Biography of Author / Christopher Miller
Born in Davenport, Iowa, and grew up in parsonages as a preacher’s kid (PK). Graduated from Carthage College (BA, sociology, ’71) and then spent three years as a parish youth worker in Appleton, Wisconsin. Attended the ELCA Lutheran seminary in Chicago (LSTC, ’75–’79) and was ordained on March 25, 1979. Had served various parishes in Wisconsin, including Kenosha, Rice Lake / Brill, Mineral Point, and Loganville; also served parishes in Iowa City, IA, & Blue Springs, MO
Married with three children, four grandchildren, and two step-grandchildren.
Now retired after thirty-five years in active parish ministry, and 5 years of Interim pastoral work in the Southeast Minnesota Synod. In 2014 he was a Candidate for the Wisconsin State Assembly, 50th District.
During 40 years of ministry, he presided at nearly 258 funerals, including for stillborns, infants, young people, a transplant recipient, suicide victims, the elderly, married couples, siblings, and members of extended families ~ as the result of deaths by natural causes / conditions as well as by vehicular accidents.
With wife, Donna, they live in the Rochester, MN, area, relocating near our Iowa, Wisconsin, and Minnesota roots. Donna grew up in Eveleth, MN, and graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College (’76), in Saint Peter, MN. They met as seminary students at LSTC (Jan, ‘77) and married Sept. ‘77.
“It has been an Exciting and Rewarding Adventure together as a Couple, as Parents & Grandparents, and in our extended families; in Ministry, to Mission Trips, and on my Campaign.”
OBJECTIVES, TERMS and DEFINITIONS
Funeral Planning and Proclamation is only difficult when we try to balance, in proper proportion, expressions of our love for the deceased, with our need to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Do not focus solely on the unique qualities and characteristics of the loved one; that simply aggrandizes the dead.
LAY PEOPLE are those without formal degrees in theology, but have a heart for God and have been receptive to the Light of the world ~ as revealed in Jesus Christ by the Grace of God. We should want to thank God for giving each person Time, Talents, and Treasures that they have shared with us. It is all part of a grand scheme that unites us ~ with others and with God ~ in a Divine Drama on a world stage. Thank God for the invitation to join in, the freedom to choose our roles, and for those roles to have significance (temporal & eternal) in our families and churches, our communities and country.
A SAINT is: a Baptized, Repentant, Forgiven Sinner. God then boldly uses us and literally recruits & equips us for then casts us in the Divine Drama as soldiers against the forces of evil.
A LEGACY is: what we create with our words and deeds day-by-decade over a lifetime that we model and leave for others to value & cherish & follow.
A TRIBUTE is: our words and memories to describe the character, passions and enduring value of our loved one. It is like a “photo collage” written in words.
A TRIBUTE brings into focus what made a person’s life special and sacred. That is the deceased’s Legacy. A tribute helps us to review those important aspects for the purpose of embodying those values and virtues in our own lives. In a way, it is identifying the “Torch” another is passing-on to those that remain in the Journey. Reading these Tributes and Stories are “Devotional” by giving examples of the experiences and choices others have made along their way.
A TRIBUTE describes how our loved one “walked the walk.” We can hope our words make it easier for us and others to recognize and benefit from their example. May those memories guide us on the path we forge in our own day and age—thereby extending the ripples of the loved one’s influence.
Naming these unique qualities, along with valuable characteristics and virtues, creates the snapshots we can hold in our hearts and minds’ eyes. Those memories don’t have to become scattered, vague recollections stored in dusty albums misplaced in dark recesses of a closet or of one’s mind.
Author’s Words:
One “question” we may have ~ about the end-of-life is: how well do we each play our part, and what are we expecting in return? Applause? Fame? Money? Celebrity? Or Eternal Life?
Whatever the answers are, it first presumes this “thing” we call life, is a live, meaningful performance ~ with all its anxieties, credits and consequences.
At the “end” of one’s “performance” – at their funeral – is an occasion to applaud and praise this “doer in the Arena” however magnificent or modest their contribution. We do so to “dignify” another’s life by seeing even apparent mundane moments as necessary deeds that further the plot-line intended by God and that are infused with Divine ramifications. Remember, Jesus, as the Christ the King, says: “When you did it to one of the least of these, you did it to me.” (Matthew 25:40)
Doing so also adds context and value to our own life ~ as one of those who are still in the Arena making our mark, pitching our wares, and contributing our “two cents” – now praising those who have contributed to our ongoing effort and character.
Therefore, when a Preacher / Storyteller is “on their game”, preparing for a funeral Tribute or Sermon, and as they are sifting through the experiences, events & contributions of another’s life as they have experienced them – they are LIKE:
An Archeologist…who can tell the difference between a bone, a tool or an artifact and can imagine / determine the value, use, purpose or benefit of the person’s gifts and talents.
A Prospector…who knows where and what to look for when seeking precious jewels, gemstones, and metals, or crystals, then carefully extracting them from the dirt and rock which encased them ~ before displaying their distinct brilliance.
A Street Photographer…who recognizes beauty in the common & mundane features of their subject and whose eye & focus, lenses & apps can highlight and accentuate their unique beauty.
In other words, the preacher or eulogist can rub off the rustic enough while preserving and celebrating the patina of a person’s life, revealing, or exposing their impact, values and virtues.