I wanted to write some brilliant protrayal of Goldies funeral, but the days are passing and I don't want to miss the opportunity.
So I will tell you what I remember... I don't want to make her funeral about blacks and whites, but it is what I remember. Have you ever been to a black church? I mean an all black church? Where the pastor accentuates every word with a sing song "UH" for example... Jesusuh... SO fun! Goldie has 5 siblings, seemingly thousands of cousins and neices and nephews, and black funerals are far from reserved somber occasions. They seem to be more like a family gathering.
Of course there was sadness, of course there was grief, but even the expression of that was loud and uncontrolled. One woman was so overcome, she fell to the floor in front of the casket... but at the reception led us all in some amazing Negro Sprirituals! The funeral was a call to know Jesus... both pastors and the (phenominal) vocalist were all about the "after life" and being ready for His coming now and preparing our hearts... that it wasn't a sad day, it was a day to celebrate that Goldie did know Jesus. The second pastor who spoke I understood maybe a third of what he said. I was one of maybe six white people in the room (the other 5 from Hope City as well), and everyone else was shouting "Amen" and "Come on now". It was great. I felt at home there, regardless of how different I looked, and I felt a deep affection for the people.
The reception was held where we have our meetings. The family and friends came to eat and celebrate "Goldie's going away party". Seriously... that is what it was. We had the honour of serving all 100 of them. We laughed, joked around and marveled at how the sisters and mom looked just like Goldie and how Hattie, one of the sisters sounded SO MUCH like her that I did a double take when I met her.
The favourite moment for me? When 8 of them got up on stage and started singing. We got an amazing view of what the house of prayer in the city could sound like. And for the first time, we felt like the ceiling was broken spiritually over the seperation of black and white for us as a ministry. Someone said "we are witnessing the seed that fell to the ground (Goldie) bearing fruit". Many of the people there wanted to know what we were about because of how Goldie had changed so much over the last year... I believe we haven't seen the last of Goldie's family.
One more thing... at the end of the reception, Lisa, myself and the rest of the Hope City crew were cleaning up and all in one area of the room. I look up and there is a line of 8 to 10 of Goldie's immediate family (sisters, brothers, mom, dad, and sons) standing in front of us. They, with many hugs and tears in their eyes thanked us for the day, but also for our role in Goldie's life. My response was "we did out of our love for Goldie, and for you." And I meant every word.
Look over us Goldie, enjoy your place with the King, and we miss you.
So I will tell you what I remember... I don't want to make her funeral about blacks and whites, but it is what I remember. Have you ever been to a black church? I mean an all black church? Where the pastor accentuates every word with a sing song "UH" for example... Jesusuh... SO fun! Goldie has 5 siblings, seemingly thousands of cousins and neices and nephews, and black funerals are far from reserved somber occasions. They seem to be more like a family gathering.
Of course there was sadness, of course there was grief, but even the expression of that was loud and uncontrolled. One woman was so overcome, she fell to the floor in front of the casket... but at the reception led us all in some amazing Negro Sprirituals! The funeral was a call to know Jesus... both pastors and the (phenominal) vocalist were all about the "after life" and being ready for His coming now and preparing our hearts... that it wasn't a sad day, it was a day to celebrate that Goldie did know Jesus. The second pastor who spoke I understood maybe a third of what he said. I was one of maybe six white people in the room (the other 5 from Hope City as well), and everyone else was shouting "Amen" and "Come on now". It was great. I felt at home there, regardless of how different I looked, and I felt a deep affection for the people.
The reception was held where we have our meetings. The family and friends came to eat and celebrate "Goldie's going away party". Seriously... that is what it was. We had the honour of serving all 100 of them. We laughed, joked around and marveled at how the sisters and mom looked just like Goldie and how Hattie, one of the sisters sounded SO MUCH like her that I did a double take when I met her.
The favourite moment for me? When 8 of them got up on stage and started singing. We got an amazing view of what the house of prayer in the city could sound like. And for the first time, we felt like the ceiling was broken spiritually over the seperation of black and white for us as a ministry. Someone said "we are witnessing the seed that fell to the ground (Goldie) bearing fruit". Many of the people there wanted to know what we were about because of how Goldie had changed so much over the last year... I believe we haven't seen the last of Goldie's family.
One more thing... at the end of the reception, Lisa, myself and the rest of the Hope City crew were cleaning up and all in one area of the room. I look up and there is a line of 8 to 10 of Goldie's immediate family (sisters, brothers, mom, dad, and sons) standing in front of us. They, with many hugs and tears in their eyes thanked us for the day, but also for our role in Goldie's life. My response was "we did out of our love for Goldie, and for you." And I meant every word.
Look over us Goldie, enjoy your place with the King, and we miss you.
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