The Great Battle Rages On

Now it starts to make sense!

I discovered the following quote in an article my friends shared with me. It is from an article about Alexander Solzhenitsyn by Harry Antonides (see Sources below)

“While the Middle Ages had exhausted itself in repressing man’s physical nature in favour of the spiritual, the Enlightenment took the opposite turn. Then the worship of man and his happiness became the goal by means of unlimited freedom in the use and control of the physical world. As a result man’s sense of responsibility to God has grown dimmer and dimmer, allowing evil to have free reign.”

The part about “the worship of man and his happiness became the goal by means of unlimited freedom in the use and control of the physical world” is abundant today. It surrounds us on every side until we are desensitized.

My partners in prayer had no idea of the struggle that was raging inside of me on Saturday. This will be a revelation to them. I suspect that they too had a similar revelation in that we left the place that we had entered – early.

The Scene and Setting…
I have already written about the mountain top experience that we had in Room 305 of our hotel… (last post – The “305” Moment). This was followed by the wonderful time in prayer at the dedication in the afternoon with all of our friends. We had experienced an abundance of God stuff on Saturday to last a longtime it would seem.

Now Saturday was followed by a hugely important Wednesday evening, where the elders of our community and churches, all collected in one place called Shepherd Village, had prayed at length for us and our ministry. There was an outpouring of God’s love and power in remarkable ways.

Now it was Saturday evening and we were hungry and spent with the emotions of the days before. I was tired and even yawning.

It was decided among the group that a popular restaurant, known to most in the group, would be a good place to eat at. When we opened the doors the loud music greeted you – bumping and grinding. The heavy cluster of people was the next evidence of a long wait… at least 35 minutes before we would be seated. So we waited. This was Toronto and Scarborough in particular – waiting for a seat is normal.

After talking with some of my friends I was left standing in the corner waiting. I reflected on all that had happened that week. Many memories flooded me. But then they faded. My eyes kept falling on the young ladies that were the busy servers. They moved quickly around us taking orders, delivering food, seating people and moving among all of us.

These girls were sexy – very sexy.

Gasp!!! What a thing for a Pastor to say! What a thing for a 64 year old grandfather to say! What in the world is this world coming to!!!?

Well – look at them! That was what it was all about – you had to look at them – they were everywhere. They all wore black dresses, sleeveless, low cut with pushed up breasts showing well, short in length to allow as much upper thighs to be seen as possible and completed with high heeled boots that went up to just below their knees.

Gasp!! I tried to talk to my friend about the spiritual impact of the days just past. That faded as he moved away. So I looked at people… then a girl walked by again with breasts jiggling. So I slid down the wall to crouch near the floor. No good! Down there you see their beautiful legs and way too much thigh as they pranced by.

GASP!!! This was one place that a newly minted Chaplain didn’t need to be. This is one place that a Grandfather doesn’t need to be. It was one place a husband doesn’t need to be. This definitely one place that man like me doesn’t need to be. I am an artist and very visually oriented – on top of that I FORGET NOTHING I SEE! I CANNOT BE IN THIS KIND OF PLACE WITH THESE VISUAL DISTRACTIONS…

I don’t think I prayed about it. I was too pulled into it all…. Too much to see… Alida appeared and pulled on my arm, “Come on let’s go… they decided to go somewhere else…” I looked at her in relief. As we walked out following behind our friends… I said to Alida, “I have seen enough breasts, thighs and bottoms to last me for a while…”

I know – I know – you are freaked out with that revelation! Deal with it!!! If I was pastoring the church and you heard me say that from the pulpit – you would stop tithing and maybe even attending… THAT IS WHY YOUR PASTOR CAN’T TELL YOU WHAT HE THINKS! Did you get that one?!?

Now there are some restaurants that tell you what they offer visually. One is “Hooters”. If you think that is about OWLS you are really stupid – really, really stupid. It is all about BREASTS my dear friend and they warn you (or entice you) with their name and advertisement or well endowed Holstein cows on their photos (remember I warned you – I forget nothing!)

A new term or phrase has been coined in the last year. It is “Zoomer”. It is a take off on another term used to describe a group of people that are between certain birth dates – they are called “Boomers”.
A Zoomer is a person with these qualities (not always about age)…

• Body of a 65 year old
• Mind of a 45 year old
• Libido of a 25 year old
• Heart of a Teenager

For some of you that need the translation of “Libido” see references below… it means SEX DRIVE…

Because you are older doesn’t mean that you are dead.

