I preached at a service, a moment of great tragedy. A man much loved in the community had committed suicide. The day after the funeral, I met with his widow. The whole community was buzzing, she said, over the excellent way in which I handled the service. OBSERVATION: Here, therefore, is what I said. I gave a warm though brief personal tribute to the deceased, I gave reasons why I felt sure that he knew the Lord, and I said that I viewed the service as an “occasion of grace”. Yet I expressed regret that he had not reaped the blessing he could and should have done through his trials. I sketched his personal challenges, I explained their likely connection to his unexpected suicide, and I assured the family of the Church’s support.
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