Funeral With Committal

Contents Order: Funeral text; Message; Graveside Committal. The prayers I do not use as written, but use as a guide to work from during the service. The theological part of the message is written in terms that unbelievers will understand.

FUNERAL

Prelude

Closing of the Casket

Seating of the Family

Rev. 1:8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”

May the blessings of the Lord our God be upon us as we come before him this day.

Welcome

Welcome, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are gathered here today to celebrate the life of Lois Vochoska. Who was known by God in her mother’s womb, who came to know the Lord God through an anointed relationship with Jesus Christ, and who is now in full communion with God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Opening Prayer

We come before you this afternoon to celebrate the life of our sister Lois. We thank you so much for the gift of her life and for the time we were able to spend with her. Lord God, You formed us from the dust of the earth and by your breath you gave us life you made us in your image and you are the one who holds us in your care, we come to you, asking you to be with us now in both strength and power.

We know that Lois is with you and we know that she is now in the great company of faith in your glorious presence, and we know we will be with her again at some time in the future.

We ask that you encircle us with your love, wash us with your peace, and move within our hearts.

May the presence of the Holy Spirit be upon us all...We ask this all in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord - Amen.

BELL CHIOR: It is well with my soul

1Th. 4:13-18 NIV

Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.

According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.

After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

Therefore encourage each other with these words.

Rom 8:39-39 NIV

38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Rev. 21:1-5 NIV

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” 5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!”

HYMN: Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty

MESSAGE (see next section for message)

TIME OF PERSONAL SHARING

(family members first, then others)

Pastoral Prayer

Jesus our Lord, You have given us a new and living hope in Jesus Christ. We thank you, that by dying you destroyed the power of death, and by rising from the grave you opened the way to eternal life.

We know that because you live, we shall live also and that neither life nor death, nor things present, nor things to come, shall be able to separate us from your love.

Your love cares for us in life and watches over us in death. We thank you for the assurance that is such in the kingdom of God