Well, today we had the funeral for 'Bob'. Bob came to this country from Africa with his wife and two children. He had survived 2 civil wars, 8 years in three refugee camps and poor health treatment. However, even the best American medicine and doctors could not reverse the ravaging disease that eventually took his life.

Many of the Burundi Christians and Congolese Christians have a Catholic connection so the services were held at a Catholic Church. The only digression from the usual format was the singing of songs in French during the presentation of the elements. Nothing exceptional or unusual happened here. The Pastor had a beautiful sermon based on John 14: 1-6 and reminded us that Christ had a beautiful home prepared for Bob and for each of us who accepted Christ's death and resurrection.

After the service at the church, we all proceeded to go to the cemetery. Here the pastor again lead the service in beautiful scriptures and prayers. Near the end of his liturgy, the pastor opened the time for some sharing. A young Peace Corps volunteer who spent 3 years in Africa with Bob shared how Bob's life had touched so many people as he taught and lead outreach programs to his people. This young man came out of his way from another state to celebrate Bob's life with us.

After the pastor concluded his finally blessings and prayers, he went to the simple casket (another lesson we could all learn - why do we think we need $6,000 caskets?) and removed from the top of the casket the cross that had been laying on it. As when there is a flag on the casket, there is not funeral spray on the casket so also today the only item on the casket was the cross, no funeral spray (again a financial saving of several thousands of dollars). The pastor took the cross and lovingly gave it to the young widow.

Now I have been to many funerals of people who have served our country. At the end of the ceremony the American flag is folded up and presented to the family. We do this to honor and thank the family for the deceased person's service to our country. Now how about if we would start putting crosses on top of caskets and at the conclusion of the service at the graveside we give the cross to the family and thank them and acknowledge the deceased person's service to the King of Kings and to the Kingdom of Heaven? (After all we are citizens of heaven according to Philippians 3:20.)

As is a common tradition in many cultures, the casket was lowered into the ground. Now I have been at many of these events. However, today something unique occurred: the believers began to sing hymns of faith. They sang these in French - I recognized the tunes but not the words. I thought, "How fitting is this - for the people of faith to sing songs of faith as they lay their loved one into the earth!" They continued to sing as we all put small handfuls of soil on the lowered casket.

Now came the shocker for me and this is where my composure abandoned me. At the conclusion of the ceremonial dropping of the dirt on the casket, the widow stood up with her children beside her, pulled out a small hymnbook and began to sing a hymn of praise to Christ, the risen Lord! Tears flowed down my checks as I watched and heard this young woman who had just watched her husband be placed in the earth sing praises to the Lord.

I think we have something to learn from our African brothers and sisters about how we honor our deceased loved ones and how we honor our faith in God. As I watched the faces of people there - I could see they were visibly being witnessed to by the actions and the words of God's faithful people.

We then gathered at our home where we again said prayers, visited around food and shared memories of our beloved friend. We discovered that our act of hospitality as Anglo Americans to these African believers was a radical witness. Many of them have been in America for many years, yet they had never been in the home of an Anglo-American believer. They were absolutely taken back - they couldn't thank us enough for our hospitality. Many of them inquired about the kind of ministry we have and why we do what we do. Many of them had attended evangelical churches in America but they had never encountered this kind of ministry.

I think Jesus and Bob are looking down today from heaven and smiling and saying, "Well done."

I am absolutely tired! Today we will have the funeral for 'Bob' who I introduced to you a few weeks ago. I will be driving the van for the agency so we can make sure people have a ride (fortunately I am not officiating at the service). However, after the service and graveside proceedings, June and I are hosting the traditional African 'cleansing' service and meal following at our home.

Last weekend was supposed to be a rest weekend (if you can remember that far back it was a three day weekend - Labor day weekend). June was gone to a wedding out of state and I was taking care of life and ministry here on the homefront. Preaching two times, visiting 'Bob' and others who we care for and taking care of the house. Preparing for the classes I was to teach. So I didn't get much rest.

Then working full time at work and teaching three evenings this week! I always find some more energy for each client and some more energy to teach! Then last night we got a call that one of our good friends (with whom we were going out to eat tonight) is in the hospital seriously ill.

But eventually it catches up! I do hope to get some physical rest this weekend!

I am glad the Lord gives strength to the weary and he lifts us up on eagles' wings when life throws more and more stuff at us!

I don't how your life is - but let's all get some rest :).

Thanks for listening.

"Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Jesus, in talking about this habit, turns the discussion about being persecuted into a more specific discussion (see Practice this Habit of The Church - Beatitude 8). Some scholars don't separate this Beatitude from the previous one. I think that separating these two beatitudes helps us understand more clearly how we are to respond to persecution.