That restaurant was not a really good place for me to be. But I think that I needed to see it, feel it, experience it, hear it, and all the rest – to know what I will enter in my newly minted roll of Ministering to Leaders. When the male Leaders of our worlds are away from their families and spouse – where do they eat and what do they see? I only know what happens to me.

Again – Alexander Solzhenitsyn said…
“While the Middle Ages had exhausted itself in repressing man’s physical nature in favour of the spiritual, the Enlightenment took the opposite turn. Then the worship of man and his happiness became the goal by means of unlimited freedom in the use and control of the physical world. As a result man’s sense of responsibility to God has grown dimmer and dimmer, allowing evil to have free reign.”

On Saturday evening this fact came through over and over again for me as I sunk back into the days of my really tough times before I attempted to become “Godly person…” – you know… pastor… spiritual leader and all that stuff.

I was never so thankful to leave any place as I was that one. We walked to another restaurant not far away that was also noisy with lots of music, happy people, cute but completely covered waitresses… and a GOOD FOOTBALL Game on TV. Food was good and we enjoyed some fellowship – though we had to sit at two tables.

Why bother telling you all this? Well ladies you need to know what happens when you take your ZOOMER out on a date night… Tim Hortons as low as it gets on social stratosphere… is okay.

The great big problem is that ZOOMER men are zooming way ahead of some of their Zoomer women… and when a real ZINGER walks by jiggling and smiles at him… don’t be surprised… you have been warned.

And if you do the HOOTERS kind of place together…. Shame on you…

~ Murray Lincoln ~
(Sorry this is a way too long but how do you shorten it?)

Sources…
Alexander Solzhenitsyn: A Prophet to the WorldHis life’s work of witness against communist dictatorship lives on in his voluminous and soul-stirring writings.by Harry Antonides
http://www.christianity.ca/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=6137

Libido…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libido

The "305" Moments

The knock on our door began the new leg in our journey. When I opened the door I was greeted by big smiles and robust greetings. Amazing! Five of them are people that we had just met less than 12 hours before – yet it felt that we had known them for years.

These folks have traveled all the way from Victoria, British Columbia just to knock on our door. Amazing!

In the group there is Tim, Paul, Donna, Will, Susan, and Rina. They are our new partners in the Leading Influence Ministries. The love that they offered and have given is way past the normal hand shakes and words of comfort. Amazing!
As we begin this new leg of our journey and ministry – they have come to offer huge support. Amazing – again!

This is special weekend for Alida and me. It is almost like getting married. We are surrounded by people that love us and are here to support us. These are just a few of the hundreds that have sent their greetings and best wishes. Amazing!

Now the background…
More than a year and half ago Tim began his journey as the Chaplain in the British Columbia Legislative Assembly. Since that time he has attended day after day of parliamentary procedures – listening to hours upon hours of debate and discussion – then praying and preparing himself for the opportunities to encourage the Members of Provincial Parliament.

Tim had met with Susan, Donna and Rina a few years before this time from what I can gather. These three ladies were a Prayer Team within their church. When Tim made contact with them explaining his new ministry – they had already been instructed by God, their Boss, to take new steps to pray for the Government. It is complicated to explain – but a new partnership began to develop. Each Tuesday on a regular basis these Ladies have joined in prayer support for Leading Influence Ministries. Can you imagine a group that is dedicated to the success and support of a Ministry – simply praying. Amazing!

In July when the Prayer Team heard that there was a possibility that the Lincolns were joining the Leading Influence Ministries Team as the beginning steps of Provincial Chaplains in Ontario – they began to pray for us – not just Tuesdays – but everyday.

This special week was set aside to dedicate the Leading Influence Ministries in Ontario and in particular our Ministries. They had traveled all the way from their homes on the other side of Canada just to be with us. AMAZING!

The “305” Moments…
As they walked into out Hotel Room, #305, they were on a mission. The moment was sober and yet filled with joy. It is very hard to find the right words to describe at this point. Donna, Susan and Rina had been well prepared for what they wanted to do. They definitely were the driving force behind what was unfolding before us.

