The hallowed funeral lunch

I have been blessedly free of funerals lately, after a pretty intense run earlier this year. There have been a couple in our parishes in recent weeks but I have sat them out due to scheduling conflicts or "extra" clergy types already participating. I'm really not short on experience at this point, so it's not quite as important to clear my calendar for funerals, at least in terms of my own learning.

But I did want to give a shout out to the faithful servants of our congregations (and many others) who add so much to the day by preparing a lunch for the mourners. There's a reason the funeral lunch is such an institution--it's an important opportunity for the bereaved to gather and support each other and share stories and start to laugh again.


All set up and ready to go at First.




Norwegian napkins for a personal touch at Grace.




Serving table coming together at Holden.




Cake. There is always much cake. This time it's at Gol.




It's a blessing that so many folks are willing to take hours out of their day to cook, prepare, serve, and clean up for a whole crowd of people. One of my pastors calls the funeral lunch a "ministry of love and mercy" and I think that's an apt description.