Dec
1
Written by:
Dennis Atwood
12/1/2009 2:41 PM
I recently officiated my thirteenth funeral of 2009. I’ve lost track of how many funerals I’ve presided over during my 14 years as a pastor. But I have noticed some changes. In general, funerals have changed alongside the changing nature of our culture. As each new generation becomes less churched, and less influenced by organized religion, these changes begin to emerge in some of the unconventional practices we see at funerals.Gone are the days when one might assume the loved ones of the dearly departed have a sense of what is appropriate for a funeral—committing a sacred creation back to the Creator and looking forward with Christian hope in the resurrection.
This is especially true when it comes to the selection of music. I’ve heard such sacred artists as Bette Midler, Brooks & Dunn, Eric Clapton and Elvis (at least Elvis had a sacred album). I’ve heard such divine texts as “The Carolina Fight Song” and “Dixie” played at funerals. I recently talked to one funeral director who said, “We just had ‘God is Great, Beer is Good, People are Crazy’ sung in here last week.”
I’ve seen the confederate flag draped over a casket and even been cussed out at a graveside once. My funeral director friend told me: “That’s nothing. I’ve seen the wife and the girlfriend of the deceased go into an all out hair-pulling cat fight right in front of the casket. I’ve seen someone crack a whip to open a beer can and pour it onto the grave for dear old daddy.”
Yep, things have changed. Or maybe not so much. Maybe we’re just seeing people act less inhibited about doing what they really feel—“keeping it real.” More and more people don’t let the church, or the Creator, get in the way of sending off their loved one according the preferences of their own creation.
Actually, I don't think most people intentionally set out to bring dishonor against a holy God. It's just that it never occurs to them we ought to approach the sacredness of life and death as such. But surely the Christian can do better than to blithely assure oneself and others, “O, he’s gone on to a better place.”
Life and death is indeed a divine mystery. It's just that the line between what’s sacred in life, and what’s not, is definitely harder to distinguish these days… particularly when it comes to death.