Honor to whom honor is due. I guess I’m kind of funny about that, being a preacher myself. But I find that the older I get the more attention I pay to honoring someone and the more aware I am of how others demonstrate their respect of me.
For that reason, I’ve always done my best to attend every memorial service for a preacher friend or a preacher friend’s wife. During the time of his wife’s mourning, and during the time of her husband’s mourning, I want to be among the friendly faces that are remembered for being there when the dearly departed could do nothing for me personally. The only reason for attending is to show respect, to provide some comfort, and to reassure the surviving spouse that their life’s partner meant something to me, as well.
I know that most memorial services are properly not conducted by Christians for the benefit of other Christians, but rather as Gospel opportunities. At memorial services we can bring the unsaved family and friends of the departed into close contact with their own mortality, the fact that eternity is a lot longer than life on this earth, and gently but firmly point them to our gracious Savior.
With respect to a preacher’s memorial service, I find it strange that so many families choose to schedule a departed preacher or preacher’s wife memorial service on a Saturday, Sunday, or Monday. Preachers, I suspect more than most others, have other preacher friends who tend to be very busy on weekends and find it impossible to travel to an out-of-state funeral service scheduled for Monday. Yet some of my most beloved friends and acquaintances, with so many out-of-state friends who would come to their memorial services if they could, are prevented from doing so when their surviving families schedule the service for days preachers typically are unable to attend.
Preacher? Please do me a favor. Talk to your wife and your children to urge them not to schedule your memorial service on a Saturday or a Monday. Make it possible for preacher friends who live far away to have a day of flying time to make it to your funeral service, especially if you live outside a major metropolitan area.
Not too long ago, a preacher friend of mine in his mid-90s, who had a massive footprint and impact not only nationwide but also worldwide, was promoted to glory while living in a city not very close to a major metropolitan area with an international airport. My guess is that thousands might have attended his memorial service, but for the fact it was scheduled on a Monday. How does one get to a midsized middle America city from overseas, or from America’s West, America’s East, or America’s deep South, in time to attend a Monday funeral service?
I have traveled far to honor men of God who had been promoted to glory. However, I am not inclined to miss a Sunday so that I can travel to arrive in time to attend a Monday funeral service.
I will soon have more to say about preachers planning their own funeral services. But for now, I close with a plea. Please do what you can to make sure your funeral is not scheduled for a Saturday, Sunday, or Monday.
