God-exalting Worship at a Memorial Service

Today I attended an extraordinary memorial service for the Rev. Dan Cummings, pastor of Five Points Community Church in Auburn Hills, MI. It seems to me that all that was said that honored Dan clearly was an act of praise to God for what His grace and truth had produced in his life and ministry. Each of the ‘tributes’ (testimonies) from friends, fellow-workers and especially his kids were so powerfully Christ-exalting and gospel-of-grace centered. (The letter he wrote his kids on the eve of his cancer treatment was one of the most moving, and theologically wise, expressions of parental guidance I’ve ever heard.)

The music was just right too, full of rich Biblical truth and marked by the best kind of emotive expression.

And the entire service came to its climax in the funeral message brought by Dr. James Grier (who has for years been a mentor to Dan, and to me, and to so many others). His declaration and description of the Gospel was God-exaltingly beautiful, true, convicting and comforting all at the same time.

I can’t remember being more moved by a message in particular or a service of worship as a whole than I was today. Please pray for Pastor Dan's wife and kids, and for the church family at Five Points. And pray for the impact of this powerful memorial service, and for the ongoing fruitfulness of Pastor Cumming's faithful, Christ-honoring ministry.

At the heart of that ministry and legacy was this central question: do you love Jesus more than anyone or anything else?