Funeral Directions

I’ve roughed out the bare outlines of my own funeral, should there be an occassion when I go on to the next life and you all are wondering what on earth to do about a service. My aunt had made some notes of what she wanted at her funeral, but they got jumbled with a lot of other paper in her house and they were only found by her daughters just the day before the service. God, of course, is soveriegn and in control, so the service for her was lovely, even though not all the hymns she had written down were sung. Matt spoke very nicely, which we knew she wanted, and her pastor whom she loved led the service, and spoke.

But the whole business of not knowing exactly what she wanted for her own funeral, knowing that she had thought about it, sent me into a tailspin and caused me to jot down the hymns and readings I would like, should I unfortunately kick off.

Processional Anthems

Hymn If Thou but Suffer God to Guide Thee (old words)

OT Zephaniah 3:14-20

Psalm 84

NT 2 Corinthians 5:1-10

Hymn My Shepherd will Supply my Need

Gospel John 14:1-14

Sermon. No Eulogy. I repeat, No Eulogy.

Communion Hymns I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say, Jerusalem My Happy Home

You can see, very plain and basic. I expect everyone to weep appropriately, to be choked up, but then to have a nice lunch and move on with life in the usual way. I would request, though, that everyone eat Nigella’s Funeral Fish Pie, in celebration of my life and sorrow over my death, and to go ahead and eat the potato, especially Matt. Other than that, I have no wish that anyone do anything they don’t want to do. Just try not to be a disappointment to my memory.