Preview and Input

Preview and Input

Have you ever planned your funeral? 

Stephen Covey, the Seven Habits guy, suggests that a person can learn a lot about their mission in life if they imagine what would be said about them at their funeral.  That, is, what would you like to be most true about your life?

I planned my funeral once.  (That sort of thing is easier to do when you are younger and the event seems a long way off.)

I did it for a simple reason:  I wanted to check on the health of the most important relationships in my life.  I really wanted to check on the state of my own heart when it came to people.

I tried to imagine who wouldn’t feel welcome at my funeral.

Who wouldn’t want to come is a different question.  I was wondering who might want to come, but would be hesitant because they knew that I had held something against them, or that now my family did on my behalf.

That’s worth thinking about because whoever makes that list is someone who probably needs your forgiveness about something.  Now – not then.

This Sunday we will be looking at this topic:  What We Most Need to Know About Forgiveness.

Jesus said some pretty serious things about forgiveness. Like – don’t bother asking for God’s forgiveness if we are unwilling to give it to others.

But, here’s the problem:  anyone who has hurt us enough to need forgiveness can’t really deserve it.  And, if feels like we lose if we give it.

How can we get good at doing something that we don’t want to do?

How can we forgive others?

Why does it really matter?  Can’t we just go our own way?

What  makes forgiveness hard or easy?

What do you think?

Who wouldn’t be welcome at your funeral?