June 2015 – Pastor Anthony’s Letter

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Wow! This last month has been a busy one, not just for the farmers who have been prepping and planting their fields. Not just for the teachers and educators who are wrapping up another academic year. But also for your pastors, organists, church custodians, funeral servers, church members, and the surrounding communities. At Circle of Faith alone, we have had 5 funerals in the last month, not to mention all of the other funerals that we have had throughout our communities this spring.

At some of the funerals that we had this month, you may have noticed that during the funeral service the caskets were covered in a giant white cloth that resembled a big white bedsheet. That cloth is called a funeral pall. We use a funeral pall during the service to remind the living that the loved one who has just died was bap-tized and claimed by God through the waters of baptism. At your baptism you were probably wearing white, symbolizing that you are both clothed in Christ and washed pure of your sins through the waters of baptism. Then at the end of your life, we cover you in white again to remind your loved ones that they don’t have to worry about you because God chose you when you were baptized, you were therefore clothed with Christ, and now that you are no longer living, they can trust that you are with God, resting in the arms of your savior.

So the next time that you are at a funeral and a funeral pall is used, remember that this is to remind you of their baptism and that they are in God’s everlasting care. For the sake of everyone involved, I do however hope and pray that our churches and communities get a break from funerals for a while.

In Christ,

Pastor Anthony