Extracts from A Prayer Book for Australia
A Funeral Service
FOR USE IN A CHURCH BUILDING, FUNERAL CHAPEL, OR AT THE HOME
For the congregation
Human beings have sensed the mystery of death, and the pain of grief, since time immemorial. Every society has developed rites to mark the passage from life through death, and to commemorate the dead. Today we do this through the funeral service, and the rites by which we lay a person’s body to rest.
The wounds of grief need time and care to heal. The funeral may help this process, by enabling us to acknowledge our loss, give thanks for the life of the person who has died, make our last farewell, and begin to take up life once more.
Christians believe in God, the source and giver of life. God’s good news proclaims Jesus Christ to be our living Lord, who laid down his life for us. He knew death, yet triumphed over it, drawing its sting, and was raised by God to new life. Christians affirm the presence of the Spirit of Christ, who helps us in our weakness. Yet we, with all mortals, still face death. Those who put their trust in Christ share the sufferings of their Lord, even in the midst of God’s love and care.
A Christian funeral proclaims the Christian hope in the face of death— Jesus Christ, whose resurrection is the promise of our own.
The service in outline is as follows:
We gather in the presence of God,
and remember the person who has died.
We listen and respond to the word of God,
and proclaim the death and resurrection of Christ.
We give thanks for the life now ended,
and pray for those in need.
We leave the deceased in God’s care,
and we continue life’s journey.
5 The minister greets the congregation.
Grace and peace from the Lord be with you.
And also with you.
The minister may continue with these or similar words.
We have come together
to thank God for the life of N,
to mourn and honour him/her,
to lay to rest his/her mortal body,
and to support one another in grief.
We face the certainty of our own death and judgement.
Yet Christians believe that those who die in Christ
share eternal life with him.
Therefore in faith and hope we turn to God,
who created and sustains us all.
6 A hymn, anthem or canticle may be said or sung, or music may be played.
7 The following is said or sung.
‘I am the resurrection and the life,’ says the Lord.
‘Those who believe in me, even though they die, yet will they live.’
John 11.25
One or more of these (or other sentences of Scripture) may be read.
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
Lamentations 3.22–23
As we come forth naked from our mother’s womb,
so shall we go again, naked as we came.
We shall take nothing for our toil,
which we may carry away.
This also is a grievous ill: just as we came, so shall we go.
Ecclesiastes 5.15–16
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Psalm 46.1
Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord. Lord, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications!
Psalm 130.1
God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,
so that everyone who believes in him may not perish
but may have eternal life
John 3.16
What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, God has prepared for those who love him.
1 Corinthians 2.9
Christ must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
1 Corinthians 15.25–26
I am convinced that neither death, nor life,
nor angels, nor rulers,
nor things present, nor things to come,
nor powers, nor height, nor depth,
nor anything else in all creation,
will be able to separate us from the love of God
in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8.38–39
8 The people may join with the minister in saying
[Let us pray.]
Loving God, you alone are the source of life.
May your life-giving Spirit flow through us,
and fill us with compassion, one for another.
In our sorrow give us the calm of your peace.
Kindle our hope, and let our grief give way to joy;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
9 A member of the family or a friend may speak about the person who has died.
Members of the family and congregation may be invited to place flowers or symbols on or near the coffin.
A period of silence and/or music may follow.
10 One or more psalms is said or sung. The response (R) may be used where marked.
Psalm 23
R I will fear no evil, for you are with me
The Lord is my shepherd:
therefore can I lack nothing.
He shall make me lie down in green pastures:
and lead me beside still waters. R
He shall refresh my soul:
and guide me in right pathways for his name’s sake.
Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
I will fear no evil:
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff comfort me. R
You spread a table before me
in the presence of those who trouble me:
you have anointed my head with oil and my cup shall be full.
Surely your goodness and loving-kindness will follow me
all the days of my life:
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. R
From Psalm 90
R Teach us rightly to number our days
Lord, you have been our refuge:
from one generation to another.
