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Sherlock
Yoda
Offline
As a young minister, I was asked by a funeral director to hold a
graveside service in a new cemetery for a derelict man with no family or
friends. He had died while traveling through the area. The funeral was to
be held way back in a new country cemetery.
This man would be the first to be laid to rest at this new cemetery. As I
was not familiar with the backwoods area, I became lost.
Being the typical man, I didn't stop for directions. But I finally
arrived an hour late.
I saw a crew and a backhoe, but the hearse was nowhere in sight. The
workmen working on the grave were eating lunch. As I apologized to the
workers (who looked puzzled) for my tardiness, I stepped to the side of
the open grave, to find the vault lid already in place. I assured the
workers I would not hold them long, but having a prayer service was the
proper thing to do.
As the workers gathered around, still eating their lunch, I poured out my
heart and soul. As I preached the workers began to say Amen, Praise the
Lord and Glory.
I was feeling good that they were enjoying my sermon. I preached, and I
preached, like I'd never preached before. I began from Genesis and went
pretty much all the way through to Revelation. I preached for two hours
and 45 minutes. It was a long and lengthy service. I closed in prayer and
it was finished.
The workers thanked me as I left the grave.
As I was walking to my car, I felt that I had done my duty and I would
leave with a renewed sense of purpose and dedication, in spite of my
tardiness.
As I was opening the door to my car and taking off my coat, I overheard
one of the workers saying to another, I've been putting in septic tanks
for 20 years, and I ain't never seen anything like that before.
graveside service in a new cemetery for a derelict man with no family or
friends. He had died while traveling through the area. The funeral was to
be held way back in a new country cemetery.
This man would be the first to be laid to rest at this new cemetery. As I
was not familiar with the backwoods area, I became lost.
Being the typical man, I didn't stop for directions. But I finally
arrived an hour late.
I saw a crew and a backhoe, but the hearse was nowhere in sight. The
workmen working on the grave were eating lunch. As I apologized to the
workers (who looked puzzled) for my tardiness, I stepped to the side of
the open grave, to find the vault lid already in place. I assured the
workers I would not hold them long, but having a prayer service was the
proper thing to do.
As the workers gathered around, still eating their lunch, I poured out my
heart and soul. As I preached the workers began to say Amen, Praise the
Lord and Glory.
I was feeling good that they were enjoying my sermon. I preached, and I
preached, like I'd never preached before. I began from Genesis and went
pretty much all the way through to Revelation. I preached for two hours
and 45 minutes. It was a long and lengthy service. I closed in prayer and
it was finished.
The workers thanked me as I left the grave.
As I was walking to my car, I felt that I had done my duty and I would
leave with a renewed sense of purpose and dedication, in spite of my
tardiness.
As I was opening the door to my car and taking off my coat, I overheard
one of the workers saying to another, I've been putting in septic tanks
for 20 years, and I ain't never seen anything like that before.
