What do you think happens when we die?
Late Show host Stephen Colbert occasionally asks this question to guests on his show in an episode called “The Colbert Questionert.” The celebrities interviewed by Colbert provide a variety of responses, offering a glimpse into their beliefs.
Most of us believe that there is something after death, but what happens is a mystery. Belief in an afterlife is common globally across nearly all religions.
According to a recent Pew Research article, 85% of adults in Indonesia, where Islam is the predominant religion, say there is definitely or probably life after death. In Kenya, where most are Christians, 80% of adults agree. The percentage drops to 70% overall for adults living in the U.S.,
According to an analysis published by Ryan Burge, 90% of older adults born in the same decades as me believe there is some form of life after death. Interestingly, Burge discovered that even the majority of people claiming no religious affiliation believe in an afterlife.
Sixty-seven percent of adults living in our country believe in heaven, where most of us hope to reside after we leave this place. So, where and what is heaven? What is heaven like?
These are just a couple of the questions we plan to explore over the next six weeks, aided by a fictional novel, The First Phone Call From Heaven, written by Mitch Albom.
We begin our new series, Heaven, with several phones ringing or vibrating around the town of Coldwater. Each phone call was a miracle. Calls happen every day with little notice. But a call placed to a member of Harvest of Hope Baptist Church was different. And so were the others.
In the case of Katherine Yellin, the call was from her dead sister, Diane. She said she was calling from heaven. Mitch Albom writes, “Had Katherine Yellin never stood up that Sunday morning, what happened in Coldwater might have passed like so many other miracles, held quiet, wrapped in whispers. But once exposed to the public, miracles change things.”
Katherine can’t wait to tell the world about it. The others who also received calls from deceased friends, relatives, and a former employee preferred to stay quiet.
“Faith, it is said, is better than belief, because belief is when someone else does the thinking,” writes Albom when sharing that Pastor Warren’s faith was intact. Belief, however, had become more difficult for the Baptist pastor. Sure, church attendance was up dramatically, but Katherine’s claim was definitely coloring outside the lines of the pastor’s understanding of heaven.
Was it a miracle, a hoax, or the overly enthusiastic imagination of a well-meaning member of his church? Yet, Elias Rowe supported Katherine’s claim by informing the congregation that he also received a call. Moreover, Elisa never speaks in front of a crowd.
“Miracles happen quietly every day,” writes Albom, but “They are rarely tallied. No one keeps score. Now and then, a miracle is declared to the world. And when that happens, things change.”
John tells us, in his Gospel, that Jesus spoke to His followers about the afterlife on the night of His arrest. “There are many rooms in my Father’s house,” Jesus said, “And I am going to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2).
There are many rooms in my Father’s house, and I am going to prepare a place for you. I will come back and take you with me, so that you will be where I am.
John 14:1-7
A lot of pastors, including me, repeat these words from Jesus at funerals. Many of us prefer to call funerals celebrations of life or sometimes a “Going home celebration,” reinforcing the promise Jesus made.
Jesus also said, “And after I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to Myself, so that you will be where I am” (John 14:3).
Scripture tells us that the place Jesus is referring to is heaven, which, according to Genesis chapter one, was created by God on the second day. The Prophet Amos said that “The Lord builds his home in the heavens” (Amos 9:6).
Heaven is real. But what is it really like? A phone call from someone already there would help clear up this question. Lots of phone calls from different people offering similar descriptions would be even better!
Meanwhile, we rely on our faith.
You can join us each Sunday in person or online by clicking the button on our website’s homepage. Click here to watch. This button takes you to our YouTube channel. You can find more information about us on our website at FlintAsburyChurch.org.
This is a reminder that we publish a weekly newsletter called the Circuit Rider. You can request this publication by email by sending a request to FlintAsburyUMC@gmail.com, or let us know when you send a message through our website. We post an archive of past editions on our website under Connect – choose Newsletters.
Pastor Tommy
Our series was inspired by Mitch Albom. The First Phone Call from Heaven. New York: HarperCollins, 2014.
Jonathan Evans, Kirsten Lesage, William Miner, Kelsey Jo Starr, and Manolo Corichi. “Believing in Spirits and Life After Death Is Common Around the World.” © Pew Research Center, May 6, 2025. Retrieved from: link
Ryan Burge. “Belief in an Afterlife is Increasing in the United States.” © Ryan Burge, April 17, 2025. Retrieved from: link