Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Passing through...

Today has been a mix of blessings. I spent the better part of the day writing the memorial service homily for the father of one my dearest friends. I have known the family since I was in 8th grade - that's 48 years - and am honored to have been asked to officiate and help out.  Now, in a short time, I get to welcome and introduce a stellar home-town boy who is now international pianist playing a concert at our church. 
And then tomorrow, after the memorial service, we leave for two weeks away in Montreal and Ottawa.  Our daughter and son-in-law will join us for part of the fun at the Jazz Festival and that will be a treat on many levels.

Funny how one day can hold so many competing feelings, yes?  Gratitude and grief, celebration and sorrow, longing and rest and everything in-between.  As I prepared and prayed over my writing task, I found myself using a prayer-psalm by Ed Hays called "The Psalm of Passing On."

Such an obscene expression: to die ~
   the polite never utter aloud
such vulgar, grave, dirty words.
   Neighbors do not die, they pass on:
friends and family do not die, they pass away.

"Died" is an ugly period-word
   that ends a sentence.
It closes the door with a slam,
   seals the tomb.
Yet in this "passing on" avoidance
   is found a mystical truth.

For death is the great passage,
   a passing beyond sickness
and the valley of disappointment,
   a passage through the womb of the tomb
   a passage over life's limitations.

Since death is for you, O God of the Passover,
   a voyage of returning,
a joyous triumphant homecoming,
   help me the next time I am told
that acquaintances have "passed on,"
   not cringe, but to smile
and to say, "Ah, yes they have indeed."

I don't think Hays is trying to be cute - just honest.  Death is an end, to be sure, but not just an end in our tradition. In this, passing on is more descriptive and active than euphemistic.  So, off I go to a concert - and then a memorial service - and then a vacation for rest and renewal.  All of it made me think of this tune by brother Lennie...

1 comment:

Blue Eyed Ennis said...

Hope you have a great vacation !! Enjoy the rest.
You certainly deserve it. Blessings

getting into the holy week groove...

We FINALLY got our seed and wildflower order in! By now we've usually had seedlings started but... my new gig at church, Di's health...