Attending a funeral can be an emotionally draining time, especially if you're not aware of the traditions or beliefs that are observed.
There are many different types of funeral services, both religious and non-religious. In this article, we’re going to look at what makes a Christian funeral service different, what happens, what you need to take, what to wear and more.
What do Christians do when someone dies?
Christians strongly believe in the afterlife, and that those who deserve to, will have eternal peace in heaven.
The funeral will typically occur one week after a person’s death and will be a funeral service at a church or possibly a crematorium or cemetery.
Christian funerals and cremation
Traditionally, a Christian funeral would be a Christian burial. Nowadays, however, more are choosing cremation instead of burial because they believe that a cremation combined with a Christian memorial service can still be a reminder of eternal life.
If the family chooses cremation, their loved ones body would be treated with the same dignity and respect as they would in a traditional funeral. Their ashes would be placed in an urn, given a religious funeral or memorial service and then placed in a permanent location for remembrance.
The Christian funeral rites
A Christian funeral will follow a set of actions and principles when a loved one dies. Some of the most common rites include, but are not limited to:
- A Christian funeral eulogy
- Prayers
- Bible readings or readings related to the Christian religion
- The Rite of Committal
All of these rites follow the canon laws for the send-off. Protestant funeral rites tend to be much simpler than Catholic funeral rites. They tend to focus more on remembering the deceased, compared with focusing on rituals, which is more common with Catholic funerals.
The primary role of a Christian funeral, whatever the denomination, is to help the deceased’s soul enter into Heaven while offering comfort and support for mourners.
What to take to a Christian funeral?
If you are attending a Christian funeral and are wondering what to take, it’s common to see wreaths, flowers, and cards at both a Church of England and a Catholic funeral service.
What happens at a Christian funeral?
There are several steps involved in Christian funerals before the body is interred in the consecrated ground or cremated. A Christian leader will lead the funeral. These leaders are known by many different names, depending on the church’s denomination, such as the priest, pastor, minister, clergy, or vicar.
Traditionally, the steps are as follows:
- Gathering: The leader will open the service by reading from the scriptures.
- Sermon with readings from the Bible: A psalm from the Bible will be read out. Often, it will be Psalm 23, which references God's guidance through even the darkest of times. There may also be Christian funeral readings from the Old or New Testament.
- Personal readings: The leader will talk about the person who has died, often reflecting on their life and their role in the Christian church. A friend or family member may wish to read out a passage from the Bible or a Christian funeral poem.
- Prayers: These would include prayers of thanksgiving, penitence, and readiness for death.
- Silent time for reflection: The mourners are given time to reflect on the deceased.
- Commendation and farewell: The leader reads a prayer of entrusting and commending.
- The Committal: This is the most solemn part of the funeral. It is when the coffin is lowered into the ground or for cremation, the curtains are closed around the coffin.
For a burial, it is traditional for family and friends to gather around the grave for the committal. They will be allowed to throw some soil or mud onto the coffin while the minister says a short prayer.
After a body has been cremated, the ashes will be put into an urn and given to the family. They can choose whether to keep them or scatter them in a place that was meaningful to the deceased.
The Christian funeral service of the Church of England
It’s possible for a Church of England funeral service to be personalised and made as unique as you wish.
The service can take place virtually anywhere, including a crematorium, cemetery, or church. The structure it will follow includes readings, a sermon, prayers, and hymns. There might also be a eulogy that’s written and delivered by a close friend or family member. It’s also customary for there to be special requests such as any favourite songs and funeral flowers.
Contemporary Christian funeral songs
It’s traditional for there to be a selection of hymns sung during the funeral service. Often, it is the family that chooses them. Popular Christian funeral songs will be sung between readings and generally accompanied by a church organ or similar instrument.
Some favourite Christian funeral hymns include:
- Amazing Grace
- The Lord’s My Shepherd
- Abide With Me
- All Things Bright and Beautiful
- Morning Has Broken
- Lord of the Dance
- Shine Jesus Shine
- Great Is Thy Faithfulness
Christian funeral prayers
There is also a good selection of popular Christian funeral prayers you can choose to say during a service. For example:
- The Lord’s Prayer
- Catholic Funeral Prayer
- Christ Be With Me
- Psalm of Comfort
- I Corinthians 15-51-57
It’s possible that your loved one may have left a list of prayers they wanted in their funeral wishes. If not, close family need to choose prayers that fit the service best.
How long is a Christian funeral?
A Christian funeral service can last anything from 20-30 minutes to, most commonly, an hour.
Christian funeral attire
When you’re trying to decide what to wear to a Christian funeral, the most important thing is to respect the bereaved family’s wishes. Funeral etiquette would typically require that black, smart clothing is worn. However, dark or muted colours are also considered appropriate. Normally, the type of clothing would be quite formal such as a dark coloured suit, dress or skirt, along with a shirt or blouse, formal coat, or jacket.
If you’re unsure what to wear, ask the funeral director or immediate family for guidance and advice.
Alternatives to the Christian funeral
There is a growing trend in the UK for families to seek alternatives to the traditional formats that include a Christian funeral.
Religious funerals have been prominent for hundreds of years, but more people are considering a non-religious end-of-life ceremony that is more appropriate for them and their beliefs.
If you want to know more contact us, and we can discuss the arrangements.