Carawa Cemetery

Grave of Addie Hammat, a child with Down's syndrome,
after whom my granddaughter is named

We went to the Carawa Cemetery today to say our farewells to Aunty Bernice Hammat.  The entrance is grand and long off an unmarked country road. The locals all knew where to go, but we were running blind; pointing the car in the right direction.  Aunty Bernice had been an elder and Methodist/Uniting Church member all her life, yet her family chose to go with a civil celebrant.  (If any of my family are reading this, please don't do this to me.)  But salvation: the celebrant had bought a copy of Rev Dorothy McRae-McMahon's book "The glory of Blood, Sweat and Tears: Liturgies for the living and dying" (JBCE,1996) and used Dorothy's "A Simple Funeral" (page 121) word for word...except for the words 'God' and 'Jesus Christ".  A number of people commented on how much they appreciated the inclusion of the Lord's Prayer at the end and the taped hymns throughout.  
I was reminded of my early funerals as a Lay person in the mid-north, as I observed the sensitivity and clear way the celebrant performed the ceremony.  I would like her to join one of my congregations, so I can use her as a Lay Celebrant from the church - perhaps then she could use the church liturgy with integrity.
I watch the funeral service from the foot of Addie Hammat's grave. And as I prayed for Auntie Bernice and her family, I remembered Addie 1 and 2 in my prayers.
A special day for special people in a special place.