Paul is part of the prayer team and was there to support. Paul is a former Baptist Minister that is now serving as a Life Coach. He left his wife and two year old daughter at home to come here. He is friendly, warm and deeply committed to what he does. He is my new friend.

Will is Donna’s husband. He came home from his job for his month away from work – to be with Donna and also to come on this trip East to meet the Lincolns. He gave up a valuable weekend. Soon he will return to the South China Sea where he is building Oil Well Drilling Platforms for his company. Will has been to almost every country in the world… yet he came to support us. AMAZING!

As I write this I am deeply humbled to have been in the presence of these people.

As we gathered around in a circle the love started to pour out. This has never happened to us before. Alida and I have always given. Beginning with a knock on the door of room #305 the love began to flow.
Rina had prepared a Scrap Book filled with Love. It was not just unwrapped and then set aside. She carefully turned each page and described everything that appeared. There are hundreds of promises and scriptures placed on page after page of love pouring out of the book. Amazing!

There in the book were the Bible Verses that had been used by God over and over again to direct my life at crucial moments over our 34 years of ministry. At super important moments when we were jubilant, or confused, or happy, or fearful – God had placed these scripture milestones/signposts in our life to keep us going. NOW in front of us was the entire story placed in a book that prepared and given by Rina and her partners to encourage us…. to go on.

They didn’t even know us! They could never have known about the Bible verses or the words that were spoken so many years ago… so many times… YET THEY DID!

The “305” Moment lasted over two hours – bathed with God’s love and care for two people that desperately needed it. Amazing!

Moses had a burning bush moment… Alida and Murray have had a “305 Moment”.

I can’t wait to show you our new Book of Promises.

I need to sort through what has happened. Thank you to all of the readers of this Blog – you are amazing! You have kept me going as you read. Your love and care over these months have been added to make the “305 Moment” possible…

God bless you today!

~ Murray Lincoln ~

PS - Thank you Tim, Paul, Donna, Will, Susan, and Rina! Amazing!!!! Simply Amazing!

Attacking Politicians for Fun

Last evening I watched the “post Palin/Biden debate” period – where David Letterman does his stuff about what he hates or likes about the latest things on the face of the earth. Sarah Palin and Joe Biden are the running mates for the guys that are running for the President’s Office of the USA.

Most that read this Blog are not the types that sit up to watch Mr. Letterman do his stuff. The network that carries this weird fellow happily puts him on late at night. They mercifully keep him hidden to the restless that need something really dumb to put them to sleep.

Last evening Mr. D.L. was cruel and stupid – really stupid! Wise instruction from the Bible tells me to call no man a fool… but Mr. D.L. comes very close to pushing my buttons on this one. I will however settle for cruel and stupid – leave off the fool… that perhaps is left for someone like me that sits and watches guys like this.

Granted… most of the stuff that he says or does is written by a staff of writers that care less for anything but the next laugh. Last night however he was spewing at length on his endless attacks on Sarah Palin. Added to his barrage of verbose attacks – was the edited video of Sarah saying things that she said but never said – faked strings of word that are edited together.

The interesting thing was that the audience was not laughing or responding like they usually do. Even they thought that he was an ass! Sorry David you lost it.

When cruelty takes over the humour it is time to turn him off. That is what I did. One click and he was history – vanishing into the airwaves of nothingness.

I feel really sorry for David. I should pray for him – and maybe will – as God nudges me to do so.

I pray for Sarah and her family. They all are the brunt of this guy’s jokes. Where will they be normal – after their mother is the brunt to really stupid jokes for weak laughs? Joe Biden needs prayer as well – then there are their two running mates.

Back in Canada the cruelty is not much different as the lovely media hounds feed their readers and viewers with the baloney that we get. Where did intelligence go and good ideas evaporate? Where is the guard against the evil and the caution of the heart? Why is it when an election is on people let themselves fall into the cruel and stupid mode?

My appeal today is that some of us that still can think for our self will do so. Could it be that we would stop and consider that rolling our eyes and grunting with contempt when we hear a politician’s name is just plain wrong. Perhaps we could consider what it would be like to stand in front of the person that we are about to show our contempt for … then picture their children standing beside them… then look at how really stupid we look when we do the popular thing to rip these Politicians pieces?

