The Prodigal Son isn’t just about returning home, it is also a story about forgiveness, redemption, clarity, service, celebration, and community.  The idea of church had always been a struggle for me.  I found myself judging the church closely, as if it were supposed to be perfect, and when I found evidence to the contrary, I held a grudge against it. I suppose I am like the older brother in this way; believing myself to be ‘holier than thou’ and thinking everything around me should be fair, while fulfilling unattainable expectations.  When my father passed away recently, it became all the clearer to me that I have been wrong about church. That it was never supposed to be perfect, but instead like a family that protects, helps, and guides its members, and at the very least creates a place that is safe…

Funerals are a sacred event in the life of the church. People attend funerals for many reasons. One of the primary reasons that we gather together during the death of a loved one is to remember our faith and find comfort in the presence of God and one another.

Often at funerals, we turn to music to express our faith and to find the comfort and faithful reminder we need in times of mourning and trials. One of the most popular hymns often chosen in times like this is In the Garden by C. Austin Miles.