Revd Rex A E Hunt
eMail: rexae@optusnet.com.au
Web site: www.rexaehuntprogressive.com
A FUNERAL SERVICE (AT THE CREMATORIUM...)
Opening
Friends, we have come together
because we knew and loved (NNN)
as (mother/father, brother, family, friend, etc.).
It is good that we have come together.
Because we need each other
in empathy and consolation,
and because we need each other
in courage and wisdom.
Here we will face (N) death,
celebrate his/her life,
and show our love and support for (N) family.
We have come together believing that all human life is valuable.
Because a human life is sacred
in its being born,
in its living,
and also in its dying.
We come, believing that (N) life,
is joined in the eternal continuum of human endeavour
of which we get but a glimpse.
Her/his life was lived in its uniqueness with us
and has now passed into the ultimate community of human existence.
The gifts and graces which she/he offered are never lost to us.
The creativity which she/he brought to us
in her/his life and relationships lies now within our own lives
and travels into the future with us.
Our lives have been changed because we lived with her/him.
Prayer/Silent reflection
We pray:
Compassionate Spirit of Life whom we name God,
you renew our inner strength,
you touch our imaginations,
you lift us to find another meaning in life’s circumstances.
Embrace us in our uncertainties and lift our hope.
Amen.
(Hymn)
Welcome
Good morning/afternoon, my name is (xx).
I am the minister of the (xx).
Welcome to this Service of Thanksgiving and Committal for (NNN).
On behalf of his/her family I thank you for attending
and sharing in this important occasion with them.
Readings/Poems
Traditional
Contemporary
Reflection
Death has gathered us here.
Though we mourn because we have suffered a great loss,
let us also remember a life that was lived.
Each of us lives between two eternities.
Each birth causes us to wonder
where the spark of Life comes from.
Every death makes us wonder
what of that life survives.
What we do know and believe is that every human life,
with a mind to think and a heart to love,
is an expression of the Spirit of God.
Tribute
Let us affirm and celebrate the life of (N).
The things we would like to remember about the person
(The people’s tributes)
The minister moves to the casket, placing a hand on it
(N),
all these things and more you have given to us.
We respect your journey through life, with all its realities.
A personal moment
Now let us pause to gather our individual feelings and thoughts
as we remember (N) in silence:
• the person who lived and whose life touched ours, and
• the many and varied ways s/he contributed
to making each of us the person we are.
Silence
We are glad (N) lived.
We are glad we knew her/his friendship.
We cherish the memory of
her/his words,
her/his deeds
and her/his character.
Thanks be to God, Source and Ground of Life,
for these gifts we have received in (N).
Special music
Candle of thanksgiving
We light this candle in thanksgiving for (N) life.
(Hymn)
The farewell
God, who holds us all with arms of love and compassion,
at this moment of farewell we offer to you, all the regrets,
the pain,
the ‘if onlys’
knowing that you will surround (N) and us
with your loving and forgiving presence.
Silent reflection
We hold in our thoughts and hearts those most touched by (N) death:
especially (N), (N) and (N) and all the members of their extended families.
We can not pretend to make amends for your loss.
But we who are here, and those who are absent
but are thinking of you, can give you the continuing promise
that we shall walk quietly beside you,
seeking to understand the depth of your loss.
And giving you encouragement and support to continue living.
May you also find comfort in one another.
May the Spirit of life and hope emerge in your lives in the days ahead.
And may we, who love and care for you,
embody the Spirit in our tenderness, care, and generosity.
Placement of flowers
The committal
The spirit of (N) shall not know the blight of mortality:
for it shall live on in the lives
made real by its presence,
and its gracious influence.
For love is stronger than death...
And so reverently, lovingly, trustingly,
we commit her/his body to the elements/ground,
which is welcoming to us at the time of our death.
Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.
In the cycle of life and death the earth is replenished
and life is eternally renewed.
Response
Into the freedom of wind and sunshine...
All We let you go.
Into the dance of the stars and the planets...
All We let you go.
Into the wind’s breath and the hands of the star maker...
All We let you go.
May all that we loved about (N) continue to find expression
in the ways we love one another
and face whatever the future holds.
Prayer (Traditional)
We pray:
O Lord, support us by your grace
through all the hours of life’s day;
until the shadows lengthen,
the busy world is hushed,
the fever of life is over,
and the evening comes.
Then, Lord, in your mercy, grant us a safe lodging,
a holy rest, and peace at the last.
Amen.
May we take inspiration from the glimmer of the divine
we see through the lives of others.
Therefore, from this moment on let us live our lives with
a surer faith,
a greater hope, and
a more steadfast love,
so that the Spirit of God will move with us and dwell among us.
Blessing
The peace of this ancient earth to you...
of the high blue heavens which embrace it,
and the winds which blow freely over it.
The peace of splintered light sparkling on gum leaves,
and gentle rain falling on parched earth.
The peace of star-jewelled skies and full-orbed moons,
of breathless dawns and splendid dying suns.
And the peace of the God of Peace to you. Elizabeth Howie/grpe
Amen.
Presentation of green sprays
Some of the resources used in shaping this liturgy:
Galloway, K. (ed). 1996. The pattern of our days. Liturgies and resources for worship. Gt. Britain: Glasgow. Wild Goose Publications.
Liebelt, P.; N. Nicholls. (ed). 1996. Gentle rain on parched earth. Worship resources for rural situations. VIC: Melbourne. JBCE.
McRae-McMahon, D. 2003. Rituals for life, love and loss. NSW: Paddington. Jane Curry Publishing.
Seaburg, C. (ed). 1968. Great occasions. Readings for the celebration of birth, coming-of-age, marriage, and death. MA: Boston. Beacon Press.
Searl, E. 2000. In memoriam. A guide to modern funeral and memorial services. Second Edition. MA: Boston. Skinner House Books.
Uniting in Worship. Leader’s Book. 1988. VIC: Melbourne. Uniting Church Press.