The morning dawned with a soft breeze that blew across Galveston Bay. The smell of salt water mingled with the cry of gulls and pelicans as they followed the shrimp boats out to the fishing grounds. At the Coast Guard Station, the crews mingled about the docks preparing their small vessels for the day’s patrols, but for a brief moment, they all stopped their work and gathered on the dock overlooking the boat basin. There, gathered in a small group, was a family bearing the ashes of their departed father and mother. The matriarch and patriarch of their family, who had been brought to be laid to rest amidst the waters of the Gulf. He had been a coastguard, and she was a former army member who then became a stay-at-home mom. He had passed in 2007; she had passed just a few weeks prior. Now, after many years of waiting, they would be put to rest together at sea. The boat crew, who would soon ferry this family out into the ocean to bid farewell to their loved ones, stood in solemn respect, and scripture and words of blessing were read over the family and their departed loved ones. Once a final prayer was conducted, they all made their way to the boat for the next portion of their journey, all the while the gulls and seabirds danced and dove with their familiar cries.

I was not able to join them on that boat, but I was honored to offer simple words, truthful scripture, and a modest prayer. Instead, I got into my truck and made my way to another location, removed from the sandy coastline of Galveston, and into the urban sprawl of Houston, Texas.
The next stop on this day’s schedule was at a beautifully manicured lawn with rows and rows of upright monuments laid out in rigid ranks, denoting their purpose. Each monument bore the name of a person who had served in the armed services of our nation. Amid the chaos that is Houston, here lies a place of solitude and reflection, a place of peace for those who have borne the horrors of war, the National Cemetery. I was there to preside over another funeral, this one for an Army Veteran who had been a member of my church. Once again, I prepared for the solemn ceremony that would send off a devoted Christian servant. Across the fields of gravestones, the sound of taps could be heard playing, and the sharp crack of rifle fire echoed through the air, sending small birds scattering from their place among the trees. We honored this beloved servant with spoken word, Holy Scripture, and a folded flag, followed by taps. As I made my way back to my truck for the journey home, I noticed, once again, birds singing and flying as well as airplanes taking off from the Intercontinental Airport with persons bound on far-flung journeys. Life was continuing, as it always does.

The mission and purpose of Jesus Christ and the ministry of the church continue long after even the most stalwart of servants have passed on. The continuation of life is not a reminder of mortality, but of immortality. By the very nature of the world pressing forward in the face of all adversity, we are reminded that there is nothing that can stop the mission and purpose of Jesus Christ. We will all rest from our labors, but the ministry will continue. The world around us and all its life and purpose are the living embodiment of resurrection. Because Christ has risen from the dead, we continue to live with hope!

There will come a day when there will be no longer any death, and we will all once again be reunited in the purpose of living within creation as complete servants of Christ. As scripture says, “One day the sea will give up its dead.” Resurrection is a real thing for all of us, and it begins with the choice each day to live as one who has been given the gift of everlasting life!

“He is not here, for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.” Matthew 28:6

Christ is Risen Indeed!

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Pastor Mike McVey
Minister – First United Methodist Church, Fairfield, TX
ACS Chaplain – United States Coast Guard, Station Galveston, TX