You Know It's Going to be a Bad Day...
...when you have two funerals to go to and given time and logistics can only go to one.
So, I went with a friend to the Straight Life, Church of God Pentecostal, Inc. service for the brother of my friend. His brother was actually a member of another church; but, for various reasons, the service was at the Pentecostal church.
Pentecostal people have more fun at funerals than I’m used to having. There’s a bit of sad; but, the theme is that the person who died is “gone over” and is in a better place.
We had call and response, dancing in the aisles and melodic words. Many of the latter. The man that left us, Albert, was a deacon in the church. I didn’t know him, just his brother. He was a smooth dresser and a man who could dance when the Lord moved him. The main preacher, among the many, said that when he got to Heaven on Tuesday morning, the angels announced that James Brown was there again.
My favorite part of the very long service was the preacher holding up the pamphlet that had a great picture of him on the front, the middle and the back with his birth and death years, 1936 – 2009. He announced those years and asked us what we have done with our dash. He went on to tell us what Albert had done with his dash.
All and all, it wasn’t that bad a day. A lot of people who loved someone celebrated his life. I was able to share with them and support his brother. I’ve had worse Saturdays.
4 comments:
Wow Dave, I'm impressed man. Mixing it up with the Pentecostals. I've been to a few Pentecostal churches and one thing I can say, is that they certainly "get into" their worship.
I think it's awesome that it was a celebration of this mans life and that you were there supporting your friend.
Peace!
Keith
That's the way I've always thought funerals should be- but it's a lot easier in theory than it is in practice.
This is the same reason that I loved my Greek friends in my home town. Wedding, wake or christening, there was a big party afterwards and the three were indistinguishable except by the stories shared about the Person of The Hour.
I have expressed my wishes and will put it in my next will, that a large portion of my insurance go to pay for the big party after my cremation. Hire a band (one everybody knows and that I liked) and gather every musician I ever played with for a jam session. I had fun, I hope I brought joy to those close to me, celebrate me when I am gone because I celebrated while I was here and have gone to a better place.
The Pentacostals have some things figured out, and, except for teh hard core that don't allow instruments, they even rock out at church.
Dave,
WE(My family and I) attend a Pentecostal church, and yes we found it quite liberating when we first started attending.
Our Pastor says when he announces someone has past away that they have been "PROMOTED TO GLORY" it makes it sound so great, I want my loved one to be Promoted,and Promoted to Glory cant be bad.
We love that in a Pentecostal church you can yell back at the pastor, in fact if your not, your not listening. We love in a Pentecostal church the first 45 mins. are dedicated to praise and worship(singing)> Praise and worship is a lot of singing as loud as you can, dancing, and jumping up and down. Most of the time better then most concerts I have been to.
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