Thursday, June 19, 2008

Please Don't at My Funeral

I don't plan my funeral every day--I don't usually think about it. There was a funeral for a church member today, but I was not in attendance, as I did not know the man and had met his wife only once. I did attend a funeral a week or two ago, only because I sang in the special choir our director had put together since the deceased had sung in choir for many years.
I should learn to ask certain questions before agreeing to such things, however. Namely, "Does it involve singing 'Beautiful Savior'?" If the answer is yes, count me out. If you like "Beautiful Savior," I'm sorry. The words are wimpy and the tune is rather boring. I asked Pastor Starke if they had to put it in LSB; he said they did. I don't like it. At all. (Especially when sung flat and slightly off key by high school men--but that's another story for another day.)
This got me thinking of what I don't want at my funeral. Let me state the obvious: NO "Beautiful Savior"--not even the slightest hint of it. I also don't want "How Great Thou Art" or "Amazing Grace". I cannot stand the former; the latter is overused, as is "I Know That My Redeemer Lives". At least with "I Know That My Redeemer Lives," one is getting closer to the point of the funeral.
Speaking of the point, another thing I don't want is a pastor who cannot preach to the point. I remember sitting through funeral sermon after funeral sermon with my husband's former colleague saying, "You'll never do __ with grandma/grandpa/mom/dad." Yeah, and meanwhile the family is going through gobs of tissues and never hears the hope of the Resurrection. If the pastor does that at my funeral, I hope someone would have the guts to stand up and say, "Sir, we would see Jesus!"
No, at my funeral, I want people to hear about Christ. His death and resurrection. All the hymns should reflect that. I'm thinking "O God O Lord of Heaven and Earth," "For All the Saints," and other hymns that get to the heart of faith. I want a sermon that preaches Jesus. Anything less will not do.
Save the nice comments, sappy thoughts, and reflection for the potato salad.

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