Archive Entry #88: July 28, 1988

After I retire, the one ministry I will almost certainly claim as my signature ministry is creating meaningful, memorable, and personal celebrations of life in what we call funerals.

To date I’ve written 521 such services, most for people I never knew but whose life I assisted people to honor. I don’t claim a lot of ministry gifts, but a special ability to create great funeral experiences is one of them.

Today’s archive entry from 1988 I include as early witness to what was way back then only a hint of a whisper that funerals would become such a profound piece of my calling.

COMING NEXT: From eighteen years ago, a column reacting to the news of Ellen Degeneres’ coming out as gay, and what I called a well known professional golfer’s “coming out."  Find it HERE.