I have literally been around the family funeral business my entire life, am a licensed funeral director for over 33 years, a co-owner of our family's funeral home, and member of LCMS. I have seen attitudes on funeral customs and traditions in general change considerably.

Over the past decade, during my own unscientific study, I have witnessed a growing number of the deceased's closest family and friends -- those who attend the committal service -- unable to recite the church's most common prayer, the Lord's Prayer.

I agree with the author's assessment that funerals have changed, and that social media has a considerable influence on society. This influence is on many elements in society. Not just the church or funerals.

The church provides excellent instruction on how to live a God fearing life, which includes service to others before yourself. In addition to not learning about Christ and salvation, my concern with younger people moving away from church is the attitude of putting oneself before all others, including God. Self-serving is a threat to, well, themselves.

The church and funeral directors alike understand the benefits that come from healthy grieving, which includes having young and old members of the family participate in the service. Viewing the body, sharing the experience with other family and the community, and committing the body offers the bereaved a definitive line to begin their time from a life with their loved one to a life without their loved one.

It all comes down to teaching. Many of today's parents do not have to skills to teach their own children about the church, death, grief, and funerals if all they can recite is if they saw it on tv or the internet.

Death and grief must be experienced. Just ask the countless number of families who were unable to properly say goodbye during the COVID lockdown.