I can guarantee that if we prayed for our leaders truly and deeply – individually – we could not and would say and do the things that we have done.

God forgive us for really stupid and cruel actions on our own part. Forgive me above all – God… please. God help me to treat people the way that I would like to be treated. God I know that is a really old fashioned way to think – but I need you to do something special today… help me… and my friends!

~ Murray Lincoln ~

Lynne Reid - Process and Results – PART TWO

At the end of meeting a gracious older lady sat on her walker waiting to talk to us. She was dressed in a red sweater and her hair gleamed white. She smiled and laughed with the people she sat with…making small quips in response to what they were saying. “This woman is young at heart.”, was my first thought.

This is Lynne Reid. She came down from her room in the senior’s complex that she lives in with the help of her friend. He is himself a senior but very active. The two of us have known each other for at least 30 years. He, an ordained minister, was a District Superintendent for the church that we both worked with.

Seeing this former minister of great importance working as a volunteer and aide to this senior lady was another perspective altogether. But this is what Shepherd Village is all about. The Senior’s complex is established in Toronto near Sheppard Ave. and Kennedy Road and serves people with love and tenderness.

We had taken part in a special service that involved these great seniors on a Wednesday evening. They had gathered to listen to Tim Schindel described what is happening in his unique ministry in British Columbia and Leading Influence Ministry. As I also am joining in this ministry as the Ontario based support – they wanted to hear from me. In all it was a dynamic night filled with expression and blessing.

There were about 90 people in the room from my rough guesstimate. The people that made up the audience were retired ministers and their spouses. Others were widows and widowers that had been involved with their own spouse as Missionaries, Ministers, or Minister’s wife. I knew most of them from former years of ministry – many I had worked along side or worked for over the years. It was like a re-union!

If each person in the room had at least 50 years of serving as a Christian Leader – or in many cases over 70 years experience – there was on average between 3750 and 5250 years of experience sitting in front of us.

Tim Schindel leaned over to me and said, “I feel so young here.” I responded “There is such a wealth of leadership and experience in this room!”

When the meeting ended, our friend Harold House had a special treat for us. He introduced us to Lynne. Tim Schindel struck up a conversation with her as she described her ministry of playing the piano in church for many years. She was not only a gifted pianist for many years but she had also conducted her own “Berachah Academy” enabling thousands of students to realize their talent.

It was then that they told us the story of her most recent ministry. Lynne is now 92 years old. Last year she produced a CD of her piano playing. Did you get that? She made a CD – the thing that most younger Musicians only dream of doing – which requires a huge amount of discipline and commitment.

As a result of this CD and the sale of it, a Piano was purchased and placed in the Terrace of Shepherd Village – where Lynne now plays two concerts a day for the residents and visitors. Yes you read that correctly – TWO CONCERTS a DAY!

Celine Dion has nothing on this 92 year old!

My friend Harold House describes the full story…
“There is much more to the piano story.

Her great nephew, by marriage, Dr. Gladston (Son of the well known Baptist minister from Yorkminster Church in Toronto,) invited her to his house. He has a Steinway Grand Piano and they recorded the CD in his house. Dr. Gladston donated 1,000 copies for a Piano fund. That ended up with a grand Piano, and 5 electric pianos for the different floors of the Lodge. Lynne plays most days after the noon and evening meals in the Terrace.”

Some one asked if Lynne would play for us. The response was immediate. She looked at her helper pushing her walker and said, “Let’s go..” – nodding toward the piano in the chapel.

For the next few minutes we were treated to a private concert that was hard to imagine. I pulled my video camera out and produced two videos that that are now on YouTube. The links are below…

I was humbled by what I witnessed. The expression flowing from her hands, the humor shared from this dear lady was simply amazing. She really doesn’t seem to be 92. What a contrast to some that I have met over the years!

I made a commitment the other night. I WILL DO ALL THAT I CAN TO BE AND STAY YOUNG AT HEART – with God’s help I will be the “Male Version” of Lynne Reid. What a challenge that is going to be!!!!

Please view and listen to the videos… they are priceless… truly priceless.

~ Murray Lincoln ~
Information as to how you can purchase a copy of her CD is on the YouTube video.

