REST IN PEACE, JOSEPH THOMAS (TOM) BUTLER, JR (1938 - 2019)

St John's Episcopal Church in Thibodaux, Louisiana, knows how to do a wonderful funeral. The service and music on April 6, 2019, were lovely. The organist, LaDonna, played both organ and piano beautifully. Fr Stephen's sermon was perfectly suited to the occasion, especially so, since the first time he met Tom was when he was in the hospital and most certainly not at his (Tom's) best. Nevertheless, Stephen captured the essence of Tom's humanity in the reflections on the meaning of his life and death for all of us who knew him.

Thanks to all the people at St John who contributed to make the service and reception following a comfort to me and my family and all who attended. The flowers were gorgeous. The two large arrangements of white roses, baby's breath, and greenery on the altar were moved to the scatter garden after the service. In the Episcopal church, with exceptions for funerals, only greenery is used on the altar during Lent. Along with Tom's picture and the urn holding his ashes, I took the small vase of flowers home with me. The scent of the white roses and another smaller vase with red roses filled the family room when I took them home.

Many thanks to all who were present at the visitation and funeral. While Tom was alive, I did not fully realize he touched and inspired so many throughout his life. It's bittersweet for me that only after Tom's gone do I understand the breath and strength of his friendships with people of different ages and how he will be missed.

Though I'd rather not end my post on Tom's funeral with regret, I'm at the end, and it is with a touch of regret.

FAREWELL, NYADA. WE WILL MISS YOU.

Nyada Dué deGravelles, on Wednesday, May 23, 2013, entered into eternal rest at the age of 88.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend the visitation from 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesday and from 10 a.m. until funeral time Wednesday at St. John's Episcopal Church on Jackson St. in Thibodaux. A Mass of Christian burial will be at noon Wednesday at the church, with burial in the church cemetery.

She is survived by her son, J.P. deGravelles and wife, Bridgette; daughters, Pamela deGravelles and Trudy deGravelles Bourgeois and husband, Kenneth; brother, Paul H. Dué; 10 grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Norbert "Nobby" deGravelles; and parents, Paul Dué and Elva Nase.

Nyada was a native of Covington. and lived in Thibodaux for 67 years.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in her name may be made to St. John's Episcopal Church-UTO fund.

Landry's Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Published in Houma Today & The Daily Comet.

Nyada was a lovely woman who lived the Gospel of love and service to the fullest, and despite "the changes and chances of this mortal life," of which she had her share, she nearly always had a smile on her face like the smile in the picture.  Today family and friends bade farewell to Nyada at St John's, the church community that she loved and served so well over many years, where she will be greatly missed.

Into thy hands, O merciful Savior, we commend thy servant Nyada. Acknowledge, we humbly beseech thee, a sheep of thine own fold, a lamb of thine own flock, a sinner of thine own redeeming. Receive her into the arms of thy mercy, into the blessed rest of everlasting peace, and into the glorious company of the saints in light.  Amen.

(Book of Common Prayer)

GÖRAN KOCH-SWAHNE'S FUNERAL WAS TODAY

From Allan at Facebook:

HELLO DEAR FRIENDS OF THE LATE GORAN KOCH-SWAHNE,WHO LEFT US IN DEEP SORROW ON THE 29TH JULY 2011,THERE WILL BE A FUNERAL SERVICE ON THE 17TH AUGUST 2011 AT STYRSO CHURCH AT 11:30AM. THEREAFTER WE SHALL ALL COME TOGETHER FOR A MEMORIAL SERVICE AT THE PARISH GARDENS.MAY HIS SOUL REST IN PEACE.

ALL LOVE FROM ALLAN.

Two years ago, I met Göran at our bloggers meeting in Leeds in England. The story of our gathering is here. The picture above, which is my favorite of our friend, was taken by another friend, Erika. The photo, from our lunch at the Tiled Hall Café in Leeds, included two flowers on the table, which suggest large boutonnières on Goran's lapels. I left them in the picture because, if I had cropped the flowers out, I would have removed Göran's preaching bands, and I wanted them in the picture. Göran would have been the first to smile at the accidental superimposition. In my post on the gathering, I said:

Pictured above [is] our man from Sweden, Göran, wearing his Ingemar Bergman preaching bands with his clerical collar (So cute!). I know it's not a movie costume but what the clergy wear in Sweden, but I loved the look, and it reminded me of Bergman's movies.

Göran was the very essence of the root of the word 'gentleman', a gentle man, and a humble man, despite his great dignity. His knowledge of theology and scripture was wide and deep, and his brilliance in demolishing foolish arguments from those with far less knowledge was unmatched. His wisdom and knowledge shone especially brightly at Thinking Anglicans.

