Funeral liturgy

A funeral service for a crematorium, or a cemetery, leading to committal

Introductory notes: This service is penned for a post Christian world and is intended for families who ever mainly culturally Christian or not wholly Christians.

Gathering:

We are gathered together to morn and weep, we are gathered together to rejoice and celebrate. For this is a day for both, it is a day to be in communion with those we love, with our farther who loves us and his son who died so that we will never die.

We are here for [Name of the deceased] to remember them, to mark their leaving and to celebrate that God will rise them to life immortal and the same God will heal our brokenness.

Amen

Silence

Blessed are those who morn, for they will be comforted. Jesus wept as we weep for Lazarus, he wept for the pain of his loved one and he rose Lazarus to life as he will raise us.

For god is our comfort, he has promised “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death” or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’

In this time of pain and hurt let us come together likes chicks to our heavenly mother, let us follow our shepherd though the valley of pain and suffering follow to the promised land where we are freed from death sting.

Amen

Hymn:

Prayer of Pain and faithfulness

Based on Job 30

Have I not wept for those in trouble?
Has not my soul grieved for the poor?
Yet when I hoped for good, evil came;
when I looked for light, then came darkness.

The churning inside me never stops;
days of suffering confront me.

In his great power God becomes like clothing to me

He has not forsaken me – though I mourn

He has not forgotten me – though my pain is great

He weeps with me

He weeps for me

My God calls me to his side

For his healing

For my comfort

So his mercy life me up

My loved one has gone one before me

God has walked with them thought the valley of death

Though the desert of sin

And now resides in the city of Gold

God walks with him, even up to dying himself on the cross to raise us all

God be with me while I walk in pain

God be with me in my brokenness

God be with me

Amen

The Ministry of the word:

Eulogy

Talk to the faithful

Talk to the doubtful

It is odd for a Christian text to command preacher talk to those who don’t believe in the resurrection but they morn just as we who believe do and they deserve comfort just as we do.

Response

Based on Psalm 34

We give thanks that the Lord is close to the broken-hearted
 and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

The righteous person may have many troubles,
 but the Lord delivers him from them all;
The Lord will rescue his servants;
 No one who takes refuge in him will be condemned.

We give thanks that when we seek the Lord, and he answers us;
That God will delivered us from all my fears.
I am blessed for when this poor person called the Lord heard him;
God stays with us and comfort us through all our troubles.
We our blessed when we find our refuge in his mercy.

We know you walked with N in all their joys and sorrows

Just as you walk with us still

We know that you have taken N to be with you

You’ve taken N beyond the trials and sufferings of this world

You did all this though death and resurrection of your own son

You did all this because you love us

A love never perishes.

We thank you for the joy they brought us

For the happy memories we have of them

We thank you for the love they brought in to our lives.

We praise you our faithful father God

We give thanks Lord for the life of N

It was your abundant love that gives us life

It is your love that will give us life immortal

Amen

Silence

Response prayer for those who morn

Almighty God

Father of all mercies and giver of all comfort,

Deal graciously with those who morn,

That they may cast every care on you

And know the consolation of your love;

Through Jesus Christ. Amen

 Commendation:

We commit into your keeping, O merciful God, the soul of our beloved N.

Receive them into your perfect kingdom, and take us into your arms of mercy.

Take the soul of N into the joy of everlasting peace and let them reside with you.

Take their soul and keep them safe until we see them again on the day of resurrection.

Take from us Lord all our anger or bitterness.

Take from us lord all our hate and vileness.

We beseech thee to do all of this in your power

For your glory and through the blood of your son Jesus Christ

Amen

Intro to the Lord’s Prayer:

Death always leaves much unresolved, pain left unexpressed, anger and earthly disputes lie around like snares but what good is any of this? We are dust and to dust we will all return. Let us remember that forgiveness and rebirth is at the heat of the gospel, that love is our fathers command and that Christ lived the perfect life of forgives to forgive all sin and all people. 

Lord’s prayer

Hymn

Committal

Since the earthly life of N has come to an end, we commit their body to the elements.

Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust;

In the sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life

In the sure and certain hope of your mercy God

In the sure and certain hoe that you will make them shine with your glory

We commit ourselves to your spirit of forgiveness

In the sure an certain hope you will heal our wounds

In the sure and certain knowledge that you weep and rejoice with us.

Through our saviour Jesus Christ;

To whom be glory for ever and ever.

Amen.

Prayer for the living

We stand separated from those who have gone to glory before us, until our labours on earth are done.

Lord be with me in my mourning, Lord weep with me and you wept for Lazarus

Lord cry out in despair with me as you cried upon the cross

Lord embrace me as your embraced Thomas when he saw your resurrected glory

When my earthly labour our done lord bring me home Lord

Where I shall be free from the darkness of this world,

Where I shall be freed from the dazzling of this world.

In your house there is no more fear nor struggle.

When I shall pass with you though the valley of death

You will make me whole once more

Your power shall heal the wounds of this life

Like the blind beggar I will receive new site

Through Christ I shall live anew

In the communion of your love

With all who have walked with you and dwell with you

I will follow faithful just as N has gone before me

Just as Christ when before them, to prepare the way

Glory to God for now and forever

Amen.

Silence

Hymn

Dismissal

God grant the living times and places to morn

God grant the living the spirit of forgiveness and to lay down any anger

To the departed, grant rest, healing and resurrection;

To the world grant, peace lover and healing

And to all the blessing of God,

The Father, the son and the holy Spirit,

Be with us now in our morning

Be with us in our joys

Be with us forever

Amen 

Let us go now weeping and rejoice

Believing and doubting

Let us go into a hurting world and bring forth Gods mercy

Let us go to live as N would have called us to

As God calls us to

A Christ did and does still

Let us go in communion with each other

All those who suffer or suffered

And in unity and love

Through the power of Christ,

In the company of the Holy Spirit

And to do Gods will.

Amen.