1.
) We have gathered here today - not
Dear God,
You are our Creator. You are the
author of life.
Life is a precious gift.
We come today to commemorate
and honor a life that is precious to
us.
As we mourn this life that is no
longer with us, we are aching from
a void that has been created in our
heart.
We lift up our sadness and grief to
you.
Lord, we ask that you would
comfort us in our pain, and bring
us an abundance of your gentle
healing mercies.
In Jesus name we pray,
Amen
2.)
Dear Lord,
We come today to honor our loved
one.
We are gathered here today - not
only to grieve the loss of
____________ but to also give
thanks to you for his life among us.
We are gathered here today - not
only to mourn over how different
our lives will be without him, but to
give thanks to you for how full life
was when he was with us.
only to consider the shortness and
uncertainty of life on earth, but to
give thanks to you for the gift of life
and the gift of family and the gift of
friendships.
Lord, we ask that you would
comfort us this day as we come
together to share love and sweet
memories with one another.
In Jesus' name we pray,
Amen
3.)
For everything there is a season,
and a time for every matter under
heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to
die:
A time to plant, and a time to pluck
up what is planted;
A time to break down, and a time
to build up:
A time to weep, and a time to
laugh:
A time to mourn and a time to
dance:
For everything there is a season,
and a time for every matter under
heaven.
Ecclesiastes 3
4.)
Opening Prayer Let us pray,
All say: God of tenderness and
peace,
Be with us this morning as we
gather to reflect on our calling to be
ministers of comfort and support in
our communities.
Fill us with hope in your power to
heal and to save.
Look kindly on those who mourn at
this time and all those we lift up to
you in remembrance.
Give us peace today and always.
We ask this in the Spirit, through
Christ, our Lord. Amen.
A Time for Comfort
Funerals are a time to comfort and
be comforted.
Those in attendance are mourning,
and some are dealing with extreme
grief.
The ones most affected by the
death are feeling
overwhelmed, lonely, and afraid.
Many fear living life without their
loved one.
Words that will probably
Bless someone who is
grieving:
"Words are inadequate to express
the sadness I feel. I am praying for
you."
"My prayers are with you."
"Our hearts go out to you in your
time of sorrow."
"Please accept my heartfelt
sympathy."
"We cannot begin to know your
pain, but we want you to remember
that we love you."
"Your loved one made a real
difference in my life. I will never
forget him/her."
"(Name of deceased) was a great
man/woman. He/she will be
missed by so many."
OPENING PRAYER
God who creates and re-creates us,
God who laughs with us and weeps with
us,
God who walks with us each step of the
way, carrying us when our strength
fails,
we gather today with hearts breaking
with grief, with voices crying out words
of lament.
And so we ask that you would move in
and around us today.
As we gather to remember and say good
bye to NAME,
be the shoulder we can cry on, the arm
we can lean on,
help us to see through the veil of tears
that there is hope
for life continuing.
Gracious God, as mysterious and
wondrous as you are,
you are also a compassionate God,
as attentive as a hen with her chicks,
as tender as a mother with a newborn
child,
as watchful as a shepherd with the
sheep,
as protective as a fathers warm
embrace.
and so we come into your presence to
grieve NAMEs death,
asking that your Holy Spirit would be
here to ease our pain.
As we give thanks for all
that he/she added to the lives of those
around her/him,
as we release our tears and anger,
as we say our good-byes, remind us that
we are not alone.
In Jesus name we pray, Amen.