Before the mountains were brought forth,
or the earth and the world were born:
from everlasting to everlasting you are God. R
You turn us back to dust:
and say ,‘Go back, you children of earth’.
For a thousand years in your sight
are as yesterday when it is past:
or like a watch in the night. R
You cut them off like a dream:
and like the new grass of the morning.
In the morning it springs up and flourishes:
in the evening it is dried up and withered. R
When you are angry, all our days pass away:
we bring our years to an end like a sigh.
The span of our life is seventy years,
or, if we have strength, perhaps eighty:
yet the pride of our toil is but trouble and sorrow,
for it passes away quickly and we are gone. R
Who knows the power of your wrath?:
who knows your indignation like those who fear you?
Teach us rightly to number our days:
so that we may apply our hearts to wisdom. R
Psalm 121
R My help comes from the Lord
I lift my eyes to the hills:
from where is my help to come?
My help comes from the Lord:
the maker of heaven and earth. R
The Lord will not allow your foot to slip:
your guardian will not sleep.
See, the one who watches over Israel:
shall neither slumber nor sleep. R
It is the Lord who is your keeper:
the Lord is your shelter on your right hand,
So that the sun shall not strike you by day:
neither shall the moon by night. R
The Lord shall preserve you from all evil:
it is the Lord who shall guard your life.
The Lord shall watch over your going out and your coming in:
both now and for evermore. R
Other suitable psalms include:
Psalm 46; Psalm 71; Psalm 130 (in Funeral for a Child); Psalm 139.1–11 (in Funeral for an Infant).
11 One or more of the following readings is read, or some other suitable passages from Scripture.
Romans 6.3–9
Do you not know that all of us who have been baptised
into Christ Jesus were baptised into his death?
Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead
by the glory of the Father,
so we too might walk in newness of life.
For if we have been united with him in a death like his,
we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection
like his.
We know that our old self was crucified with him
so that the body of sin might be destroyed,
and we might no longer be enslaved to sin.
For whoever has died is freed from sin.
But if we have died with Christ,
we believe that we will also live with him.
We know that Christ, being raised from the dead,
will never die again;
death no longer has dominion over him.
1 Corinthians 15.50b–58
Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God,
nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.
Listen, I will tell you a mystery!
We will not all die, but we will all be changed, in a moment,
in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.
For the trumpet will sound,
and the dead will be raised imperishable,
and we will be changed.
For this perishable body must put on the imperishable,
and this mortal body must put on immortality.
When this perishable body puts on the imperishable,
and this mortal body puts on immortality,
then the saying that is written will be fulfilled:
‘Death has been swallowed up in victory.’
‘Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?’
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory
through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, my beloved, be steadfast, immovable,
always excelling in the work of the Lord,
because you know that in the Lord your labour is not in
vain.
John 14.1–6
Jesus said, ‘Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way to the place where I am going.’
Thomas said to him, ‘Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?’
Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’
Other suitable passages include:
Romans 8.31–38 God’s love in Christ Jesus
1 Corinthians 13 Faith, hope and love
1 Corinthians 15 The resurrection of the dead
2 Corinthians 4.16—5.10 Living by faith and hope
Philippians 3.10–16, 20–21 God’s purposes for us
1 Thessalonians 4.13–18 The coming of the Lord
Revelation 21.1–7 The new heaven and the new earth
Matthew 5.1–12a True happiness
John 6.35–40 Jesus the Bread of life, who raises us up
John 11.17–27 Jesus the Resurrection and the Life
John 20.11–18 Mary encounters the risen Jesus
12 The Sermon
A period of silence may follow.
13 One of the following or another hymn may be used.
From The Song of the Church (Te Deum Laudamus)
You, Lord Christ, are the King of glory:
the eternal Son of the Father.
When you took our flesh to set us free:
you humbly chose the Virgin’s womb.
You overcame the sting of death:
and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers.
