Ashes to Ashes

We interred my dad's ashes today. It was a great time! That probably sounds strange. It was just family and the pastor standing around remembering stories about my dad. We put a rose pedal in the ground to symbolize the celebration of the fact that the "fragrance" of my dad's life remained with us. As I reflected on it, it made sense that we interred dad today, the day before Easter. The day that we literally acknowledged the ashes to ashes aspect of life is the day before the celebration that death is not the end. As we interred my dad, I could here the words of the Apostle Paul ringing in my ears, "Death is swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" We commended my dad's ashes to the ground today. But, the promise that he spent his life teaching and living is the promise that we celebrate tomorrow. Christ is died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again. And we shall all feast together at the heavenly banquet.