What is a Funeral?
A funeral is a chance for family and friends of those who have died to say goodbye and to entrust their loved one into the hands of God. It is an important moment in the journey of grief. Although the services are understandably a sad occasion, a funeral can also be a time of great celebration of the life that has been and the hope of the life to come.
What happens at a service?
Whether at Saint Peter’s or the crematorium chapel, the service can be the plain funeral service from the Common Worship with the addition of hymns, favourite prayers and readings, and one or more tributes. It can be catered and shaped to express what is wanted by the family.
The service can be set in the context of a Communion Service.
For suggested material and help with arranging a funeral, please visit a page dedicated to Church of England Funerals www.churchofenglandfunerals.org.
What happens after the funeral?
People who have lost someone close to them are often so busy with practical details and arrangements between the death and the funeral that they do not experience the full sense of their loss until later.
Grieving is a natural and important part of coming to terms with and healing this loss, and it may continue for several months. One often finds it is those who have suffered a close bereavement themselves, clergy or lay people, who can most easily offer comfort and support to those who mourn. Please do get in touch with us if you would appreciate someone sitting with you and talking with you about grief.
Comfort is also to be found in the promises of Jesus Christ, in the hope of the Resurrection and in the belief that the beloved person is safe in the hands of God.