You are seated at God’s right hand in glory:
We believe that you will come to be our judge.
Come then, Lord, and help your people,
bought with the price of your own blood:
and bring us with your saints to glory everlasting.
Hymn of the Risen Christ
Christ our Passover has been sacrificed for us:
so let us celebrate the feast,
Not with the old leaven of corruption and wickedness:
but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
Christ once raised from the dead dies no more:
death has no more dominion over him.
In dying, he died to sin once for all:
in living, he lives to God.
See yourselves, therefore, as dead to sin:
and alive to God in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Christ has been raised from the dead:
the first fruits of those who sleep
For since by one man came death:
by another has come also the resurrection of the dead,
For as in Adam all die:
even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
14 The minister says
Let us pray with confidence to God our Father,
who raised Jesus Christ from the dead for the salvation of all.
Thanksgiving
Thanks be to God for the gift of life.
You have made us in your image,
and called us to reflect your truth and light.
We thank you for the life of N.
We give thanks for N’s
family life and friends ...
contribution to the community ...
commitment to work ...
leisure activities and other interests ...
personal qualities …
strength in adversity ...
faith, love and hope...
ministries in the Church ...
Above all, we thank you for your gracious promise
to all your servants, living and departed,
that we shall be made one again
in our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
and/or
Gracious God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
we thank you that you received N by baptism
into the family of your Church on earth,
and granted her/him the gift of eternal life.
S/he ate with us the bread of life
and drank from the cup of salvation.
We thank you for all your goodness to N,
in Christ our Saviour. Amen.
Other prayers of thanksgiving may be offered instead of the above. An Easter collect, or one of the Prayers of Thanksgiving for the Victory of Christ, is appropriate.
For those who mourn
God of all mercy, giver of all comfort:
look graciously, we pray, on those who mourn especially…
Casting all their cares on you,
may they know the consolation of your love;
through Jesus Christ our risen Lord. Amen.
or
Merciful God,
we pray for N’s family and friends,
remembering especially ...
whose sense of loss is so keen.
When we cannot understand the things that happen,
and are weighed down by grief and loneliness,
uphold us in your love.
Give us the assurance of your constant care,
that we may have courage for the days ahead.
through Jesus Christ our friend. Amen.
Additional prayers may be offered.
or
15 The following litany may be used, especially where the Holy Communion follows.
We thank you, our Father,
that your Son Jesus Christ came to die for us.
We thank you that you raised him from the dead.
We thank you for the gift of life, and the life of N.
Bring us, with N and all your faithful people,
to the fullness of life you promise to those who love you.
Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer.
We confess that we have not loved you with our whole heart.
We have not loved our neighbours as ourselves.
We repent, and are sorry for all our sins.
Grant us forgiveness, and assure us of your love.
Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer.
Strengthen us to love and obey you,
that we may live the rest of our lives in following your Son,
and be ready when you call us to the fullness of eternal life.
Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer.
We pray for those who mourn.
Be close to them in their loss.
Increase their faith in your undying love.
Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer.
Show your mercy to the dying.
Sustain them with hope,
and fill them with the peace and joy of your presence.
Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer.
We praise you, Lord God, for your faithful servants
in every age.
May we, with [N and] all who have died in the faith of Christ,
be brought to a joyful resurrection
and the fulfilment of your eternal kingdom.
Amen.
16 If the Lord’s Prayer is not to be used at ¶ 17c, the minister continues
As our Saviour Christ has taught us, we are confident to pray,
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours
now and for ever. Amen.
17 If the Holy Communion is to be celebrated, please turn to page 725.
18 A hymn may be sung.
19 The minister may say the following or other prayers.
Lord Jesus Christ, you gave new birth to our brother/sister N
by water and the Spirit.
Grant that his/her death may recall to us
your victory over death,
and be an occasion for us
to renew our trust in your Father’s love.
Give us, we pray, the faith to follow
where you have led the way,
to live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
to the ages of ages. Amen.
