I haven't detailed all of the death that has touched our lives recently, but we're geezers and, it's just a fact of life that one reaches a point when contemporaries and friends and relatives begin to die.
And, I have a job in which many people depend on my presence. This the fourth close death for us in six months but only the second memorial service I attended.
The only person in the department ranking higher than I rank volunteered to work a double shift ON SATURDAY to free me up to attend Jerry's service. (I've written in the past about this guy and his unbelievable leadership. He never, ever talks to the managers about leading, but he walks leadership constantly and inspiringly.)
---------------------
We drove more than an hour in a pounding rain to get to the service. At one point, I almost turned around. But, I'm glad we made it...for many reasons.
We've known Jerry's wife, Nancy, since the mid 1970s and it was good to see her and to see that she is well.
We'd not seen Jerry's surviving children for many years, and it was good to touch base with them...they're all 50ish years old now and they're all doing well.
Since Evie and I moved back to Pennsylvania, Jerry often spoke to me about one of his daughters-in-law, Ann. Clearly, he adored her as a person, and as a Jesus-follower. I got to meet her yesterday and immediately liked her and understood Jerry's admiration for her. Interestingly, when I introduced myself to her, her eyes sparked and she exclaimed, "Mr. Sloat!" I can only guess that she'd been hearing stories about me as well.
And, Jerry had a beloved nephew who became a Pennsylvania State Trooper. He gave a eulogy of sorts and was introduced as Captain.... It was good to see that he's done well.
Jerry's sister battled breast cancer shortly after Evie did and, during that time, Evie shepherded Anna through the journey via email but they'd never met. As soon as Anna realized who Evie was, she responded to Evie in the way Ann did with me. It was a sweet moment.
--------------------
The service itself was described, as it began, as a worship service. There were moments focused on Jerry, of course. But there were songs and hymns and Scripture readings and an invocation and benediction and a pastoral prayer and an evangelistic sermon in the way Calvinists preach evangelistically. Incidentally, based on the sermon format and vocabulary, I'd rate the sermon as being preached to college graduates or grad school graduates. Does that still go on in the CGGC?
The service was long. I got, well, squirmy. I briefly recalled my dad squeezing my leg when I was an eight-year-old and shouting in a whispered voice, "Sit still." And, I tried to sit still.
I'm no longer accustomed to being in a situation where one group of people, as it was in this case (I think there were five, uh, "pastors"), providing the religious products and services and the rest of the gathering consuming those religious products and services. It's been a long time since I was a passive consumer.
I rarely am a part of the provider/consumer paradigm and, of course, I don't believe in it, and whenever I can, like now, I rail against it...passionately.
So, as a matter of conscience and principle, and sqirminess, I hated the service itself.
But, I nit pick too often. So, apart from what I figured I'd write here, I was determined to keep my mouth shut...
...until, on the drive home when Evie said, in her own way, and from her heart, all of those things I'd been thinking about the service. She's a gracious person, but she knows what she doesn't like and what she thinks is not right. She probably wouldn't say it to anyone but me, but her opinion was clear.
I know more than a few people who believe what I believe about the failings of today's institutional church. I'm the only man I know whose wife shares those convictions...perhaps even more deeply, and also, of course, with greater wisdom and maturity.
--------------------
One other comment about the service itself.
It was held at the, uh, "church" Jerry had most recently been attending. He jumped around a lot. (As I said in my previous post about his death, I take that to be fruit of his apostolic gifting.)
As we walked into the edifice, I noted that it was decorated, rather tastefully, for Advent. This is a Bible Fellowship Church, about as low church as the CGGC in its its history, perhaps, even more low church. And, as I would guess, decorated to roughly the same degree that a CGGC building would be for this high ecclesiastical season.
My first thought, which I was determined to keep to myself, apart from what I'd write here, was that I'm so glad that I'm not involved in a group that feels the need to devote Kingdom resources to this purpose. I think that I may have actually sighed at the thought.
On the drive home, though, Evie asked if I'd noticed the decorating. I said that I had.
Then she began her sermon:
How many turkeys could you buy for hungry families with the money they spent on that?!!!!!
And, truly, in the Sheep and Goats teaching, Jesus says, "I was hungry and you gave me something to eat..."
Neither He nor His disciples ever decorated for a religious event or season.
This Advent stuff is so Middle Ages, and so un-Jesus.
What would Jesus do? Well, not decorate for Advent, that's for certain.
--------------------
Still, I'm so very glad that we attended.
The likelihood is that we'll never see these people again.
But, this was the sort of relationship where you don't see each other for many years but immediately pick up as if you seen each other yesterday.
A person has so few of those relationships. I rejoice in renewing the connection one more time.
No comments:
Post a Comment