"Strange and Bizarre"

Over the years, I have witnessed some of the strangest and most bizarre things in the church, at funerals and such like things. Some are hard to believe how people responded and what they did. I know you have had many things in your lives. What I would like to do is from time to time, I will share a "strange and bizarre" moment and if you do not mind, please share one of your with me (and others who read). This could get very interesting...

I was 25 years old and it was the very first funeral I ever did. It will always stick with me. I was preaching in Beardstown, Illinois and one of the members of the body there had a nephew that was stabbed in the heart during a fight. A horrible situation but the member of the body approached me and asked me if I would do the funeral as a service to her. I agreed, like a young knucklehead would do. My mind filled with all the opportunities I would get to speak to so many on behalf of the Lord. They were expecting a large crowd. He was 21 years old and had a nine month old daughter. He and his wife had been married two years. I was so excited...and naive!

The funeral started with some loud old country bar drinking song! I thought, "I didn't know they were going to play this!" After the song, I got up to speak. I had not gotten out a few words and suddenly, a wailing like I had never heard, shook me to my socks. His wife just blurted out crying. That sent the crowd into hysteria! For a few moments it was completely chaotic and I was unable to speak. I had to let the crowd settle down. Finally, family members helped the wife and others gain control. I spoke again and the words flew out of her mouth, "I can't believe he's gone! He will never see his little girl again!" The loud crying hit again. I was completely lost and confused!! The worst was yet to come. After long pauses due to the outbursts of crying and wailing, I finally and thankfully reached the end. People began to leave and the room emptied, passing by the coffin for a final view, leaving the family for their final last moments. I stepped outside with the crowd to wait. I waited, waited and then from behind a door a hand reached out and grabbed me by the shoulder. It was the funeral director. He pulled me in and said, "We need your help! Get in here!" I looked up and you wouldn't believe it. The wife of this young man had climbed up into the coffin, having wrapped her arms around his neck, sitting on him, kissing him and wouldn't let him go. I was in shock. The director said, "We have never had anything like this and she won't listen to us. You have got to talk her down!" Me? A 25 year old greenhorn who never had done a funeral? The one who was in shock over what happened during the service? They were asking me to talk her down? I was still in my preaching diapers!!! I walked over talking to her. She wailed holding on to her husbands corpse with all her being, lifting him up toward her. I reached out and touched her shoulder while continuing to talk. She wailed louder. I patted her arm and asked her to look at me. She finally did. As I continued to speak, (I can't remember one word I said because I thought I was in a dream world), she finally let go of him, took my hand and climbed down. She really messed up the body of her husband, that was for sure. Let me say, I grew up a lot that day!

What about your "strange and bizarre" experiences? I am waiting to hear...