In the comments to my post on Göran's passing, Erika said:

I always remember how he said he had changed and opened up because of the friendships he made on the blogs and that they had changed his life.

He certainly touched mine very deeply and I shall miss him very much.

Many of us share Erika's sentiments. Those of us who followed Göran on Facebook remember that he always said, 'Good night,' before he signed off for the evening, and I remember that he was always present with his 'Prayers ascending' comment at prayer request posts.

Into your hands, O merciful Savior, we commend your servant Göran. Acknowledge, we humbly beseech you, a sheep of your own fold, a lamb of your own flock, a sinner of your own redeeming. Receive him into the arms of your mercy, into the blessed rest of everlasting peace, and into the glorious company of the saints in light. Amen.

May his soul and the souls of all the departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

Almighty God, Father of mercies and giver of comfort: Deal graciously, we pray, with all who mourn; that, casting all their care on you, they may know the consolation of your love; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

(Book of Common Prayer)

EVEN AT DAVID KATO'S FUNERAL...

From Reuters:

Scuffles broke out between locals and friends of a murdered Ugandan gay activist at his funeral on Friday after the pastor conducting the service berated gay people and villagers refused to bury the coffin.

David Kato was beaten to death with a hammer on Wednesday, police said. His photo was printed on the cover of a newspaper last October that called for gays to be executed under a headline that read: "Hang them".
....

During the funeral -- which was attended by about 300 people, including about 100 members of the country's gay community -- the pastor lashed out at homosexuality, provoking a strong reaction from friends of Kato.

"The world has gone crazy," the pastor told the congregation through a microphone.

"People are turning away from the scriptures. They should turn back, they should abandon what they are doing. You cannot start admiring a fellow man."
....

Villagers then refused to bury the body at which point a group of Kato's friends, most of whom were gay, carried his coffin to the grave and buried it themselves.

Read it all, the whole sorry spectacle of an Anglican priest Lay Reader berating the deceased and his friends from the pulpit at Kato's funeral.

The police authorities say the preliminary investigation indicates that Kato was killed in a robbery, but human rights activists suspect otherwise.

H/T to Jim Burroway at Box Turtle Bulletin.

THE PHELPS GANG RIDES AGAIN

From Pink News:

Fred Phelps' gang will picket Elizabeth Edwards' funeral service, because:

She was a supporter of gay rights and in 2008, while her husband was running for the presidency, declared that she believed in legalising gay marriage.
....

The church...released a statement condemning her for having fertility treatment and for questioning her faith after her 16-year-old son Wade was killed in an accident.

Westboro Baptist Church needs a name-change to Westboro Church of Stony Hearts or Westboro Church of No Mercy.

R. I. P. COLIN SLEE

Sermon by the Jeffrey John, Dean of St Albans, at the funeral of Colin Slee, Dean of Southwark Cathedral.

I didn't know Colin Slee. Until his recent death, I didn't know anything about Dean Slee, but after reading Jeffrey John's lovely sermon at his funeral service, I wish I'd known him or, at least, known a bit more about him.

One of the last things Colin said before he died was, ‘I am surprisingly un-scared’. It could have been the motto of his whole life. Colin was always surprisingly un-scared. Unlike the rest of us, he never did let fear or self-consciousness or embarrassment to stop him reaching out to the most unlikely and needy people, or doing and saying what he thought was right and true. All the frightened, careful people said Colin was risky, indiscreet, unreliable – ‘the most dangerous man in the Church of England’ said one, to Colin’s deep delight. But he was not dangerous or indiscreet or unreliable - certainly not in anything that mattered. He was just surprisingly un-scared.

If you ask why he was so un-scared, I think the answer is as straightforward as he was. He really did believe. He really trusted in a good and loving God as Jesus came to make Him known to us; and that confidence set him free to be the astonishingly life-giving, brave, generous and joyous person that he was.
....

The papers and his detractors always portrayed Colin as an arch-Liberal, as if he were the leader of a faction obsessed with a secular agenda. It was never true, and it misses the whole point. For Colin it began and ended with God. The truth is that he was a traditional Catholic Anglican, thoroughly disciplined and orthodox in his faith, a man of profound prayer and penitence. His idea of inclusiveness was not that ‘anything goes’, but that we are all equally in need of healing, and therefore the Church must equally be a home for all. Colin welcomed people because Jesus did. (My emphasis)

Amen, and amen, and amen!

I'm baffled that, all too often, it seems difficult for certain of my brother and sister Christians to understand that one can be "thoroughly disciplined and orthodox" in one's faith and still welcome everyone because Jesus did. How is it arch-liberal or secular to look to Jesus in the Gospels as the model for how we are to "do unto others"?

From the website of Southwark Cathedral.

Photo from the Guardian.