Life events

Funerals

The wounds of grief need time and care to heal. The funeral may help this process, by enabling us to acknowledge our loss, give thanks for the life of the person who has died, make our last farewell, and begin to take up life once more.

Human beings have sensed the mystery of death, and the pain of grief, since time immemorial. Every society has developed rites to mark the passage from life through death, and to commemorate the dead. Today we do this through the funeral service, and the rites by which we lay a person’s body to rest.

Christians believe in God, the source and giver of life. God’s good news proclaims Jesus Christ to be our living Lord, who laid down his life for us. He knew death, yet triumphed over it, drawing its sting, and was raised by God to new life. Christians affirm the presence of the Spirit of Christ, who helps us in our weakness. Yet we, with all mortals, still face death. Those who put their trust in Christ share the sufferings of their Lord, even in the midst of God’s love and care.

A Christian funeral proclaims the Christian hope in the face of death – Jesus Christ, whose resurrection is the promise of our own.

The service in outline is as follows:

We gather in the presence of God,
and remember the person who has died.
We listen and respond to the word of God,
and proclaim the death and resurrection of Christ.
We give thanks for the life now ended,
and pray for those in need.
We leave the deceased in God’s care,
and we continue life’s journey.

If you need information about a funeral service, please contact us.