2. A funeral is a time to give attention to things being said and done. Your engagement matters. Probably it would be best to turn off the cell phone and put it away.
3. Prior to the service visit quietly and respectfully. Now’s not the time for hootin’, hollerin’, and carrying on, as much fun as those things are.
4. During the sermon, eliminate the chit-chat. You may not realize it but your side conversations can be heard everywhere in a funeral setting.
5. Do your best to not be a distraction in anyway, that means take care of any personal needs before or after the service. The restroom will be there. You can probably wait.
6. If there is a time during the service to share a memory or a comment, don’t hesitate to stand up. Your kind word might be what the family needs to hear. Also, keep it brief.
7. In your conversation with the family make it about them, not you. Show your love because love helps heal hurting hearts. You don’t have to have anything clever or insightful to say. “I’m sorry. I love you. I’m here for you.” That’s about enough.
8. Have a conversation with your teenagers about this list. Don't let them walk into the first funeral they attend unprepared to love well with their behavior.
9. As much as we love small children and as hard as it can be to find someone to care for them, a quiet and sometimes emotionally difficult funeral service might not be the place for them.
