A burial service today at Sarasota County FL Pauper's Cemetery.
It was not until today (Dec 17th 2013) that I knew of a Pauper's cemetery in Sarasota County FL
Here is a bit about it.
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&CRid=2304221
Such cemeteries are sometime known as Potter's Fields see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potter's_field
All that being said I was at the Sarasota County Pauper's cemetery this morning to pray at the internment of the ashes of someone I had never known.
His name was Rich. He hailed from New Jersey.
Rich had been on his own since the age of 16 by which age both his Mom and Dad had ded.
He died some weeks ago at the age of 60. He had been dead for five days when his corpse was found in a trailer (caravan) in which he lived in SRQ.
The "authorities" could identify but one contact for the deceased , a retired firefighter named Mike B from Buffalo NY who now lives in this part of FL.
Mike B and I know each other because we have ministered together at the daytime shelter for homeless people in SRQ Resurrection House.
Mike B is not overtly religious, but he is a man after God's own heart,
He cared for Rich so much that he was determined that Rich's cremated remains should not be interred in the Pauper's cemetery without prayer. That's where I came in.
I, with Mike, with Mike's good friend Len, with a Sarasota County Social Services staff member, and with a cousin of Rich (who appeared out of nowhere) stood around a hole which in the ground and into which we placed Rich's cremated remains, with prayer.
I am saddened by the circumstance of Rich's death.
I am so deeply honoured that Mike B asked me to pray when R's ashes were interred in a pauper's grave.
In all our desperation and cynicism let's be grateful for gracious blue collar folks such as Mike B who put their money alongside their mouths,
Here is a bit about it.
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&CRid=2304221
Such cemeteries are sometime known as Potter's Fields see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potter's_field
All that being said I was at the Sarasota County Pauper's cemetery this morning to pray at the internment of the ashes of someone I had never known.
His name was Rich. He hailed from New Jersey.
Rich had been on his own since the age of 16 by which age both his Mom and Dad had ded.
He died some weeks ago at the age of 60. He had been dead for five days when his corpse was found in a trailer (caravan) in which he lived in SRQ.
The "authorities" could identify but one contact for the deceased , a retired firefighter named Mike B from Buffalo NY who now lives in this part of FL.
Mike B and I know each other because we have ministered together at the daytime shelter for homeless people in SRQ Resurrection House.
Mike B is not overtly religious, but he is a man after God's own heart,
He cared for Rich so much that he was determined that Rich's cremated remains should not be interred in the Pauper's cemetery without prayer. That's where I came in.
I, with Mike, with Mike's good friend Len, with a Sarasota County Social Services staff member, and with a cousin of Rich (who appeared out of nowhere) stood around a hole which in the ground and into which we placed Rich's cremated remains, with prayer.
I am saddened by the circumstance of Rich's death.
I am so deeply honoured that Mike B asked me to pray when R's ashes were interred in a pauper's grave.
In all our desperation and cynicism let's be grateful for gracious blue collar folks such as Mike B who put their money alongside their mouths,
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