Lynne Reid playing the Piano - #1
Lynne Reid playing the Piano - #2

Process and Results – Worthy and Wanted

The place that this story happened is in the European Headquarters of ‘High Tech’ corporation. The employees that worked in the building had complained to the European management about their working conditions. They complained about the way the building was laid out, how it functioned and how it felt to work in it.

He heard their complaints but told them that he could do nothing about their problems. He said he was too busy to take on the responsibility for remodeling their work space himself, but he was willing for them to do it if they wished.

Can you imagine if you were there among those employees what you would think?

In William Bridges book “The Way of Transition” he describes the situation.

The employees at first were hesitant. They knew nothing of architecture or interior design. They didn’t have the authority to spend any money. They had no idea of working with the different people like designers, engineers, tradesmen etc. Hesitantly they began to take on the task. Ultimately they completed the task. The building transformation had taken place.

“The results of their efforts was not only a building that was both efficient and beautiful, but also achieving a whole new level of self confidence and sense of power. As their morale rose, their productivity did too. And in the process, they learned that morale and self-confidence is not produced by design spaces but by the experience of taking a journey out of an old world, through the world of a strange and novel experience, and back again to the old (but now renewed) world.”

Bridges went on to describe the story unfolding for the High Tech company. With the transformation in the European operation it was decided that the company wide managers would hold their next meeting in this facility.

The employees made the presentations about what had happened. They told their stories. Everyone was greatly impressed with the results. Their new energy, higher morale, and higher productivity – was from their boss’ view the “invisible” product of their task.

The First Question from the visiting managers was… “The building is great! Where can we get a copy of these wonderful plans?”

William Bridges shared this story with the following point…
“The audience totally missed the point. To them the process was only a way to get the result. They didn’t want to go through the process… only to get the results.”

This powerful story is so important in what we do. We want to do something. We want to accomplish something. Most importantly – WE WANT IT NOW. We do not want the process… we want the results.

On the Bulletin Board in our SEB class room there is an almost Business Plan pinned there to look at. A former student allowed their business plan to be on display for other students to look at. Our instructor explained what it was and that we were not allowed to photo copy it… or photograph it… a strange comment to say the least – when I first heard it.

The Business Plan that is developed must be your own. It will be as unique as you are. It is developed out of a “Process” – which eventually give you a “Result”. If it is designed this way and developed this way it will have a better chance to succeed.

Now that is true if your product is worthy and wanted – in my mind the two “W”s. Worthy and Wanted two powerful ideas to consider each time I make something.

In a design and production shop not far from Peterborough I met a man that makes furniture for a living. His chairs are very unique and sold all over the world. These chairs are constructed from wood in very unusual shapes and designs. The chair not only is something that you sit on – but also something fills a space in someone’s home. Therefore it should be a piece of art.

Everyone in our touring group kind of gasped when we heard that each chair sells for about $15,000 dollars! Can you imagine eating at a table and chair set that might soar past $100,000 in value!

The idea of making something that would sell for a high price is tantalizing to any artist. But the idea of doing all the work to first design and then construct each chair by hand – even having to design and construct special machines to just make the one chair demonstrates one important thing – PROCESS.

The chair that we saw in the shop was WORTHY and WANTED… and the new owner was happy to pay the amount of money that was asked.

What has this to do with you and me?
There are times that I hate waiting. Starting a ministry or a business seems so slow. Why not just open the doors of the new business and get on with it. Make something and sell it. Why waste the time messing around with a plan?

Messing around, thinking it through, and preparation is the key to the PROCESS… which will then bring the RESULTS.

Last evening I had time to carve more Feathers – getting ready for the day that I can sell them. I thought long and hard on how I had arrived at the place I am with my carvings. I would have never thought of pushing my carving to this level when I began 42 years ago. That first Jackknife would have never done this job. Further more if I had the equipment then – that I have now – I would not have known what to do with the tools. It has taken a long process to bring these results.

Think of your own work and life now. How much of a Process did it take to get you to where you are now? There may have been some mess ups – but they were still part of the Process that has brought you the rich results that you are now enjoying.

~ Murray Lincoln ~

You are SO DEAD… SO VERY DEAD...

Not everyone gets the opportunity that I have now. I feel like I am 9 years old. I am scared stiff, I am excited to the max and filled with wonder. My heart has been beating faster – I am not sure I can do it and yet I know I can.

