We look for the resurrection of the dead

Today was Dan Hardy's memorial service.


Dan was Jason's supervisor for his Ph.D.

Dan was also so much more.


Dan was pastor, priest, and friend. Dan was humble without being self-depricating. Dan had high standards without being judgemental. Dan was gentle yet strong. Dan was learned and wise yet never finished his Ph.D. Dan brought theology to people's real lives and the real life of the church without dumbing it down. Dan saw every person as made in the image of the living God which made every person who he met feel special.


Dan and his wife Perrin were a third set of parents to us (and grandparents to Alex).


So, of course, we were to go to the memorial service as a family.

This afternoon, Alex asked me why there was a service for Dan. I told her that we were remembering and celebrating Dan's life by worshiping God. She then asked, "Has Dan come back to life again?"

This question blew me away with delight. In her heart, she was ready for the resurrection. It didn't seem improbable to her that Dan might walk right in to the service while we were praising God for his life.

I explained that at the last day, Jesus will come back and Dan will come back to life then. As I said this I felt a bit jealous of Alex's faith in the resurrection. I wish my faith wasn't jaded by adult sensibility.

I've heard it said that Martin Luther believed that baptism at any age is a believer's baptism. He felt, though unable to express it in words, an infant has more capacity for faith than an adult. After Alex's expression of faith in the resurrection, I became even more convinced that her participation in the two major sacraments of baptism and eucharist were right and proper. And I am cheered by the fact that her church family treats children as full members of the body of Christ.

At Dan's memorial service I looked out on the sea of dog collars and was proud to be sitting next to a sweet girl ordained into the priesthood of all believers who God has used to silence my disbelief.

From the lips of children and infants you have ordained
praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.
Psalm 8:2