20 The minister says
Let us entrust our sister/brother N to the mercy of God.
Silence may be kept.
Holy and loving Father,
by your mighty power you gave us life,
and in your love you have given us new life
in Christ Jesus.
We entrust N to your merciful keeping:
in the faith of Jesus Christ,
who died and rose again to save us,
and now lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit
in glory for ever. Amen.
21 The committal of the body may take place at this point, if it is not to occur at the graveside or crematorium.
Facing the coffin, the minister says
Almighty God, our heavenly Father,
you have given us a sure and certain hope
of the resurrection to eternal life.
In your keeping are all who have departed in Christ.
We here commit the body of our dear brother/sister N
to be cremated
to the deep
to be buried in the ground,
in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who died, and was buried, and rose again for us,
and who shall change our mortal body
that it may be like his glorious body.
The congregation may join with the minister
Thanks be to God who gives us the victory
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Other prayers may be added.
22 The minister says
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit,
be with us all evermore. Amen.
or the priest says
The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make his face to shine upon you,
and be gracious to you.
The Lord lift up his countenance upon you,
and give you peace. Amen.
The minister may say
Go in peace in the name of Christ. Amen.
23 As the body is carried out, a hymn, or one or more of these anthems, may be sung or said.
Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death,
and giving life to those in the tomb.
The Sun of Righteousness is gloriously risen,
giving light to those who sat in darkness
and in the shadow of death.
Christ will open the kingdom of heaven
to all who believe in him, saying,
Come, O blessed of my Father;
inherit the kingdom prepared for you.
and/or
Lord now you let your servant go in peace:
your word has been fulfilled.
My own eyes have seen the salvation:
which you have prepared in the sight of every people;
a light to reveal you to the nations:
and the glory of your people Israel.
Luke 2.29–32
The Holy Communion on the Day of a Funeral
17a All stand. The Greeting of Peace is introduced with these or other suitable words.
We are the body of Christ.
His Spirit is with us.
The priest says
The peace of the Lord be always be with you.
And also with you.
17b The priest takes the bread and wine for the communion, places them on the Lord’s Table, and says this or another authorised Prayer of Thanksgiving and Consecration.
[The Lord be with you
And also with you.]
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
Blessed are you, gracious God,
creator of heaven and earth,
giver of life, and conqueror of death.
By his death on the cross,
your Son Jesus Christ
offered the one true sacrifice for sin,
breaking the power of evil
and putting death to flight.
With all your saints
we give you thanks and praise.
Through his resurrection from the dead
you have given us new birth into a living hope,
into an inheritance which is imperishable,
undefiled, and unfading.
With all your saints
we give you thanks and praise.
The joy of resurrection fills the universe,
and so we join with angels and archangels,
with [N and] all your faithful people,
evermore praising you and saying,
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might.
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
[Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.]
Merciful God, we thank you
for these gifts of your creation,
this bread and wine,
and we pray that by your Word and Holy Spirit,
we who eat and drink them
may be partakers of Christ’s body and blood.
On the night he was betrayed Jesus took bread;
and when he had given you thanks
he broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying,
‘Take, eat. This is my body given for you.
Do this in remembrance of me.’
After supper, he took the cup,
and again giving you thanks
he gave it to his disciples, saying,
‘Drink from this, all of you.
This is my blood of the new covenant
shed for you and for many
for the forgiveness of sins.
Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’
The memorial acclamation is used here or below.
Christ has died.
Christ is risen.
Christ will come again.
Therefore with thanksgiving for the gift of your Son
we here proclaim his passion and death,
and his victory over the grave.
The memorial acclamation may be used here.
Renew us by your Holy Spirit,
unite us in the body of your Son
and bring us with [N and] all your faithful people
into the joy of your eternal kingdom;
with whom, in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
we offer our prayer and praise:
Blessing and honour and glory and power
are yours for ever and ever. Amen.