Jesus is addressing a particular kind of persecution - this is a persecution that talks about the verbal abuse one might receive when choosing to follow Jesus.

Do you remember the playground ryhme:

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me!

Well, it's a lie! Most of us would sooner have taken a physical beating any day rather than hear those terrible words we heard in the playground as children.

I used to be a school counselor. One of my tasks was to present Anti-Bullying workshops in classrooms. This is the new ryhme I taught the children:

Sticks and stone may break my bone, but words I'll remember forever!

(Even as I write this I am remembering the words and names I was called as a child. You maybe having the same experience as you read this.)

Now back to Jesus' words. People will slander your character because you follow the habits of Jesus and the Church. You are a person who is poor in spirit, who is mourning, meek, hungering and thirsting after righteousness, merciful, pure in heart, peacemaker, and persecuted for the sake of righteousness.

As you hear your character assailed by these taunts of the world - you are called to rejoice and be glad!

Now I don't know about you - but I was anything but joyful and glad when I heard those names and words in the playground! But the followers of Jesus count themselves as honored to be among those who served God and who suffered for their faith. We don't go looking for trouble. But when the world decides to destroy us through their words and attacks - we are rewarded with a reward that is out of this world!

Practicing this habit of the church - rejoicing in face of verbal assaults and taunts - requires supernatural strength and faith.

I am enjoying thinking about these 'habits' or virtues of the church. I have almost finished analyzing the Beatitudes as habits of the church. I was thinking about what to do next.

Then I remembered that there are 26 'One another' references in the New Testament. The best known one is 'love one another'. Most people know this one: 'forgive one another.' (Parents like to use that one with the children when they are fighting: "Now Susan I want you to say you're sorry to Matthew.") But others might not be so well remembered: "Bear one another's burdens", "honor one another", "confess your sins to one another."

I find these 'one another' references very stimulating.

When I counsel a couple who tell me they are followers of Jesus I tell them that since they are brother and sister in Christ before they are husband and wife, they should be practicing these habits of the church: "love one another," "forgive one another" and so on. I sure do get some startled looks! Nobody as ever told them this!

Can you imagine the spiritual revolution that would be released in our world if people in their closest personal relationships would begin to practice the 'one another' habits? I see people in my office every week who have difficulty practicing these habits. They find all kinds of reasons (really they are excuses) why they shouldn't forgive or honor or love or bear the other's burden. When they tell me "I can't", I invite them to change "I can't" to "I won't". Suddenly they realize that practicing these habits is a matter of the will not a matter of an inability to do the habit. Then we work through the revolution that will happen when thy make the choice to practice the habit.

Of course, I also tell the couple that when they covenant before God their vows to each other, they become a powerful little church. I point out to them that Jesus said you only needed two or three to move mountains in prayer. This rocks them on their heels!

I digress.

Please join me in thinking about how these 'one another' teachings in the Bible could be regular habits of the church. There may be times when a voice will arise in you and says, "I can't" and I will invite you to turn your "I can't" into "I won't" and then to ask God to give you the power to actually practice the habit!

"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

I don't think anyone of us deliberately try to get someone to persecute us. I mean I don't try to irritate someone so they will harm me or tease me.

Yet Jesus was very aware that those who followed him would attract the displeasure of those around them. Jesus talked about the reality of being at the end of the anger of those who would refused his message.

Now there is an interesting qualifier that Jesus attaches to this habit of the church. Jesus said that those who follower Jesus will be persecuted for the sake of righteousness. What is this 'righteousness' for which followers of Jesus will be mistreated? One understanding of righteousness is 'those who live godly'. These are the people whose lives reflect the character and nature of God. Clearly, this refers to those who exhibit the fruit of the Spirit:love, joy, peace, faithfulness, kindness, self-control. Not only do they reflect the character and nature of God, they also own the agenda which God promotes.

Their lives live in direct conflict with many of the values of this world. Everyone wants to be around kind, loving people; but many people don't want to be around those who take on the cause of the widow, the poor, the fatherless, the untouchable. Often taking on this agenda means that you will be in conflict with the powerful and those who want to protect the status quo. The story of the economic consequences of the Gospel recorded in Acts 16 shows how taking on the income of someone who makes their money off the disadvantaged may lead to prison time!

When we practice this habit of the church and live a godly life - which means taking on the character and agenda of God - we will discover that we will attract the enemies of God.

When we practice this habit of the church we find ourselves demonstrating that our citizenship is in heaven.