Preaching a funeral

Officiating funerals is a pretty new thing to me. In fact, Pat Logan's funeral on March 30th was only the 2nd funeral I'd ever done. Not only is it quite intimidating to stand before a group of people mourning a loved one, trying to bring some peace and hope, it's also overwhelming the way people find peace just from you (the pastor) being with them. In seminary, it was referred to as "the ministry of presence." Leading a family through the funeral process is way beyond my skill set; I simply had to find strength in Pastoral Office and confidence in the reality of Jesus' death and Resurrection. When I focused upon those things, I was able to minister to the family.

Here's a link to the funeral service, link. My sermon begins at the 28:00 minute mark. I kind of lost myself in what I was preaching, getting (a bit) carried away by the pain of death and the hope of the Resurrection. In fact, Pat's oldest son, Jeff, turned to his brother, Mike and said "he's on a roll!" I believe this message was all about Scripture, which as Mike said, has stood the test of time because it continues to bring comfort and hope.