The most unusual funeral ever

 I did a funeral for G. yesterday. He had been a member of St. John's on the Green in Waterbury where I was Rector for 21 years.

He was a great guy and I welcomed the chance to bid him farewell.

All the music was recorded and made up his favorite songs--mostly secular.

All I did was the Gospel, the Homily, Communion and the blessing.

All the rest were poems and the songs.

Three members of his family told remarkably funny stories about G.

I've never been at a funeral with so much laughter--but he would have approved and enjoyed that.

I told a story in my homily about when he was at a retreat at Holy Cross Monastery with other members of the church. Holy Cross is an Episcopal monastery where silence is observed from after Evensong--about 7 p.m. until after the Eucharist at 10 a.m. the next day. Even breakfast is eaten in silence.

G. was not a great one with silence!

After communion the second day, he danced down the hallway singing--"The Silence is over, The Silence is over, the Silence is over!!!"

Several people sang it for me as I greeted them at the door after the funeral.

It was a great service. A wondrous way to be remembered and sent on his way to the Lover of Souls....