For 10 years of my life I was an ardent fan of Coronation Street on ITV. At the time, I was resident in a parish and preaching there; but not actively involved in pastoral ministry. I often found themes from the soap opera useful in my preaching – and one of those themes related to the fictional funerals the show featured.  The funerals had some things in common. One was the slight involvement of any clergy: they might have been there, but their presence mattered little. In all cases, it was the words of the mourners that mattered most: ­particularly the eulogy. Nice words or true words or honest and even controversial words spoken in the presence of the other mourners were the most important feature of these funerals.  It is no wonder that eulogies have become such a