A few years ago my parents wanted to talk with me and my sister about their eventual death. I had anticipated a sad conversation, but my dad brought a great deal of levity and some perspective as he and my mom had been discussing cremation. I was rather surprised to realize that somewhere along the way I had believed cremation was a sin. My dad shared with us an article laying out options for the ashes, including having one’s ashes made into pencils, buried with a tree seedling, or used to make diamonds.

As Christians we must never forget resurrection. It is not merely symbolic. Nor is it simply about individuals guaranteeing their way into heaven. Paul is not saying the physical body doesn’t matter or that an individual’s “arrival” in heaven is the only goal. Paul is writing to the church in Corinth, a body of believers, embodied souls whose work in the flesh mattered and matters. Embodiment reminds us to consider not only a spiritual resurrection but also how that transformation affects the body of Christ, the church.

My dad joked that his ashes should be split between me and my sister so that we could each have a part of him remain in our lives. My mom joked about having two diamonds made so that we could wear her near our hearts. My husband learned his ashes could be pressed into a vinyl record; I opted either to become pencils or to be buried with a tree. Regardless of what actually happens, we have peace knowing that what matters is not what happens to our physical bodies at death but how we have lived to reflect the transformative power of the Spirit of God. That is what it means to become the body of Christ.