The memorial service Saturday for Pastor Dave was so uplifting! The first hymn we sang was the old gospel song "I'll Fly Away." You may remember it from the movie, "O Brother, Where Art Thou" made several years ago. It has the phrase, "When I die, hallelujah bye and bye, I'll fly away." Those in the standing-room-only crowd sang enthusiastically, as Dave would have appreciated. The choir sang, Dave's daughters each read Scripture, a son-in-law prayed, Pastor Harvey gave a beautiful meditation incorporating stories about Dave. Communion was served by ministers paired with family members at four stations to accommodate everyone more easily. A lovely reception followed.
I felt satisfied with the mostly classical pieces I chose for prelude and postlude. Knowing the choir would take communion after everyone else since they sang "Beautiful Savior" first, I used "Down to the River to Pray" and "Shall We Gather by the River" to fill that time. Some people began to sing along, which always makes me feel like I made a good choice. Music for a memorial service or a funeral can be challenging to pick because I don't want it to be dreary or too exuberant.
I had a meeting at 4:00, then Randy and I went to his cousin Jay's house in Castro Valley for dinner. His aunt and uncle were there, as were Jay's daughter and her three young children. We hadn't seen the little ones in quite a while, so it was fun to see the 4 and 2 year old play together.
It was a full day.
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