First Funeral

I received my call to ministry while I was a senior in high school.  I had just turned seventeen.  My pastor was C. D. Weinel.  He was not a friendly man, but he was an effective pastor.  During his tenure, he initiated a 'Rap Session' with the youth (it was the sixties).  We were invited into his office on Wednesday evenings where we could ask questions and talk about anything on our minds.  He promised us that he would never divulge anything we said to our parents.  We trusted him!

He started me on the path to ministry by helping me to take my first official step, which was receiving an 'Exhorter's License'.  This was approved by the Official Board of our church.  He gave me small responsibilities to begin to grow me in my anticipation of a bigger role someday.

One day he called me and told me he'd like me to help him with a funeral on Saturday.  He told me to meet him at the Grove Cemetery at 10:00 AM.  He said that I should wear a suit and bring a Bible with a selection to read.  I chose Psalm 23, and practiced reading it several times.

When I arrived at the cemetery, I was surprised to find Rev. Weinel and two men from the funeral home.

I later learned that the city of New Brighton had a policy for when an indigent person died.  Each local pastor was asked to do one of these services in turn.  It was Rev. Weinel's turn and he felt it was an appropriate opportunity for me to get some much needed experience.

The four of us approached the burial plot.  The two men from the funeral home stood respectfully. Rev. Weinel began a very simple service and at the appropriate time turned to me for the scripture. As I stood at the edge of the open burial plot and read Psalm 23, I was overwhelmed with a sense of responsibility for creating a sacred moment for this person I had never met and knew nothing about. I read with as much passion as I could muster.

In a little over five minutes the service had ended and the burial team approached to begin their duties.  We stood and talked with the men from the funeral home briefly and then returned to our cars to resume our normal Saturday activities.

But forty-eight years later, I still remember the awesome sense of responsibility that comes with putting a period at the end of a person's life! Throughout the years I have worked hard on funeral preparations.  My goal has been to honor the many dimensions of a person's life and to challenge those present to live their lives with the end goal of Heaven prominently in view!

In retrospect, I'm also thankful for a pastor who, although he didn't naturally connect with teenagers, still made a distinct effort to create a forum for us to learn, trust and grow!