17c If the Lord’s Prayer has not already been said, it is said here or after the Communion.
As our Saviour Christ has taught us, we are confident to pray,
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours,
now and for ever. Amen.
THE BREAKING OF THE BREAD AND THE COMMUNION
17d The priest breaks the bread. The following may be said.
[We break this bread to share in the body of Christ.]
We who are many are one body,
for we all share in the one bread.
17e The priest and other communicants receive the Holy Communion.
The sacrament is given with the following words.
The body of our Lord Jesus Christ, which was given for you, preserve your body and soul to everlasting life. Take and eat this in remembrance that Christ died for you, and feed on him in your heart by faith with thanksgiving.
and
The blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, which was shed for you, preserve your body and soul to everlasting life. Drink this in remembrance that Christ’s blood was shed for you, and be thankful.
or, the priest says
[The gifts of God for the people of God.]
Come let us take this holy sacrament of the body and blood of Christ in remembrance that he died for us, and feed on him in our hearts by faith with thanksgiving.
The sacrament is given with the following words, after which the communicant responds Amen.
The body of Christ [the bread of heaven] keep you
in eternal life. Amen.
The blood of Christ [the cup of salvation] keep you
in eternal life. Amen.
During the communion, psalms, hymns or anthems may be sung or said.
17f The priest may say this or another suitable prayer.
[Let us pray.]
Lord of life and death,
we thank you that in your great love
you have given us this foretaste of the heavenly banquet
prepared for all your saints.
Grant that this sacrament of Christ’s death may be to us
a comfort in affliction,
a firm assurance of his resurrection,
and a pledge of our inheritance in that kingdom
where death and sorrow are no more,
but all things are made new. Amen.
The service continues at the Farewell at ¶ 18 on page 722.
At the Graveside or Crematorium
24 When the body is brought to the place, the minister meets it at the entrance.
If appropriate, a hymn may be sung or other music used.
25 The minister greets those who have gathered.
Grace and peace from the Lord be with you.
And also with you.
One or more of these or other appropriate sentences from Scripture may be read.
If we live, we live to the Lord,
and if we die, we die to the Lord;
so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.
For to this end Christ died and lived again,
so that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.
Romans 14.8–9
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!
By his great mercy he has given us new birth
into a living hope
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
and into an inheritance that is imperishable,
undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.
1 Peter 1.3–4
For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again,
even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him
those who have fallen asleep.
1 Thessalonians 4.14
We brought nothing into the world—
it is certain that we can take nothing out of it.
1 Timothy 6.7
Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
and naked shall I return there;
The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away;
blessed be the name of the Lord.
Job 1.21
26 The following may be said.
In the midst of life we are in death.
We blossom like a flower, and wither.
We pass like a shadow, and do not stay.
From whom may we seek for help,
but from you, Lord God,
though you are justly grieved on account of our sins?
Holy and loving Saviour,
deliver us from the bitterness of eternal death.
Keep us, at our last hour, lest we fall from you.
and/or
You, O Lord, are full of compassion and mercy:
slow to anger and of great goodness.
As a father cares for his children:
so is your care, O Lord, for those who fear you.
For you know of what we are made:
you remember that we are but dust.
Our days are like the grass:
we flourish like a flower of the field;
When the wind goes over it, it is gone:
and its place will know it no more.
But your loving-kindness, O Lord
endures for ever and ever
on those that fear you:
and your righteousness on their children’s children.
27 Facing the coffin, and at a burial while earth is cast upon it, the minister says
Almighty God, our heavenly Father,
you have given us a sure and certain hope
of the resurrection to eternal life.
In your keeping are all who have departed in Christ.
We here commit the body of our dear sister/brother N
to be cremated
to be buried in the ground,
earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust
to the deep,
in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who died, and was buried, and rose again for us,
and who shall change our mortal body
that it may be like his glorious body.
The congregation may join with the minister
Thanks be to God who gives us the victory
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen!
