I just came back to my office from lunch with the family. I will leave for the funeral home in a few minutes. Death is always surprising but never should be. We merely participate in the rhythms of life. We gather to celebrate life–we gather to acknowledge death, and along the way we establish memories.
Funerals are opportunities to put away the memories, to store them in those places where we can be sure to find them. I cannot list for you all of the funerals that I have helped conduct over 40+ years of ministry. I wish I had begun by keeping a list. I am sure the number is well over 100–perhaps nearer 200. While I do not have a list, I can assure you that if you mention a name of a person whose funeral I conducted, I will have a memory of that event with details.
Some do not like funerals. There is finality, there is grieving, loss, questioning, uncertainty. In that short list, we who minister should find guidance in what we will say.