Christian Funeral – A Way Of Commemorating A Deceased Loved One
What goes on in a Christian funeral? The Christian funeral is an interactive event, where those attending participate to remember the life of the person who passed away. Moreover, the Christian funeral service wishes to pass on the message of hope that the departed has finally found an eternal resting place with their Creator.
People who belong to the Christian faith believe in Jesus Christ’s coming again. One more belief of Christians is that the acts that they have done in their time on earth will be judged in their time of death. It is their belief that the good works that they have accomplished will make them worthy of being with God. In their daily existence, Christians attempt to live by the lessons of Jesus.
Christian funeral service for any god-fearing Christian means a celebration of the eternal journey of the soul to the life after death. It is for this exact reason that such services are so spirited, as they strongly assert the belief that the departed soul has found an eternal abode in the House of God.
According to the Christians, death is an entry into the world of continual bliss and permanent exit from this world of grief and suffering. That the deceased is enjoying the bliss of heaven and is residing with the Lord Himself is a comforting thought that absorbs the extremity of the shock that death brings to the family. The Christian funeral service is conducted accordingly with the same belief.
Christian funeral service is usually conducted by the pastor. They are usually held at the church which the dead person used to visit when he or she was alive. Though a casket is not used in the service generally, but when it is being conducted in a funeral home, casket is normally present. Usually, Christian funeral ceremony does not have the practice of exhibiting the body of the dead person.
The funeral ceremony is conducted in the memory of the departed, and it starts with singing of devotional songs and recitals from the Holy Scriptures and the Bible. After this comes a short message from the pastor and then a mass prayer by people who have gathered there.
After that comes the time of reflection and sharing grief by friends and family members, when the people gathered voice their feelings about the dead person and speak of how the person has influenced them and has left a lasting impression. Nowadays, people do a visual display of pictures or play a pre-recorded video of the deceased taken during his or her lifetime.
The ceremony finally ends with a short fellowship reception at the church, where refreshments are served. People do not go for a graveside service usually, but some families that make an exception to this.
Death is a sensitive time. Give your deceased loved ones the funerals they deserve with peaceful funeral services.