Suggested Funeral
Service
Elements (obviously
every element is optional)
Suggested service:
At this point the funeral director will take charge. If there is to be a final viewing of the body, he or she will direct this, as well as the departure from the building to the funeral procession. The pastor will wait in the appropriate place until the casket is in readiness to be taken to the funeral car. He will precede the pallbearers and the casket.
At the cemetery:
Examples
Suggested service:
· Invocation – A prayer to encourage quietness of spirit, the yielding of the heart to the wisdom of God, grace for the present hour and a deep sense of God’s presence and comfort in the service.
· Special music (or a poem)
· Eulogy or Tribute – This allows for loved ones to speak for the deceased. It gives insight into the person’s life, their impact and some truths that characterized their lives that are worthy of being passed on or emulated. There is usually great value in an appropriate reference to the life and ministry of the deceased, one which often provides additional comfort to the family and can be enormously healing for the bereaved.
·
Scripture
o Psalm 27:1, 4-8, 14 The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid? One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple. For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock. Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the Lord. Hear my voice when I call, O Lord; be merciful to me and answer me. My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” You face, Lord I will seek…Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.
o Isaiah
33:15-17, 21-22, 24 He who walks righteously and speaks what is right, who
rejects gain from extortion and keeps his hand from accepting bribes, who stops
his ears against plots of murder and shuts his eyes against contemplating evil
– this is the man who will dwell on the heights, whose refuge will be in the
mountain fortress. His bread will be supplied, water will not fail him. Your
eyes will see the king in his beauty and view a land that stretches afar. There
the Lord will be our Mighty One. It will be like a place of broad rivers and
streams. No galley with oars will ride them, no mighty ship will sail them. For
the Lord is our Judge; the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our King; it is he
who will save us. No one living in
o Isaiah 40:28-29, 31 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
o 1 Corinthians
15:50-58 I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and
blood cannot inherit the
o 1
Thessalonians 4:13-18 Brothers, we do not want you to
be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who
have no hope. 14We believe that Jesus died and rose
again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen
asleep in him. 15According to the Lord's own word, we
tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord,
will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16For
the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the
voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ
will rise first. 17After that, we who are still alive
and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the
Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18Therefore
encourage each other with these words.
o Psalm 23 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
o John
14:1-6, 27 "Do not let your hearts be troubled.
Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were
not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And
if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with
me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am
going." Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going,
so how can we know the way?" Jesus answered, "I am the way and the
truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me… Peace I leave
with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not
let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
· Prayer – a simple, heartfelt petition on behalf of those who sorrow.
· Special music (If only one musical selection is used, this is perhaps the best time for it.)
· Sermon – The message will be brief, simple and comforting, not delivered in harsh or loud tones. It will be directed to the living and not to the dead. There will be abundant expressions of comfort. Salvation will be pointed up in an inviting, non-confrontational manner as an expression of hope for all.
· Prayer – This prayer will be brief, asking that the sorrowing might be enabled to direct their hearts and hopes to the Word just set before them, finding its strength and solace for their need now and in days to come.
· Postlude -
At the cemetery:
· Committal – We gather here to commit to this resting place the body of our loved one and friend, whose spirit is already with the Lord. While this spot of earth will hold the form of one whose memory we shall treasure, we look not here in sorrow as those who have no hope. We believe that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord and that to die is gain. We therefore commit this body to the ground in the renewed and fresh hope of the return of Christ, at whose appearing “the dead in Christ will rise first. After that we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)
·
Benediction
– May you be healed, comforted and sustained. May the Father, by his grace,
grant you forgiveness, mercy and comfort. May he
enfold you within your fellowship of love and in the household of faith. May he enlighten you in your seeking.
May he deepen your sense of trust. I pray that he will
unravel your mixed up, confused feelings so that you may face what you must in
a triumphant way, through Christ Jesus. Amen.