This is a bit of processing, so forgive the probably incoherance and possible lack of sensitivity.

Yesterday Tom and I went to the funeral of a friend of his from uni who died a week ago last friday of brain cancer. She had been battling it for 3 years or so and it had gone into remisison and come back a few times. Aside from the whole event being a very sad one as she was only 26, it was made sadder for us by the fact that she didn't know Jesus and none of her friends do either. This resulted in us wondering whether or not we could have done more and in them being totally lost as to know what to do or how to react in trying to process it all. We came away feeling like we understood a bit more what Jesus felt when he talked about looking on the crowds and having compassion on them because they were lost like sheep without a shepherd.

i felt quite ruffled by the vicar who led the service too. Having had some training in how to conduct funerals i totally understood how hard it is for those leading when the person who died didn't know Jesus. However what i came away wondering was the role of the minister actually is in that kind of situation. It felt like he was very much at the beck and call of the mourners - to give them what they wanted, rather than really help them in the true sense of showing them Jesus, obviously in a caring, loving, sensitive manner. It felt a little like he compromised himself, which made me sad.

that's it for now - i'm sure there will be more...