Point Of Order

Shawn e-mails to pick nits:

The State funeral was Wednesday evening, in the Capitol Rotunda. That is also when President Reagan began lying in state, as opposed to when he was at the Presidential Library where he lie in repose.

Yesterday was the National Funeral Service, or perhaps some other title With Capital Letters.

And, it certainly was wonderful.

The California service also was beautiful, reducing us to tears in our living room. The final "Hail to the Chief," the eulogies by the children, the golden sun dipping below the California landscape, the folding of the flag and it's presentation to Mrs. Reagan and her last, final goodbye.

While the National Funeral was held in a cathedral, and there were readings from the Bible, this interment service seemed, to me, to be much more religious. Beautiful hymns and national songs sung before the service; an opening prayer from the Reagan's pastor; Michaels testimony of his father's faith and his own acceptance of Jesus Christ as his savior and redeemer; and also Ronald Prescott's testimony of his father's unabashed religiosity, not to get votes, but because he was a human being. During the recessional, after the Reagan family had left the gravesite, the Air Force band (I believe it was an Air Force Band, but I can't trust Fox; they had, 2 times yesterday, indicated we were seeing an 'Army 21 gun salute' when it was clearly Marines rendering the salute) played selections of Lutheran Funeral Hymns: "Abide With Me," "Holy, Holy, Holy," "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God." The last allows me to consider the selection Lutheran Funeral Hymns as the Reverend Martin Luther penned it.

All in all, a lovely day.