Lamentations 3:22-26,31-33
Wisdom 3:1-5,9
John 14:1-6

"I'm dreaming of a white Christmas."

That's not what you expect to hear at a memorial service. But the song is certainly a memorial itself.. It's Walter and Peggie's song, ‘their song' from the beginning of their journey together. For Peggie, I expect, it brings memories of love and of hope for the future. And it links the past with that love and hope: "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas, just like the ones I used to know" It's the kind of dream where we remember only the good things in the past and hope to have them again in the future.

Glistening treetops, children listening with hope, warm firesides, family and friends, singing and gifts. "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas." Not a bad picture of heaven, I think. It includes love and hope. It might just be one of those "many dwelling places" John talks about.

The Bible doesn't tell us what heaven is like. The apostle Paul even tells us it's somewhat foolish to worry about the details of the promised resurrection life. What we ARE told is that Jesus has gone before us to prepare a place for us (John 14:2). And that " no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him" (1Cor 2:9).

God has prepared a place that's better than our wildest imaginings. Something better than whatever we can dream up. We can dream of a white Christmas or any other heaven we like and we won't be disappointed ... the promise is more than we can conceive.

That kind of Christmas and that kind of heaven we wait for with hope, remembering that "the Lord is good to those who wait for him." (Lam 3:25). Walter waited. And those who loved him have waited. And it hasn't been easy. It's been a long Advent, years of waiting for this White Christmas when Walter finally found his way to the place Jesus prepared for him.

We can rejoice that Walter's waiting is over, even as our wait continues without him and we live with the sadness of his absence in our lives. It is because of our love for Walter and the love he showed to others that we grieve.

It is that love that is the memorial and the hope. It is that love that unites us forever with our loved ones in a communion in Christ that is stronger than death. We have that love and those cherished memories to shape our dreams and our hope for the future.

So, "Do not let your heart be troubled." May your days be merry and bright. Because Jesus has prepared a place for Walter and for us "where sorrow and pain are no more, neither sighing , but life everlasting."

Merry Christmas.