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Funerals on TV posted on July 8, 2009

Loss is difficult for adults, teens, and children. Paris Jackson showed us a display of bravery when, surrounded by her brothers, aunts and uncles, she said goodbye to her father, Michael Jackson, in front of the people gathered at the Staples Center in Los Angeles yesterday, July 7, 2009, and for the television cameras.

If you have had the television on for the last 24 hours you may have seen clips and bits of the televised memorial of Michael Jackson, the singers, speakers, family members and mostly, Paris Jackson. She said, ‘Daddy was the best father’, that she loved him so much, and she cried. Her grief was shared at that moment through the media to millions of people and has been replayed over and over. I hope the family will be able to grieve the loss of their loved one without the world dissecting every possible feeling or thought they might be having and hounding them over it, because unless the family actually speaks, we will not know what they are thinking and feeling. It is not ours to know, it is a family matter. Maybe you could lift them up in prayer and turn to your children. Hug them a lot.

If your children have seen this video clip, they might be prompted to ask you questions about death, life after death, funerals and what you believe happens to people when they die. Young Paris Jackson expressing ever so bravely her emotions at the loss of her beloved father, make this televised experience more real for children, because she is a kid, like them. Kids have big feelings and can be brave. They might relate to her through her loss, grief and love for her parent.

Are you ready to explain what you believe happens when death over takes this physical body and life as we know it is over? You might want to be ready to have that conversation with the children you love and care for, as you pray for the Jackson family in their loss. Each faith tradition has a different way of speaking to the issue of life after death, I pray you will be able to find words for your belief in faith.

Music
On CGR we play some songs that might help the conversation: Grandma God, is a song I wrote for a 10-year-old boy who lost his beloved Grandmother. As he was talking about how he missed her, it sounded like a song to me. Maybe it will help you with your kids if there has been loss. Songs of your faith tradition that give you comfort that we play depending on your tradition include, Amazing Grace, Blessed Be the Name of the Lord, God is in Control, Sing When the Spirit Says Sing. I offer these because they promise that God knows, everything. I tell kids that when they are sad, God weeps, too. God knows what they are going through and can bring comfort through prayer. What other songs should we play that will help this dialogue?

Regarding the high profile memorial for Michael Jackson, we have added his song, Black or White, to the music programming hoping that the good messages of eliminating racism might help to share what good things people can do in this lifetime to make things better.

Hope it helps, send in your suggestions for tunes, it helps!
Blessings for the common good,

Pastor Robin

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