Called to Be Faithful in Living, Faithful in Dying

As a mentor once told me, "we are called to not only be faithful in how we approach our living, but faithful in how we approach our dying."

by The Rt. Rev. Paul Donison on May 18, 2021

Alleluia! Christ is risen!
The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Easter changes everything—especially the way Christians view and prepare for death. Because “death has been swallowed up in victory” (1 Corinthians 15:54) we die “in the sure and certain hope the resurrection to eternal life” (The Funeral Liturgy). Such hope means we can and should approach our death with confidence, care, and planning.

As a mentor once told me, “we are called to not only be faithful in how we approach our living, but faithful in how we approach our dying.”

Making funeral arrangements, planning a “legacy gift” to the church in your will, and choosing a place for burial or interment is a key part of our discipleship. Such decisions make your intentions clear and are a tremendous gift to your loved ones at the time of your death.  Our Pastoral Care team is available to guide you through such planning.

Part of how Christ Church cares for you in this process is by providing a beautiful columbarium—a chapel behind our Sanctuary altar with niches for urns. We have just installed a new wall of niches. I encourage you to go and take a look after one of our Sunday services. Please contact our staff to reserve a niche in a location of your choice.

Monika and I have reserved our own niche, we have met with the Pastoral Care team to make our funeral plans, and we have designated a percentage of our estate to be given to Christ Church Plano upon our death as a legacy gift. Such planning gives great comfort, but it also is a practical way to live into our resurrection faith. I commend this to you as a beautiful and lasting act of your discipleship to Jesus.

Visit Our Pastoral Care Page
About the Author
The Rt. Rev. Paul Donison

Bishop Paul is the Rector and Dean of Christ Church Plano. Ordained in 2004, he served in several Canadian parishes before being called to Texas in 2016 with his wife, Monika, and their four daughters. In 2023 he was elected by the Gafcon (Global Anglican) Primates as General Secretary, and consecrated as a Bishop in Rwanda in 2024. Bishop Paul also serves as Assisting Bishop of the Great Plains Missionary District, a church planting jurisdiction serving North East Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska. He holds a B.F.A in Theatre from the University of Victoria, a Dp.C.S. and M.Div from Regent College, and has done doctoral work at Trinity School for Ministry. He serves on the boards of Trinity School for Ministry and East African Christian College (Kigali, Rwanda). As a retired stage actor Bishop Paul continues to memorize and dramatically storytell the Scriptures when he preaches.

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