At many funerals, especially in which someone died young, people will often get up and speak about the deceased. When this happens, that speaker almost always ends up talking more about themselves than the person who just died.
I was once asked to speak at a funeral and I made a conscious effort to not talk about myself, but then discovered that the stories I had to tell about my friend, were all stories that only the two us shared, which put the focus of my tribute on both of us instead of the one person that it should have been for.
Now it's great at a time of sorrow to hear stories from friends, but I think it might be interesting to also hear the thoughts of a casual observer. Maybe from someone who knew this person, but not as well. That way the deceased can be remembered by not only the people they were close too, but also as the impression they made from afar.
Just a thought.
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1 comments:
My thought about telling stories about someone who has died is that there is room for a couple of great stories at the worship service - assuming there is one. Then at the reception, or wake, everyone should tell every story.
I like your idea of the casual acquaintance sharing a story. As a pastor, sometimes I'm that casual acquaintance. In those times, I try to find the quirky or the inimitable observation.
It's all good.
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