Funeral sermon ideas
Properly understood, funeral refers to a service of the resurrection hope of the Christian faith as seen in light of the commemoration and committal of the deceased. More broadly speaking, the term funeral can be used to refer to any religious service after the death of an individual.
Funeral in Scripture
- Joshua 244:32, the funeral for Joseph
- 2 Samuel 12:22-24, mourning for David and Bathsheba's child
- Job 19:25-27, Job says "I know that my Redeemer lives"
- Psalm 27:4, "One thing I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life."
- Psalm 90:3-4, we are turned back to dust
- John 5:24-25, the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God
- Romans 14:7-8, if we live to the Lord, we die to the Lord
- 1 Thessalonians 4:13, grieving with hope
- Revelation 21:3-4, death will be no more
Reflections about Funerals
See also Death
Hope in the Face of Death
The picture throughout Scripture is of hope in the face of death. However we commemorate the life of the deceased, we do so with an awareness of the hope of eternal life and the promise of the glorious resurrection. While David put off mourning after the death of his son (2 Sam. 12:22 - 23), Paul acknowledges that believers will grieve the loss of their loved ones, albeit in a way different from the rest of mankind (1 Thess. 4:13). The psalms acknowledge the frailty of human life (Ps. 90:3-4) and the hope of living in the presence of God (Ps. 27:4). The promises of the Old and New testaments alike confirm the faithfulness of God to the covenant promises (Josh. 24:32) and the promised hope of eternal life, both individual (John 5:24 - 25) and cosmic (Rev. 21:3 - 4).
Funeral verses Memorial Service
Many people perceive the funeral as a negative emotional experience. Parishioners may say, "I don't want a funeral. I want a memorial service." Or, "I want a celebration of life, not a reminder of death!" Within this, pastors should consider two opposite pulls. On the one hand, we should wonder what it is about our funerals that parishioners wish to avoid. Are we failing to preach the good news of eternal life? Then perhaps the push against "funerals" is somewhat warranted. On the other hand, we also recognize that contemporary culture is uncomfortable with death. In our attempts to avoid public grief, we can be tempted to avoid the reality of death that faces us. The funeral can and should be a time to gently and pastorally create space for public grief.
The Valley of the Shadow of death
Ronald Nydam, former professor of pastoral care at Calvin Theological Seminary, would speak of the movement of the funeral as following the valley of the shadow of death. In the funeral service, pastors walk with their parishioners into the darkness of death. We acknowledge the reality of pain and sorrow. We may mourn tragic circumstances surrounding the death. The funeral begins an upward climb, however, moving toward the resurrection and hope. While pastoral sensitivity may dictate a slower pace for moving toward hope, the Christian funeral must be a service of hope and good news.
Cremation?
As concerns about the amount ofspace consumed by cemeteries come to the fore, cremation is becoming a more common practice. Some parishioners may express concern over whether this is acceptable Christian practice. 1 Corinthians 15:37 suggests that our earthly bodies are akin to a seed of our glorious resurrected bodies. While we know very little about our eternal bodies, we do know that God is capable of raising the imperishable from the perishable (1 Cor. 15:42), and we have nothing to suggest that the perishable body must be intact for this to be the case.
Differing Funeral Practices
Funerary practices vary widely from region to region and from tradition to tradition. A parishioner may be surprised to learn that in your congregation it is common practice for the family of the deceased to host a lunch after the funeral while someone else may be shocked that the lunch includes anything other than deli meat on buns. The sensitive pastor will be aware of these differences and should work hard to come to understand local funerary practices.
Not a Church Function
In the Reformed tradition, funerals are not technically a function of the church. Pastors and the congregation are invited to participate in what is otherwise a family affair. In light of that, pastors can suggest features of the funeral, but should defer to the family's decisions. On viewing the body: "It's important to attend funerals. It is important to view the body, they say, and to see it committed to earth or fire because unless you do that, the loved one dies for you again and again." (Ann-Marie MacDonald, {{Fall on Your Knees}} [New York: Simon & Schuster, 1996], 487)