I want to take this a little further than the hymns for funerals ( Thanks Pinga). What readings scriptures and psalms do you want used at your funeral.?
All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
John 6:37-40(KJV)
Pinga
Posted on: 11/07/2010 14:33
Will have to ponder this one ch.
I must admit that was the hardest part for mom, and I went quickly with the pieces our minister had selected...as I really hadn't talked to her about scripture. (As compared to hymns, which I had reflected upon, then sang with my oldest, then next day gone through with my Dad, then...we had a good idea when we met with our minister). Seems bizarre that we had spent so much time on hymns, and less on scripture.hmm...pondering that one. I think it was because scripture was something that totally was something we relied on our minister to select, yet, music we knew we would be asked for suggestions.
crazyheart
Posted on: 11/07/2010 19:27
bump up
carolla
Posted on: 11/07/2010 20:15
I've only been involved in the planning for two funerals - my mom (United Church) & my mother in law (RC). In both cases, readings were suggested by the clergy & from that list selected by the family. Personally, I didn't like any that were on the RC list - but it seemed that no others could be substituted - but I did not push, being the only WASP among the family. I don't have a strong background in scripture, so choosing entirely without guidance would have been a challenge I think.
gecko46
Posted on: 11/07/2010 20:19
My family knows I wish to be cremated and my ashes dumped in the Altantic Ocean off Newfoundland. It is their decision re: a Memorial Service, since I won't know.
If I were to choose a Psalm it would be Psalm 139, verses 1 -18 and a Litany entitled Chinook Blessing Litany from "Earth Prayers".
My sister, niece and I were discussing preferences this summer. Probably a good idea to jot some of this down and give to someone.
Pinga
Posted on: 11/07/2010 20:29
Yup...definitely it was hard.....
Would be interested to hear more references to what people like.
For my mom, proverbs 31: 10-31 (A good wife), and Ecclesiastes 3 (For every time there is a season) was what was read.
Arminius
Posted on: 11/07/2010 20:56
Psalm 115 (Non nobis, Domine), either read or sung.
stardust
Posted on: 11/07/2010 22:06
I would like some readings such as this but they are hard to fit into a small non church affliated funeral or service. At my husband's funeral I told the presiding UC minister to speak about life which he did but I let him choose. I explained there were Jewish people in attendance. He did very well.
From Martin Gray : A Book of Life
When death strikes around us, those who have died
continue to live in those who remain.
They still live because the universe is an eternity that transforms itself.
And we are a particle of this universe, this eternity.
Like the universe we transform ourselves.
Death, that moment when life is
shattered is a passage.
For life in the universe never dies : it is eternal.
Death is no more than the end of one of life's forms.
Which are eternally reborn, in a million new forms.
An American statesman, William Jennings Bryan who died in 1925 once wrote an essay on " I Shall Not Doubt...... Immortality."
He wrote about how he had found a few grains of wheat that had slumbered for more than 3000 years in a tomb in Egypt.
He looked at them and he thought: " If one of those grains had been planted along the Nile after it grew, and all its descendents planted and replanted until now, it would be enough to feed the millions of the world".
A grain of wheat has the power to discard its old body and from earth and air fashion a new body so much like the old one that we cannot tell one from the other. If this invisible germ of life in the grain of wheat can pass thus unimpaired through 3000 resurrections, I shall not doubt that my soul has the power to clothe itself with a new body, suited to its existence, when this earthly frame has crumbled into dust.
I can hardly remember properly but I think the minister did a sermon around this poem and also on The Lord is My Shepherd at my husband's funeral. I wrote an eulogy which the minister read. Its hard for a minister not knowing the family and then too my husband wasn't much of a believer.
Being a mixed religion service ( Catholic,Protestant,Jewish) I wasn't sure what hymns the people might be familiar with so I opted out. No choir like at a church service.
"The Dash"
I read of a man who stood to speak
At the funeral of a friend
He referred to the dates on her tombstone
From the beginning to the end.
He noted that first came the date of her birth
And spoke the following date with tears,
But he said what mattered most of all
Was the dash between those years.
For that dash represents all the time
That she spent alive on earth.
And now only those who loved her
Know what that little line is worth.
For it matters not how much we own;
The cars, the house, the cash,
What matters is how we live and love
And how we spend our dash.