That all happened yesterday. I was riding my bicycle to school again with my backpack filled with note books. Just the way I did in 1953…talk about a flash back…whoa! Comical as it is to look on from the side line, I am a Grandpa with white hair and many wrinkles. The little boy of 9 in 1953 looked a little bit like this old geezer on his bike…

If you have followed my journey that started on this Blog 100 postings ago you may remember that I was laid off from the Church that I pastored for 10 years. It was in my last year of work before the retirement day in April 2009. I entered the new world of Employment Insurance or “E.I.” (In Canada we have a positive spin on what we call being unemployed and we give the person on E.I. 40% of what they made in their job…up to a certain amount.) There have been some huge adjustments to say the least.

As I entered the “days of nothingness” immediately following the last day on the job – I had no idea what might come next. But God, who really is my boss, was there all the time. I met new people that helped me (– not church people –). They listened and they talked to me. They offered great advice. One thing led to another and before I knew it I was applying for help from the Ministry of Training Colleges and Universities – the MTCU in Ontario. Through a local community college they offer the O.S.E.B. program (Ontario Self Employed Benefits).

Yesterday was my first day to attend school again. For 4 weeks I will be sitting in a class of 5 with a new instructor studying how to start a business. Then for 36 weeks we will track together my progress as the new business takes roots in my world and the world of others. I am a Wood Carver and am expecting great things. These are some things I always have dreamed of doing – going back to school and carving wood.

After one day I had 4 pieces of homework which took all afternoon to get done. I can’t wait to show my homework this morning.

For the fun of it I felt like poking the guy next to me in class for that one further flash back… but he is bigger than me… which isn’t all that different from the way it was in 1953. Too funny… too very funny!

The practical part of this new routine is to ride my bike to school. It is cheaper by more than $10 per day – parking and gas costs. But today with it raining, “Mom” has to drive me to school… I mean my wife will have to drive me to school. Flash back again – double whoa!! But in 1953 we didn’t have a family car yet and I walked rain or shine, blizzard or no blizzard, up hill and down hill all the way…yadda…yadda!

Starting out…
When you start a business – what do you do? Well you write a Business Plan… and what you write is very important – it becomes your guide or measuring stick to see if you are making any money along the way.

Homework? Yep – Yesterday I wrote a Summary of what my New Company is all about (the one that doesn’t exist yet). This Summary is going to be given to an imaginary Financial Institution to get the start up capital that I need to do the work that I will be doing.

Guess what the hardest part has been? The answer is “What will I call my business?” Thirty five names later I arrived at an idea… which may or may not work. Today it may or may not get shot down by my new teacher… or be scorned by my fellow students…or worse yet reacted to potential customers with…”What did you say?”

It actually was comical when I landed on “Bucky Beaver Carvings”. Bucky Beaver was a strange little cartoon character that helped sell “Ipana” toothpaste to a silly little jingle…. Even on YouTube today it is silly.

Naw Buck Beaver won’t work… Another wood carver locally has started his business as “Woodchuck Charlie”. So “Bucky” could be his friend…. No…? you don’t think it is a good idea either hmmmm…?

Yikes… there goes that feeling again…. I am scared stiff, I am excited to the max and filled with wonder. My heart has been beating faster – I am not sure I can do it and yet I know I can.

“If this doesn’t work – you are SO DEAD… SO VERY DEAD… Hokey Mokey – what did I get myself into?”

God is still the boss. He must have a reason… God… GOD…. GOOOOOD where are you…. I need an idea fast!

~ Murray Lincoln ~

PS- Going Fishin' today was a possibility when the ideas are thin.... Whoa - what a flash back!

Observations of The Final Resting Place

Three funerals in four days is a lot. As a Minister, I am in the graveyard many times. I spend time with families as they deal with the final separation from their loved ones. It comes with the occupation.

This week however it has been a bit more than usual. It just happened that way.

There have been some changes over these many years of graveside attendance that I have collected in my years of ministry. I posted some of the unusual already – i.e. the W.A. White gravestone in Lindsay, Ontario – September 18, 2008.

The one change began about 50 years ago. It was subtle but radical in a serious way. There was a great shift in society as far as “faith and knowledge” was concerned. People changed the order of placing their relative in the ground. Up to that time all Christians in the western world buried their loved ones facing East. The head of the grave was always on the west end of the grave – the foot on the east end.

