The Funeral Experience

I arrived in Brookfield at around 12:30 PM for the funeral of Mary Jane McIntosh, Christa's grandmother and someone that I had the opportunity to meet a few times at various Christmas, Thanksgiving and Easter celebrations with other members of the McIntosh family (Christa's mom's side). It was hard for me to really focus on anything related to work in the morning because I was thinking about the trip and thinking about what to expect.

The service was at a local funeral home and it gave me the opportunity to meet many of Christa's family members. This was also an opportunity for many folks to get their first look at the guy that Christa was marrying. One month from now, many of them would be back for a wedding anyway. The service was a wonderful opportunity to learn more about Mary Jane and what a great person she was. I appreciated the pastor's use of the Great Commission in his eulogy:

"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

After the service, I was part of my first funeral procession and when we made it to the burial plot, the pastor has more inspirational words and said another prayer which I had yet to hear in an actual service that I attended:

"In sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ, we commend to Almighty God our sister Mary Jane; and we commit her body to the ground; earth to earth; ashes to ashes, dust to dust. The Lord bless her and keep her, the Lord make his face to shine upon her and be gracious unto her and give her peace. Amen."

Then it was off to a luncheon which provided another opportunity to connect with family. After a few hours, I was pretty exhausted and needed to head home. It was a draining day, but what energy I had left went into the evening choir practice.