The Funeral Service

The service usually begins with the minister reading aloud reassuring sentences from the scriptures such as: 'I am the resurrection and the life,' saith the Lord; 'he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die,' and:
'I know that my Redeemer liveth ...'

A psalm - often The Lord is my shepherd - follows and lessons are read telling of God's care and of the hope of eternal life.

At this point, there may be an address or a sermon remembering the life of the person who has died. Such words can be a comfort and strength to the mourners although sometimes it is felt that the service and the readings from the Bible convey all that needs to be said. If to be included, the Communion service follows. The prayers said usually recall the promise of the resurrection, entrust the dead person to the love and mercy of God and ask for comfort and strength for those who mourn.

Whatever the pattern of service, the words and actions all speak of a loving God and the preciousness to Him of every human being.

The committal

The committal tends to be a particularly solemn moment of the funeral service. Taking place either at the graveside or, in the case of a cremation, in the crematorium chapel or in church before the hearse leaves for the crematorium.

In the cemetery or churchyard, the family will gather round the open grave into which the coffin is lowered and they will hear the words: 'We therefore commit his (or her) body to the ground; earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust; in the sure and certain hope of the Resurrection to eternal life.' Handfuls of earth are then scattered on the coffin.

In a crematorium, the words of committal may be accompanied by the closing of a curtain to hide the coffin from view or the coffin is moved slowly out of sight.

The committal can be a very emotional moment. Many who are suffering grief find that, even in their sadness, the words of prayer can lift them towards the experience of Christian rejoicing in the knowledge of life beyond death.

The offering of prayer and the trust that the person is in God's safe hands can begin the process of healing the grief of loss.

Cremation

Following a cremation, the ashes may be buried in our churchyard where we have a special area for this. When this burial takes place, which is usually a few days after the funeral, a further very brief service can be held if the family wish it and some suitable commemorative mark or record may be made.