processional

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Funeral Processional Etiquette Is Needed

From time to time I will repost an article from years past. This article was originally posted March 2013

funeral processional etiquette is needed

Last weekend I took part in a funeral. It all went very well until it came time for the interment. 

Getting to the cemetery meant a twenty minute drive through the city and in the country.   

Only family and close friends attended, while most others opted not to take the drive … probably a good thing because they never would have made it. 

You see, most people don’t follow other cars very well, driving too far behind the person they’re following. 

It’s like they’ve watched too many TV detective shows. They try to follow so the lead car doesn’t know they’re on their tail. 

I once had a person follow me to a destination they had never been to, yet they kept going slower and slower and falling farther and farther behind. 

At first, I slowed down to make sure they wouldn’t lose me, but then they slowed down even more! Finally, I just decided to drive and let them keep up to me. 

They never made it; they got lost and went home.

In a funeral procession, people really need to drive close to the car they’re following, especially through intersections. 

Personally, I like to get close to the car in front of me so the vehicles traveling in the other direction see that I’m part of a procession and don’t T-bone me when the light changes green for them.

Those other drivers on the road can be a real problem. Most of them act like they have no clue what’s going on. 

They see the hearse, the flashing lights, the long line of cars with little flags on their hoods like it’s a diplomatic motorcade, and they STILL try to jump into line like they want to be part of the parade! 

After all, their shopping trip to the mall has been timed down to the last minute. They didn’t calculate running into a funeral procession. 

There was a time when cars pulled over to the side of the road when they came upon a funeral procession – like we’re supposed to do with emergency vehicles. 

But then again, some people are not good at that either. I’m not sure whether people drive without looking around or whether they just don’t understand the unwritten rules of the road. 

When our procession of cars got out of the city, some cars pulled over to the side of the road, and two ladies who were walking stopped and just stood as the line of funeral cars went by. 

But most cars just kept going and even drove around the cars that had pulled over.  These people were both young and old – I know because I looked at them, trying to stare them down! 

We finally made it to the cemetery, with no accidents, and only missing one car. One with several of the family members in it. 

They arrived late because a car cut into the line and then didn’t go through and intersection with the rest of the procession. 

Going home from the cemetery only took about 10 minutes … there were no funeral processions to stop for.

Here’s the thing: In a funeral procession, you need to keep up and others need to pay attention. If you don’t keep up, other cars don’t know there is anything to pay attention to. In your Christian walk you need to keep in step with the Spirit (Galatians 5:25). So that others will pay attention and see a difference.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What do you find difficult about following someone?  Leave your comment below.

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It Was The Longest Walk Of My Life

A couple of weeks ago I made the longest walk of my life, even though I didn’t break any distance records making it.

It was the longest walk of my life

It was still a long walk.

It was a walk that had greater meaning than pretty much any other walk I have ever taken.

… I remember after having a heart attack eight years ago, I went for walks with my wife, Lily. Those were important walks because I needed to exercise my heart without putting undue stress on it. During those walks I had to keep reminding Lily to slow down. She was always trying to pick up the pace.

When I play golf, I still like to stretch my legs on the golf course rather than ride in a cart. There is something about walking that is more meditative and relaxing. When you walk the course you take in more of the beauty and grandeur of the nature around you.

I’ve taken walks that were hurried because I needed to get somewhere fast and couldn’t run. 

And there were walks that have been filled with stress, knowing that at the end of my steps I had to do something or say something that was important.

But this walk – this longest walk – was longer and different than any of those other walks. 

I walked my daughter, Karlie, down the aisle of my church for her wedding. 

It was just a couple of weeks ago, and I think I’ve finally recovered. 

The walk itself started in the gym of the church and went through the foyer to the threshold of the sanctuary and then down the rows of pews to the front … where a young man and a pastor waited with smiling faces.

But that walk represented all the times I paced in our home, trying to rock my baby girl to sleep, and the walk with her in my arms as we quickly rushed to the hospital. 

That walk echoed the times I attended her plays and events, walked up and down a soccer field, walked into her public school, high school and university graduations.

As we made that march towards the altar, it was like this little baby in a bassinet grew with every stride to become this beautiful bride standing next to me at the end of our walk.

Our path to the front was filled with memories that have taken almost thirty-one years to walk. 

Mind you, I had to whisper, “slow down” to Karlie a few times. She takes after her mother in her walking. 

Even still, the walk back up the aisle at the end of the service was much quicker. It was a hurried walk as if to say, “let’s get going with the rest of our lives”. 

I’m convinced they make that father-daughter walk down the aisle extra slow so that at least the father can gather up all those years and treasure them in the moments before the biggest event of his daughter’s life … moments that this father will treasure forever.

Here’s the thing: There are many times when I want to rush through my time with God. I’d like to get on with my day. There are things that I need to attend to. I have pressures, interests and concerns that hurry my soul and urge me to keep it light and brief with the Lord. But God is like that father walking his daughter down the aisle, whispering, “Slow down. I have much to treasure and share with you. Let’s walk a little longer.”

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What causes you to hurry your devotional time with God? Leave your comments and questions below.