funeral

I was in youth ministry for a decade. I've been here at this church as an associate pastor for two years now. It's a small church but with lots of older folks. We've had maybe ten funerals of church members since I've been here. BK has done them all.

Until now. Tomorrow night is the viewing. Monday morning at 10 is the funeral itself. I'm doing the whole thing: viewing (where I don't really have to do anything but show up, I can do that), funeral home service, and graveside service. It's my first time and I'm nervous. Nervous because this was someone's mom, someone's grandmom, and I want to honor their memory of her. It can't be slipshod (not that I have ever submitted less than my best effort, but this, this is, well, important).

As an aside: It's interesting, around here (which is where I grew up but I never noticed this until I returned here from Ohio) the family of the deceased almost always has a service at a funeral home and a graveside service, but almost never a memorial service in their church. In Ohio there was almost always a memorial at church and a graveside, but hardly ever a proper service at the funeral home. I was surprised about this when I got back, and still find that I prefer a church memorial to a funeral home service. But it seems that's the way we do these things in southeastern PA.

My sermon for tomorrow? It's done, but who cares? The thing I'm thinking about is this poor woman's funeral. If you pray, please do. For Marion's family... and me too.

Jannotti tag: theology
Posted to: theology