The Sermon For the Dead

[Fleur-de-lis]

In the county were I live (Derbyshire in the UK) their are literalely hundreds of stories and legends. One of my favorites is called "The Sermon for the Dead" and i thought i'd share it with you guys and see what you think.

"The delightful village of Derwent Woodlands no longer exists. Since 1945, it has lain at the bottom of the Ladybower Reservoir. For some years, the spire of the village church coould been seen projecting from the surface of the water, the only marker of this drowned village.

Three centuries ago, this chruch had a strange story connected with it. A new parson was appointed. He was not a local man, but from the Trent Valley in the far south of the county. One of the reasons he had come to the high peak was for his health as he hoped the pure clear air of the high northern hills could cure his weak chest and chronic cough. The local people liked the new man for his energy and commitment, and he admired their geniune salt-of-the-earth honesty and grit. But then he quarrled with them over what he thought of as their superstition and strange practices.

It was all because he refused to preach the Sermon For The Dead , which was due to be delivered to an empty church at midnight on the first Sunday after Christmas. He did not believe their story that the spirits of those due to die during the forthcoming year would leave their bodies and enter the church to be blessed. Angrily, he told his parishioners that such beliefs we pagan and that The Sermon For The Dead formed no part of Christian practice. It was an occult rite and he would have no part of it.

Despite his unbending attitude, when the first Sunday after Christmas came, something drew him to remain in the church until mighnight. Perhaps he thought that by being there, he would be able to reassure his flock that there was no truth in their superstition, that the souls of those who would die in that year did not enter the church. Imagine his horror and bewilderment when he looked up and saw just what he had denied. The spirits appeared out of thin air and gazed at him, expectanly. And the most terrible fact of all was that the face of one of the spirits was identical to his own! All his certainty melted away. His contempt for the beliefs of the local people turned to reluctant respect for their knowlodge and understanding. He managed to stumbe through some sort of blessing for the spirits in front of him. They listened, and when he had finished, they faded away.

In the weeks and months that followed, he lost his patronising attitude to the northerners of his parish and once again he won their respect and their friendship. When he died eight months later, they we devestated and saddened, and they all mourned their young parson from the south. But the man himself was not suprised to die. Once he had seen his spirit at The Sermon For The Dead, he knew that year was to be his last.

[different]

I like these types of of legends, thanks for posting it.

1000 post!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[fadinginnocence]

Thats so cool but i would have been terrified to see myself there after all who really wants to know they have less than a year to live

[War-Junkie]

i wouldent mind i would just screw around and do all the things i want and when it comes it comes and whats the point of worring

[the Shadamaun]

reminds me of another old story ive heard:

There was a little old lady who always went to early mass every sunday morning. One sunday, she woke up quite suddenly and thought, "My goodness, Im late for Mass!!" She hurriedly got ready and set out for the church. It was still dark out, but being early winter, it was nothing uncommon. Upon reaching the church, she saw candles lit in the windows and though "oh no, they started without me!". She bowed her head and quietly shuffeled inside and took a seat in one of the rear pews. Thumbing through her bible, she realized that she didnt immediately recognize any of the parishoners around her. Once she put on her glasses, she realized why; while all dressed in nice, if not a bit outdated, sunday dress, they all had dark, hollow eyes and indistinct hazy forms. When the parishoner in front of her turned around, the old lady gasped and nearly dropped her bible. It was her husband, who had been dead for 15 years. He said to her "You're early. You dont belong here yet."

The old lady gathered her bible and hurried out of the little church. As she rushed down the lane and back to her house, she heard the churchbells faintly tolling midnight, a full 6 hours before the early mass to which she was accustomed began. Six months later, the old lady died in her sleep, at midnight.

[RollingThunder06]

I love those stories! Thanks for sharing. Will try not to think about them when I go to bed.

[louie]

Very cool storys

[Fleur-de-lis]

Thanks for the replies! I have loads more stories like this one, so if you want me to post some more just ask......If you don't ask then I'll probably never get round to doing it, lol.

[fawkes2]

Thanks for the replies! I have loads more stories like this one, so if you want me to post some more just ask......If you don't ask then I'll probably never get round to doing it, lol.

please do

l like reading those type of stories