People Of The Second Bugle
I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:50-57
Friends,
I must give credit for this blog to an article I read on Ministry Matters Website. The article was written by David N. Mosser and is entitled “Peace With God”. He in turn gave credit to Thomas Lane Butts and an article Mr. Butts wrote entitled “People of the Second Bugle” in which Mr. Butts references the funeral of Winston Churchill.
At the funeral of Winston Churchill two musical pieces were played on bugle. One piece was “Taps”. The other was “Reveille”.
Having grown up in a military family, I am familiar with both pieces. I lived on military bases and would hear these pieces on a regular basis. In the morning, at the raising of the flag, morning colors would be played. This was “Reveille”. As I understand it, this was also used to awaken military people in the morning.
In the evening, as the flag was lowered, evening colors would be played. This piece is called “Retreat”.
Occasionally I would hear “Taps” played in the late evening at about 10:00 p.m. “Taps is also played at the end of many military funerals.
You can hear each of these pieces on You Tube.
Again, at Winston Churchill’s funeral, “Taps and “Reveille” were played.
But here is the unusual circumstance to which Mr. Butts and Mr. Mosser refer.
At the end of the funeral, expectantly, “Taps” was played. There was nothing unusual about that. Winston Churchill had lived a remarkable life. His life was over and “Taps” would mark the end of his life.
However, after a few minutes, unexpectedly, “Reveille” was played. Why?
Well, remember “Reveille” was used to mark the beginning of a new day. Soldiers would rise to serve their country. The flags would rise to mark a new day.
The symbolism of playing “Reveille” was that there would be a resurrection.
In Christ, we are all promised a new resurrection. For Winston Churchill, “Reveille reminded people that death does not have the last word. Christ has the last word, and that word is “Life”.
May Christ remind you daily of the New Life he has for you!
Peace,
Ricky Adams
Pastor
Peace Lutheran Church
Mill Valley, California