The oldest member of our church, Lucie Jégouic, went into the presence of her Lord and Saviour last Thursday, 1st August. She was in her 101st year. In the absence of our pastor, it was my privilege to conduct the funeral. It was a new experience, but the Lord helped me, and the prayers of many people were behind me. I also asked Alain Monclair, former pastor of the Guingamp church to help me.
The funeral was on Monday in the village where her husband and son are also buried, and where she had lived most of her life. We put 120 chairs out to start with, but quickly realized it wouldn’t be enough. There were at least 180 people. Many were standing. Most of them had not heard the gospel. But a few christian friends and church members had come. A few members of the family talked about the impact Lucie had had in their lives. Someone mentioned that she’d had 64 people descending from her (children, grand-children, great-grand-children, great-great-grand-children). Many of theme were present at the funeral.
I preached from Habakuk 2:4 “The just shall live by his steadfast trust”. I started with the many changes Lucie had been through in her lifetime, but highlighted her steadfast trust in the Lord over the last 50 years since her conversion. I challenged those present by asking them if they shared her hope.
After the ceremony, the family and close friends stayed while those who were not coming to the cemetery walked past the casket. In the cemetery, I prayed again and read a few verses. After this, the family and friends paid their last respects. Then she was laid to rest in the tomb, with her husband and son, awaiting the resurrection of her body.
After the cemetery, we all went to a local restaurant to have a “gouter”: drinks, crepes and cake.
One of the traditions that struck me was the visiting hours before the funeral. People who wanted to were able to go and see the body before the day of the funeral. Every afternoon, the family would be there, in the room, waiting for people to come and visit. Thank you again for all those who prayed.