It’s exacting because of the variety of emotions present. Fear, grief, cynicism, guilt, joy, anger, and relief are all present in a mix of helplessness and hope. I’ve discovered it’s not always possible to anticipate how family and friends will respond during a service. Some who appear to have the strongest faith and greatest depth of character struggle most with death. I was surprised to find that nowhere in the Bible does it tell pastors to bury the dead. Yet when I was ordained