Christian Funerals($14.99Value)

Description

Unlike weddings, funerals rarely take place after extensive planning. Often the deceased is not someone the pastor has known well, and preparations for the service of death and resurrection take place in the midst of pastoral care of the grieving, writing the funeral sermon, and the pastor’s regular duties. These circumstances make it especially hard to plan an appropriate and meaningful order of worship for the funeral service. Christian Funerals will help pastors as they attend to this crucial ministry of the church. Drawing on the books of worship from a number of denominations and traditions, it provides several options for each of the elements of the funeral service, from gathering texts to opening prayers to scripture lessons to final prayers. The book is bound in a way that makes it suitable for use at church services and at the grave side. Brief, meaningful services of death and resurrection in a convenient format Andy Langford is a United Methodist pastor from North Carolina. Andy edited The United Methodist Book of Worship and wrote Your Ministry of Planning a Christian Funeral, and ChristianWeddings: Resources to Make Your Ceremony Unique. Andy's work blends scholarly, liturgical expertise with years of pastoral and practical suggestions for ministry. Christian Funerals By Andy Langford Abingdon Press Copyright © 2010 The United Methodist Publishing House All right reserved. ISBN: 978-1-4267-1138-1 Chapter One MINISTRY AND WORSHIP AT TIMES OF DEATH A Theological Consideration of Death In 1997, thirty-three million persons in the United States watched on television the funeral of Lady Diana, Princess of Wales. From historic Westminster Abbey, two-and-a-half billion people around the world watched the solemn procession, heard sacred music, listened to her brother's eulogy, enjoyed Elton John singing "Candle in the Wind," and most significantly, heard the reading of Scripture and classic Anglican prayers. More people, through the power of the media, may have participated in this service of Christian worship than any other event in the twentieth century. In 2009, thirty-one million persons in the US watched the television spectacular of Michael Jackson's memorial service. In this show, speakers occasionally mentioned God and many artists performed. Was it worship? When powerful politicians, significant leaders of commerce, and renowned persons die, funerals and memorial services remain critical moments in the life of individuals and communities. How do Christians celebrate these moments in ways that honor the deceased and worship our God? Just as important, however, are the smaller, quieter moments in homes, hospitals, sanctuaries, funeral homes, columbariums, and graveyards in every community. The prayers for a child not surviving birth, a memorial for a youth who died too young, the service for a beloved mother or father, and the committal of an older person with no family are just as significant and demand the same honor as those for any other person created in the image of God. Christianity proclaims that each individual is a unique child of God, no matter how famous or infamous, the age of the person, or the circumstance of his or her death. When anyone dies, at those moments the church offers God's blessing. Acts of Christian worship in the midst of death are the liturgical, formal, poetic, communal, and biblical expressions of personal and community loss and grief as well as comfort and hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. People of all cultures and faiths honor persons at their death. Evidence of funeral practices goes back 300,000 years, even before the time of modern Homo sapiens . Today, some persons and families prefer to ignore death, or treat it as a simple passage from life, or create temporary collections of flowers and stuffed animals. In every place and time, persons gather to give thanks for the person who has died, comfort the families who grieve, and give reassurance to one another. Christians, however, mark death with unique rituals that stand at the heart of our faith. Christians at all times and in all places acknowledge the reality of death and proclaim the promise of resurrection. Gathering in the power of the resurrected Jesus Christ, pastors guide a community's worship with the right Scriptures and with the appropriate prayers in a sacred space. The heart of our Christian faith proclaims life beyond death. Jesus Christ in the Great Three Days from Holy Thursday to the Day of Easter died and lived again for our salvation and all of creation. Whenever the followers of Jesus Christ gather, from daily prayers to weekly worship to Easter festivals, we proclaim the mystery of death and resurrection with joy and thanksgiving. In our prayers and worship, we accept the reality of death, remember the deceased, and honor those who have departed. In addition, we enable the family and believing community to witness to our shared faith