of service at his passing. He wanted to be cremated, and so he was.

There is a reason why we have funerals, along with visitation. It's about closure in a lot of ways. With Roger and his wishes, that closure is hard to find. Everything at his house looks the same right now. I have to consciously remember that he is no longer with us.

The last few days have been full of death for me. A funeral last Thursday for a 48 year old woman, Gerald T's death and funeral, and then Roger's death all kinda caved in on me. People like me are in an odd spot of having so few people who minister to us. (I wonder what funeral directors do?) I think it's rare and normal that few, if any, in a church minister to their minister. It can get lonely at times. I'm thankful I have a couple of really good friends who do a good job of understanding and "being there" for me.

I'm reading through the Bible, so today I was reading Genesis 11. The story of the Tower of Babel is told there. Lots of things to consider, including that in a lot of ways the confusion of Babel was reversed on the day of Pentecost, when everyone heard the Apostles speaking in their own language. This is a hint of the absolute unity and harmony that will be experienced when the Kingdom of Heaven is fully realized.

I was thinking about Babel in a different way today, however. I've had this thought for many years and have had conversations with several about it. I'm sure it's not original thought, but I wonder if all the research regarding constructing life in a laboratory is not a modern day attempt to "build a tower that reaches into the heavens" so that some "can make a name" for themselves? I wonder how far God will let man go in this area?

At the end of this month, I will have completed my 14th year at the Mitchell Church of Christ. Hard to believe! It's hard to stay in this vocation, evidently. A Duke University study found that 85% of seminary graduates will drop out of ministry within 5 years and that 90% of all ministers do not make it to retirement age before quitting. Wow. I hope my endurance athletic disciplines serve me well in this area! Can I be one of the 10%?