In the early days of cemetery planning everyone knew that when Christ returns he would come like the Lightening(see reference below) – coming from the East and flashes to the West. If you are facing east you will be the first to see Him come. This belief was so strong that it over powered any possible aesthetics that might make more sense. Everyone in their final resting place faced east… and when they sat up suddenly they would be facing east.

There are some exceptions however, Joseph Scriven’s grave faces West. See my post of July 7, 2008 – which is odd being that he wrote the words to “What a Friend We have in Jesus” and when he died everyone else was buried facing East – including all the people that he was buried with in the small graveyard they shared with him. There may have not been more “room in the bed’ for him to face East.

50 years ago we either lost our general faith in being the first to see Jesus from our graves – or the beauty of the graveyard placement took over. The better use of the graveyard property for beauty and grounds management may have been the reason. It was all about the business of Funeral Industries.

More than 50 years ago people stopped having Crosses placed on their tombstones. The Cross up to that time was a central part of the Faith. This was no more so than in a Catholic Graveyard.

In a Catholic Graveyard near our home it is fascinating to walk through. At the east side of the Graveyard the stones are the oldest and the biggest – all with large crosses on top. Prominence and position with everybody facing East. The ones at the actual East end of the Graveyard potentially would be first to see what was going on with Christ’s return. The graves at the West end are newer, no crosses and smaller but still facing East.

In certain areas of the country - rural graveyards have another interesting aspect. The odd time there is a grave with a marker outside the graveyard…on the other side of the fence. And there may well be many graves there without markers.

When I first saw this it seemed to me that someone had made a mistake placing the fence. After some questioning I discovered that there was no mistake. The person buried there had disgraced his church and family by committing suicide. That shocking revelation proved the power of the local minister over his congregants at that time. This attempt to show the live congregants the eventual result of suicide and make it a deterrent may have failed completely – because there was more than one grave outside the fence.

However this was not always the case as a friend explained to me when I questioned him about that graveyard. Other people had children and loved ones die this way but paid big money to “someone”… and the person was included inside the fence – but not near their family… rather up against the fence on the outer edge.

Now we have another transformation taking place in the actual mini service order at the graveside itself. One of two things is happening. You now either take a flower form the large bouquet on top of the Casket – as a souvenir… or… You place another flower on top of the Casket out of your deep respect. Following that you can stand and visit at the graveside – for quite and while. Less and less people are rushing away – unless of course the weather is cold or wet.

Over these years I have witnessed some changes yet some things stay the same. I have watched the angry family finally make up over the grave. I have watched
families part with even greater resolve to never speak again. And the best part… I have watched the most wonderful joy spill out to each other at that moment of deepest grief.

A While Ago….are you ready for this…
I am not sure why I did it…but I did. My wife and daughters were with me along with another friend. I just had to do it… This story will likely be told on my final day…

We were walking near a graveyard in Hong Kong. There was a fresh grave dug not far from the place we were walking by.

To help you understand the background to this story, in Hong Kong, the space for burial is at a premium. Graves are used again and again. After about 7 years the body of your loved one is exhumed from the grave, bones are cleaned and placed carefully in a large Bone bottle. Notification is given to the family that their loved one can be moved.

This fresh grave we saw that day was ready for the next person to arrive in about an hour.

Quickly without any to do….I hopped in and laid down…looking up. It was amazing for a few minutes to sense the stillness and pause in my busy life. So this is what it is all about? This “Rest in Peace” is real. I was at that moment completely still and completely at rest. What a feeling!

If you have just picked yourself up off the floor now… I apologize. I didn’t really mean to shock you with that last revelation. But someone had to go down there and come back and tell you… didn’t they? I mean who else would do that just for you? Would you have done that? NO! So I did it for you…! Hey – It is pretty cool! Evidence of my trip is shown below….

Hey – have a wonderful week.

~ Murray Lincoln ~

Sources… on Jesus’ return….
Therefore if they say to you, "Look, He is in the desert!” do not go out; or "Look, He is in the inner rooms!” do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. (Matthew, 24: 26-27)

The View from My Last Resting place….

Reader Inspired suggestion... the following photo was sent to me as a further thought...