a new experience

i had my first funeral today.

i am the vicar on call, so to speak. my supervisor is on vacation, so that left me in charge. wednesday the call came that a former member had passed away.

i desperately called my dad and said, "what do you do at a graveside service?"

he walked me through it.

he said, "weddings are hollywood, funerals are masterpiece theatre."

ahhh. today was a masterpiece theatre day. it was overcaste. there was a pieta statue in the cemetary off in the distance. the wind was blowing gently. the only difference was that there were southern accents not british accents.

i read from 1 thessalonians chapter 4.

the morticians at the funeral home were very nice and helped me get my bearings.

the service seemed so short. such a big moment for a family. yet, it takes so little time to do the service. i guess the service is only part of what happens when people grieve, but it does seem so little. i think it seems small in part, because the family is no longer a member of the congregation i serve. so i won't be able to check in with them regularly.