It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of every man; the living should take this to heart (Ecclesiastes 7:2).

Ruth Skinner died early this morning.  Her daughter, Mary Grove, has been a long time member of NewLife, and Ruth and Mary lived together for most of their life, including the last two years at Glastonbury Health Care Center.  Ruth had been suffering from cancer, and died peacefully in her sleep during the night. 

As a small and fairly young congregation, funerals tend to be pretty infrequent around our church.  I remember being a part of two during my time as youth pastor a few years ago, but I probably am involved in five weddings for every funeral.  But whenever there is a death, the first Bible verse that always comes to mind is the aforementioned verse from Ecclesiastes 7:2.  At first glance, the verse seems to paint a picture of God as the stereotypical killjoy who wants to ruin everyone’s fun and make sure no one is having a good time.  It is better to go to a funeral than to a party?  How many people do you know that plan for their weekend by browsing the obituaries for a good funeral to attend instead of looking for a good movie or concert to catch? 
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