Last evening I attended the funeral, the "celebration of life" as it were, for a wonderful person...Andy.  I did not know Andy very well, but I know his wife quite well and our family wanted to be there for her.  Though Andy had not been well for some time, he was full of life.  He was a man of God...one who "knew Jesus."  There were wonderful stories told by the family and there was a running display of pictures from his life, showing him as a baby, him playing soccer, him conquering mountains, him getting married.  And, since a big part of his 37 year history was an accident 16 years ago that left him a paraplegic, there were pictures of that wreck and pictures where it was clear the issue was never the fact that he was in a wheelchair.  As his father-in-law said to him when Andy was asking for his daughter's hand in marriage, it "wasn't the WHEELCHAIR that [he] was concerned about." "It was the MAN in the wheelchair that was the concern."  And Andy never gave any reason to be concerned.

The funeral, the accident in Andy's life, the sorrow of those present, reminded me again just how fleeting this life is and how wonderful it is to share stories of those we have loved and keep their memories alive.  It made me wonder what stories would persons say at my funeral?  What are the stories about me that persons think give and idea about who I am as a person and what I believe in?

What stories will you tell at my funeral?

Will you tell stories about how shy I was as a young kid, so scared of losing the Cub Scout Pinewood Derby race that I climbed out onto my roof in winter, just to avoid going?

Will you talk about my singing in the church choir growing up, in the back row with my friend Joel, on stage at many times of my life, or how I can get easily distracted when singing while leading worship and find myself...and the whole congregation singing the wrong words?

Will you share about my penchant for drama and theater?

Will you talk about my sense of humor?  I like to think of myself as a funny guy.  I'm sure there's something you could share?

Will you tell people about my fights for truth and justice...like when I got punched by Adam on the playground because he called a friend of mine "the N-word" or when, in college, I got kicked out of being president of my fraternity because I took a stand against hazing?

Will you talk about my love for my family and how my wife is my best friend and how I enjoy my time with my children...yes, all five of them...although my dog, Hurley remains my favorite?

Will you tell people about how I was as a pastor?  My sermons? Pastoral care?  The church I've helped to build?

Will there be some aspect of my faith that will be shared?  Will someone stand up and talk about how much I loved Christ and tried to follow him?  As I type this I'm concerned that it will be farther down the list than I hope.

Will someone talk about the technology stuff that I love?

Will you tell people how I tried to serve the community of Girdwood while I was here?

Will you say that I have loved?

Will you say that I have thought hard?

Will you say that I have felt deeply?

How would you help persons get a sense of who I am?

What stories will you tell at my funeral?