he leads me beside still waters;
he restores my soul.
He leads me in right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
I 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 mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
my whole life long.
Psalm 23
On Leaving the House
Jesus said to his disciples,
‘Rise, let us be on our way.’
Let us go in the peace of Christ,
for we go where he has gone before.
Hear again his voice,
‘Be of good courage, I am with you always.’
Thanks be to God.
Amen.
A Funeral Service in Church
Pastoral Note
Christian funeral rites are distinctive: beyond the solemn farewell that any person’s death evokes, they enable us to relate human death and bereavement to God.
In the funeral rite we begin with the one who has died. We confront death itself, and we rejoice in the resurrection promised and known in Christ.
In our pastoral care (of which the funeral service is a part) we confront the reality of death with the hope of the resurrection. For the deceased death is the gateway to judgement and to life. For the bereaved the journey through grief will not lead ‘back to normal’, to a past that cannot be recaptured.
In our funeral rites we point to a new experience of God beyond death. For the deceased there is the hope of deliverance and of glory, for the bereaved there is opportunity for the past to be remembered with forgiveness and for the future to be embraced with freedom.
To accomplish all this (and more!) in a rite is not impossible. However, we need to remember that it is the task of the funeral service to map the journey that lies ahead, not to travel it in its entirety. A funeral at a church or chapel may include all the elements suggested here.
If we remember that the dead from whom we part were made in the image of God, and that the death of Jesus touches their death, we will be strengthened in our ministry. ‘Truly, I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers (my sisters), you did it to me.’
The Shape of the Rite
Gathering
Greeting
Opening Sentences
Opening Prayer
[Tribute]
Bible Readings
Sermon
Prayers
The Lord’s Prayer
[Holy Communion]
[Prayer of Farewell]
[Final Scripture]
[Words of Departure]
The Word of Resurrection
Concluding Prayer
Blessing
Gathering
The minister leads the coffin into the church or chapel and greets the congregation.
Greeting
We meet in the presence of God,
who holds the keys of life and death.
We meet to remember the life of N, who has died,
to give thanks, to forgive,
and to look forward.
We meet to commit N and ourselves to God
whose Son Jesus has passed through death before us.
Hear now words of faith and hope.
Opening Sentences
These or other appropriate sentences may be used.
This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.
Genesis 28.17
Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.
Matthew 11.28
The hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.
John 5.25
FOR USE AT THE FUNERAL OF A CHILD
[Jesus said,] ‘Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs . . .’ And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.
Mark 10.14,16
A hymn may be sung.
Opening Prayer
One of these prayers is used.
Eternal God,
maker of all that is,
we come before you in our need.
On this day of parting
do not abandon N whom we love
do not desert us in our grief.
Give us courage and strength for today
and hope and peace for tomorrow.
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