So think about this long and hard.
Are there things you’d like to change?
For you never know how much time is left,
That can still be rearranged.
If we could just slow down enough
To consider what’s true and real
And always try to understand
The way other people feel.
And be less quick to anger,
And show appreciation more
And love the people in our lives
Like we’ve never loved before.
If we treat each other with respect,
And more often wear a smile
Remembering that this special dash
Might only last a little while.
So, when your eulogy is being read
With your life’s actions to rehash
Would you be proud of the things they say
About how you spent your dash?
Comments
stephenbooth
Posted on: 11/07/2010 14:24
All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
John 6:37-40(KJV)
Pinga
Posted on: 11/07/2010 14:33
Will have to ponder this one ch.
I must admit that was the hardest part for mom, and I went quickly with the pieces our minister had selected...as I really hadn't talked to her about scripture. (As compared to hymns, which I had reflected upon, then sang with my oldest, then next day gone through with my Dad, then...we had a good idea when we met with our minister). Seems bizarre that we had spent so much time on hymns, and less on scripture.hmm...pondering that one. I think it was because scripture was something that totally was something we relied on our minister to select, yet, music we knew we would be asked for suggestions.
crazyheart
Posted on: 11/07/2010 19:27
bump up
carolla
Posted on: 11/07/2010 20:15
I've only been involved in the planning for two funerals - my mom (United Church) & my mother in law (RC). In both cases, readings were suggested by the clergy & from that list selected by the family. Personally, I didn't like any that were on the RC list - but it seemed that no others could be substituted - but I did not push, being the only WASP among the family. I don't have a strong background in scripture, so choosing entirely without guidance would have been a challenge I think.
gecko46
Posted on: 11/07/2010 20:19
My family knows I wish to be cremated and my ashes dumped in the Altantic Ocean off Newfoundland. It is their decision re: a Memorial Service, since I won't know.
If I were to choose a Psalm it would be Psalm 139, verses 1 -18 and a Litany entitled Chinook Blessing Litany from "Earth Prayers".
My sister, niece and I were discussing preferences this summer. Probably a good idea to jot some of this down and give to someone.
Pinga
Posted on: 11/07/2010 20:29
Yup...definitely it was hard.....
Would be interested to hear more references to what people like.
For my mom, proverbs 31: 10-31 (A good wife), and Ecclesiastes 3 (For every time there is a season) was what was read.
Arminius
Posted on: 11/07/2010 20:56
Psalm 115 (Non nobis, Domine), either read or sung.
stardust
Posted on: 11/07/2010 22:06
I would like some readings such as this but they are hard to fit into a small non church affliated funeral or service. At my husband's funeral I told the presiding UC minister to speak about life which he did but I let him choose. I explained there were Jewish people in attendance. He did very well.
From Martin Gray : A Book of Life
stardust
Posted on: 11/07/2010 22:27
I can hardly remember properly but I think the minister did a sermon around this poem and also on The Lord is My Shepherd at my husband's funeral. I wrote an eulogy which the minister read. Its hard for a minister not knowing the family and then too my husband wasn't much of a believer.
Being a mixed religion service ( Catholic,Protestant,Jewish) I wasn't sure what hymns the people might be familiar with so I opted out. No choir like at a church service.
"The Dash"
I read of a man who stood to speak
At the funeral of a friend
He referred to the dates on her tombstone
From the beginning to the end.
He noted that first came the date of her birth
And spoke the following date with tears,
But he said what mattered most of all
Was the dash between those years.
For that dash represents all the time
That she spent alive on earth.
And now only those who loved her
Know what that little line is worth.
For it matters not how much we own;
The cars, the house, the cash,
What matters is how we live and love
And how we spend our dash.
So think about this long and hard.
Are there things you’d like to change?
For you never know how much time is left,
That can still be rearranged.
If we could just slow down enough
To consider what’s true and real
And always try to understand
The way other people feel.
And be less quick to anger,
And show appreciation more
And love the people in our lives
Like we’ve never loved before.
If we treat each other with respect,
And more often wear a smile
Remembering that this special dash
Might only last a little while.
So, when your eulogy is being read
With your life’s actions to rehash
Would you be proud of the things they say
About how you spent your dash?
by
Linda Ellis