How do Christians honor their dead? A Christian funeral service, unlike in some other faith belief systems, is not a somber occasion; rather, the funeral goers remember the life of the departed. Moreover, a Christian funeral hopes to impart an assurance to those left behind that the deceased is finally in paradise with the Almighty.
Individuals who belong to the Christian religion believe in Jesus Christ's coming again. Further, Christians think that at the moment of their demise, judgment will be passed on the deeds they have accomplished while they were still alive. They believe that it is through their kind deeds that they will be worthy of staying with God in paradise. In their daily lives, Christians attempt to live by the example of Christ.
For a god-fearing Christian, a funeral service is a celebration of the deceased's journey into eternal life hereafter. This is the main reason why such services are uplifting as they are seen as a confirmation of the belief that the soul has found a new home in God's place.
Christians believe death to be an entry into the world of eternal bliss and permanent exit from this world of grief and suffering. The severity of pain caused by the death of a loved one is alleviated by the comforting thought that the deceased is enjoying a blissful afterlife in the Lord's house with God Himself. The Christian funeral ceremonies are organized with these beliefs and feelings.
Generally, a Christian funeral service is conducted by the pastor. The funeral service generally is conducted at the church which the deceased visited regularly. Generally no casket is used in the service, but sometimes there are exceptions to this, especially when the service takes place inside a funeral home. A conventional Christian funeral ceremony does not involve public viewing of the deceased at the time of ceremony.
The rituals in such a funeral ceremony are more like a memorial, in which devotional songs and similar prayers are sung and texts from Holy Scriptures are read out loud. A short message is delivered by the pastor, after which a mass prayer is held.
Then the family and relatives share their grief with the gathering, and the people express their sentiments and respect for the deceased and share their thoughts on how the deceased affected their lives and left an everlasting void. These days, people also do a slideshow containing snapshots from the life of the dead person or play a video recording taken from his or her lifetime.
The final phase in the ceremony is that of a brief reception that is conducted inside the church itself and some refreshments are served. People do not choose a graveside service generally, but there are some exceptional cases.
Death is a sensitive time. Give your deceased loved ones the funerals they deserve with peaceful funeral services. This article, Relinquishing Grief Through A Christian Funeral has free reprint rights.