Celebration of Life?
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy, we have been born anew to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. – 1 Peter 1:3 RSV
For anyone who has been paying attention to the surrounding world over the last couple of decades, it should come as no surprise that American society is becoming more openly secular. Churches don’t have the same social clout that they used to in their communities. Even in my younger years, movements for “family values” and “faith-based initiatives” enjoyed popular support from the political establishment on both sides of the political aisle in this country. The influence of Christian faith in this country led many to label this as a “Christian nation.”
Not so much anymore. In the post-World War II era, religious participation was lifted up as a sign of good citizenship. There was an unofficial religious establishment of “mainline” Protestant churches. Now, those “mainline” Christian denominations are in sharp decline. Media and entertainment portrayals of religion in general, but especially Christianity, are neutral at best, but more often openly critical or even hostile. In many parts of the country, it is no longer trendy to be Christian. In fact, it is viewed as a problem. For some, those who stand for their faith are viewed as “getting in the way” of progress.
To be fair, religious participation has ebbed and flowed throughout American history. From humble beginnings in the colonial days, religious participation gradually increased in the United States, reaching its peak in the 1950s. But it is clear that we are now living in one of the “ebb times” of faith in our country. Maintaining a commitment to our faith and values might cost us more now than in the past.
In times like this, we who are disciples of our Lord Jesus need to be careful to maintain our faith, as we can’t rely on others to do it for us. One area where we need to be careful is the issue of language.
When I say “language,” I don’t refer to four-letter naughty words (although there is truth to that). I’m talking instead about how we refer to important things in life. One of those things is how we refer to death and burial rituals.
As a pastor, I have conducted many funerals over the years, and so I know that it’s becoming more common in our country to read obituaries that announce “a service of celebration of life” for the deceased. It is becoming less common to read of a “funeral” for someone. This shift, though seemingly minor and perhaps a move in a more positive direction, says a lot about the decline of Christian influence in our country.
When we remember those near to us who have died, certainly there are many things about their life that we can celebrate. We obviously care about these people and are thankful for their presence in our lives and what they have given us and the world. In this sense, it’s not wrong to celebrate their life.
But at the same time, for a Christian, a “celebration of life” comes up short. As much as we can celebrate about someone’s life, we know that there are many things about our lives that should not be celebrated. All our lives come up short in the eyes of God. Before God, “there is none who is righteous,” for “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
What are we doing when we have a funeral service? In Christian teaching, we aren’t simply celebrating the life of the person who has died. We can be thankful for that person’s life, but we are actually celebrating someone else’s life. For a Christian, in times of death, we celebrate not the life of the deceased, but the life of Jesus Christ, who is our Lord and Savior. It is only through him that we truly have life with God.
This month of April, we will observe Easter on the seventeenth, and the season of Easter lasts for fifty days. We remember the resurrection of Jesus. Christ from the dead, and by that event, “we have been born anew to a living hope” (1 Peter 1:3). By raising his Son Jesus from the dead, God the Father proclaims to the whole world that Jesus, by his death and descent into hell, has fulfilled everything necessary for our salvation.
At a Christian funeral, we do not simply have a secular memorial service or “celebration of life.” Our celebration is much deeper, for it is a celebration of the life of our eternal Savior, who died and now lives and reigns forever. And we rejoice that our lives are “found in him” (Philippians 3:9) by faith. His life becomes our life. And that is truly something to celebrate.
Jesus, my redeemer lives; I, too, unto life shall waken. He will bring we where he is; shall my courage, then, be shaken? Shall I fear, or could the head rise and leave its members dead? (Lutheran Book of Worship, 340 vs. 2)
Pr. Tom Jacobson