At a burial, family members or friends may be invited to assist in casting earth upon the body, here or at the end of the service.
The minister may continue
Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord,
for they rest from their labours.
28 The minister may say
As our Saviour Christ has taught us, we are confident to pray,
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours
now and for ever. Amen.
29 The minister says one or more of these prayers.
God of truth and love,
give us wisdom and grace
to use aright the time left to us.
While we have opportunity,
lead us to repent of our sins,
and to do what we have left undone.
Strengthen us to follow in the steps of Jesus,
along the pilgrim way to your eternal kingdom;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
God of all consolation,
in your unending love and mercy for us
you turn the darkness of death
into the dawn of new life.
Be our refuge and strength in sorrow.
As your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ,
by dying for us conquered death,
and by rising again restored us to life,
so may we go forward in faith to meet him,
and after our life on earth
be united with our dear brothers and sisters in Christ
where every tear will be wiped away,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Additional prayers may be offered.
30 The minister says one or more of the following.
Now to him who is able to keep you from falling,
and to make you stand without blemish
in the presence of his glory with rejoicing,
to the only God our Saviour, through Jesus Christ our Lord,
be glory, majesty, power and authority,
before all time and now and for ever. Amen.
Jude 24–25
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all. Amen.
2 Corinthians 13.14
May God in his infinite love and mercy
bring the whole Church,
living and departed in the Lord Jesus,
to a joyful resurrection
and the fulfilment of his eternal kingdom. Amen.
The minister may say
Go in peace in the name of Christ. Amen.
The Interment of the Ashes
1 The minister greets those who have gathered.
Grace and peace from the Lord be with you.
And also with you.
One or more of the following or other appropriate sentences from Scripture are read.
Jesus said, ‘I am the resurrection and the life.
Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live,
and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.’
John 11.25–26
Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again;
death no longer has dominion over him.
The death he died, he died to sin, once for all;
but the life he lives, he lives to God.
Romans 6.9–10
I am convinced that neither death, nor life,
nor angels, nor rulers,
nor things present, nor things to come,
nor powers, nor height, nor depth,
nor anything else in all creation,
will be able to separate us from the love of God
in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8.38–39
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!
By his great mercy he has given us new birth
into a living hope
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
and into an inheritance that is imperishable,
undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.
1 Peter 1.3–4
2 The minister may say
God our creator, giver of life and all that is good and true,
we thank you for the life of your servant, N.
Preserve among us the good of his/her example,
and keep us in the way of truth,
until we come to your eternal kingdom;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
3 As the ashes are interred in a prepared place, the minister says
God our Father,
in loving care your hand has created us,
and as the potter fashions the clay
you have formed us in your image.
Through the Holy Spirit
you have breathed into us the gift of life.
In the sharing of love you have enriched our knowledge
of you and of one another.
We claim your love today,
as we commit these remains of N to their resting place,
earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust,
in sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life.
The congregation may join with the minister in saying
Thanks be to God who gives us the victory
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen!
4 The minister reads these verses of Scripture.
Listen, I will tell you a mystery!
We will not all fall asleep, but we will all be changed,
in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.
For the trumpet will sound,
and the dead will be raised imperishable,
and we will be changed.
For this perishable nature must put on the imperishable,
and this mortal body must put on immortality.
1 Corinthians 15.51–53
Other suitable verses may be read.
5 The minister says
As our Saviour Christ has taught us, we are confident to pray,
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours
now and for ever. Amen.
The minister continues
God of hope,
grant that we, with all who have believed in you,
may be united in the full knowledge of your love
and the unclouded vision of your glory;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Further prayers may be offered.
6 The minister says one of the following
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all. Amen.
2 Corinthians 13.14
Now to him who is able to keep you from falling,
and to make you stand without blemish
in the presence of his glory with rejoicing,
to the only God our Saviour, through Jesus Christ our Lord,
be glory, majesty, power and authority,
before all time and now and for ever. Amen.
Jude 24–25