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Religion

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BainsBane

(55,974 posts)
Fri May 29, 2015, 08:21 PM May 2015

It is with some trepidation I post here [View all]

but I need some help. I am planning a memorial service for my father who recently died. He was not religious but not an atheist, more agnostic. He did not ask to see a pastor while in the hospital dying, didn't speak of God or the afterlife. He did not consider himself a Christian but our family celebrates the traditional Christian holidays more as secular, family events. Holidays are an opportunity for us all to get together, share a meal, and spend time together. My dad's ashes will be buried in a memorial garden at a Unitarian Universalist Church because that is where his parents' ashes are.

We asked an Episcopal Priest to officiate at the proceeding because he is friends with my dad back from the old hippie days. All my dad's hippie friends know the priest, and he is totally welcoming of people from all theist and non-theist outlooks. Now the priest is willing to do any kind of readings/prayers/poems, we would like. I think a strongly religious service would be inappropriate, but I'm not opposed to some ecumenical/non-denominational readings. I need to come up with some readings and poems for the priest to read at the memorial. I am hoping people here would offer some suggestions from inter-faith and non-theist perspectives.

I request this doesn't become a discussion about the merits or ills of religion. I just seek some advice, and I hope that folks here might have some suggestions.

Thanks very much,
BB

42 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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A UU hymnal may be of some help. Laffy Kat May 2015 #1
Maybe the priest has some ideas. Or maybe your dad's old hippie friends do. struggle4progress May 2015 #2
kick... daleanime May 2015 #3
Sorry for the passing of your father, BB. Kind thoughts to you. misterhighwasted May 2015 #4
That's a nice one BainsBane May 2015 #7
My mother just informed me that Gibran is gauche BainsBane May 2015 #18
You could check out Marianne Williamson's Illuminata catrose May 2015 #5
Thanks, I will. nt BainsBane May 2015 #9
There are a lot of meaningful songs that generation sang, with various words struggle4progress May 2015 #6
We do have a musician BainsBane May 2015 #8
The funerals I've attended often begin dark and mournfully but end upbeat struggle4progress May 2015 #10
We're having it in the park, outside BainsBane May 2015 #11
May your memories be a blessing struggle4progress May 2015 #12
Thank you. BainsBane May 2015 #13
When Joyce died, we had no music and no poems and no prayers. Hoppy May 2015 #14
Wow. What a lovely idea. BainsBane May 2015 #15
Why have a "service" at all? Warren Stupidity May 2015 #16
For his friends and family BainsBane May 2015 #19
This is a nice older( sort of) hippie song. misterhighwasted May 2015 #17
I think John Prine was his favorite BainsBane May 2015 #20
Yes John Prine. misterhighwasted May 2015 #21
He was 74 BainsBane May 2015 #22
Yes I understand, my father's life ended for a similar reason misterhighwasted May 2015 #24
Thanks so much BainsBane May 2015 #25
"Johnny Got His Gun" was actually a 1938 novel about a badly wounded WWI soldier: struggle4progress May 2015 #26
Oh yes..I recall some history there with Trumbo. misterhighwasted May 2015 #34
Cool man, your dad. misterhighwasted May 2015 #23
The song is Pete Seeger's rewrite of Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 struggle4progress May 2015 #27
It's from the Bible - Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 Iris May 2015 #39
When my dad passed away (at 92) The Velveteen Ocelot May 2015 #28
So sorry for your loss. I spent hours on the Internet looking for applegrove May 2015 #29
Best to you. xfundy May 2015 #30
poetry that expresses deep emotions for those who we love and who just passed on. achsadu May 2015 #32
I went to a return to Earth day funeral yeoman6987 May 2015 #31
Sorry BB. I wrote a short story which had a theme. I'll DUmail it to you if you want. It's my view. freshwest May 2015 #33
He told us he had no preference about burial or memorial service BainsBane May 2015 #36
Crossing The Bar - Tennyson (nt) malokvale77 May 2015 #35
Any particular literature or poetry, or even ideas he might have liked? AtheistCrusader May 2015 #37
I would imagine an Episcopal priest would end the service with The Lord's Prayer. NaturalHigh May 2015 #38
I am so sorry for your loss. cbayer May 2015 #40
Thank you, cbayer BainsBane May 2015 #41
Sorry for your loss BainsBane, pinto May 2015 #42
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