by Sandy Grant

Clergy are often called on to take funerals for people they have not met. In such cases, especially where the family can tell me little about the person’s spiritual beliefs, I can only preach the gospel in general terms, without making definite statements about the deceased.

I had one recently. The deceased lady was 94. I’ll call her Myrtle.

There were only five relatives at the funeral, apart from the undertaker and myself. One other lady arrived, whom the family obviously did not know. I introduced myself. It turned out this lady was from the Anglican Church at Lalor Park.

Each week, she had faithfully visited Myrtle’s nursing home, to offer friendship and the gospel.

Myrtle had some dementia, but also some days of clarity. Her visitor told me that within the last year, Myrtle had prayed to become a Christian, although her family probably didn’t know this. After that day, every time the lady from the Anglican Church visited, Myrtle was eager for her to read the Bible and to pray with her.

What a joy it was to have fellowship at that funeral with my Christian sister from Lalor Park, and to hear her clear expectation of seeing Myrtle again in heaven. It meant that in good conscience, I could conduct the funeral with more definite statements about the gospel’s application to Myrtle than I could otherwise have done.

It also spoke in a very special way about the importance of ministry to people shut in at home or in nursing homes. Well done to the lady from Lalor Park – you know who you are – for faithfully offering friendship, for gently sharing the gospel, and for reading the Bible and praying with Myrtle and others.

Myrtle’s conversion will never show up in diocesan statistics (and I am one who doesn’t mind statistics). But that doesn’t matter! For it lies right at the heart of the Diocesan Mission (and more importantly, the Great Commission) to proclaim our Saviour!

The Rev Sandy Grant is rector of Kurrajong Anglican Church