A Funeral Prayer

Today we held the funeral service for Julie’s Grandmother up in Strong, ME. I had the opportunity to participate and say a closing prayer, from which I have included an excerpt below.

What shall we say to a God who provides what we cannot provide for ourselves?

Your word reminds us that you stand at the door of our hearts and knock. You call out to us in the midst of the chaos and grief in our lives. To all who have accepted your love, we eagerly anticipate the day when we shall stand at your door, O God, and hear you beckon, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”

To the God who provides what we cannot provide for ourselves, we say “Thank You.”

There is something about “Thankfulness” that continues to be something I draw from and meditate on almost daily. Ever since digging into Eucharistic thought and significance at Seminary (or perhaps simply as I “grow up” and experience more heartache and loss in life), I am finding that the very core of my faith and life is living out a response of thankfulness to the goodness and grace of God. Each day, each meal, each conversation is an opportunity to Remember and lift the chalice of Eucharist (figuratively speaking) for a life that abundantly exceeds anything I could have cobbled together on my own.

Thanks be to God!