Gary Crawford 1996This afternoon I will go to the cemetery to conduct the commital service for a long-time member who died earlier this year. The family has finally been able to arrange for everyone to be present who wants to be here for an event that will be both solemn and an expression of gratitude.
An hour later I will take a couple through the rehearsal for a wedding which will happen tomorrow. This will be somewhat unusual in that both bride and groom have been collecting their pensions for a few years now. It's lovely that they can celebrate the covenant of marriage surrounded by children from earlier marriages, as well as grandchildren and great-grandchildren. As it happens, the family of our departed member is musical and wants to sing at the graveside, so we will. The couple getting married is also musical, so our choir will sing at the wedding.
A commital is, by its nature, what comes after the funeral, while a rehearsal comes before the marriage. There have been a few occasions when I conducted both a funeral and a wedding ceremony on the same day. It is a challenge to move from one mood to another, whatever the order of the events. We joke about clergy being in the "hatch, match and dispatch" business but there is a poignancy when grief and celebration coincide. Our trust is that God revealed in Christ is present and redeeming in both. Artist Gary Crawford illustrated our United Church creed in 1996 and I appreciate the image above.
We are called to be the Church...
to proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen,
our judge and our hope.
In life, in death, in life beyond death,
God is with us.
We are not alone. Thanks be to God.
2 comments:
Wish I could be there. My family's love and spirit will be there. My cousin will read something from my Mom. Love to Doris from the U.K.
Yes Laurie/Irene, you are one family member who will be separated from the commital by distance but not in spirit.
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