Memorial Service for _________________
PRELUDE:
INTRODUCTION:
Friends and Family - members of the community, within the healing embrace of God’s love we have gathered here to remember of life of _________________ and to entrust her into God’s eternal care, knowing that God’s good purpose for his people cannot be defeated by sin and death. We are all children of God, and in the faith that God has given to us, we turn to God now asking for his comfort and his grace to be upon us - and to dwell in a special way upon the family and upon those who were privileged to love _________________ during her brief stay with us upon this earth..
OPENING PRAYER:
"Our Loving Eternal Heavenly Father, as we meet this morning to remember _________________, we ask you to be to us the God of all comfort, and the God of all grace. Give us perspective as we face the reality of death, to grow in our perspective of the truths of life. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, AMEN."
SPECIAL MUSIC :
BIO / OBITUARY:
_________________, a precious ______month-old baby, went to be with the Lord on __________. _________________ was born ___________, in Arlington. Though she was only with us for a short time, she will be missed and remembered forever. _________________ is survived by: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ and a host of aunts, uncles, cousins and extended family members.
SCRIPTURE:
_________________ was a beautiful baby. He/She brought Joy into the lives of all those around her. She was surrounded by a family that loved her and cared for her in good times and in bad. In the time that we have had to spend with _________________ she has marked us. She will be missed. But friends I have wonderful news The Word says in
NIV Revelation 7:16-17
16. Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat.
17. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."
_________________ is in the Presence of the Lord God almighty. The Lord is pleased that _________________ is with Him. The Father, the Shepherd of the little lambs has taken her home for eternity.
There are many Scriptures revealing the heart of God toward children, let me read one to you:
NIV Mark 10:13-16
3. People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them.
14. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.
15. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."
16. And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.
Again the arms of the Lord have opened to a child. The Lord is Holding _________________ close to Himself in those tender loving Arms.
He instructed us to ‘let the little children come to him’ not to’ hinder them’.
The passing of _________________ is so dear to our hearts that it has brought heaven closer to all of us.
PRAYER:
We therefore commit _________________ to you Lord. That does not mean that we will not miss him/her. Father we pray that you will give each of our hearts a glimpse of Eternity. Help us to see what she is currently seeing and let us gain peace to let Her go. Right now there is a celebration, and _________________ is enveloped with the Joy of the Lord, The Peace that transcends all understanding, and the Life of God. I pray that you will let your presence fill this place today and comfort all who mourn. Give them the Life, Peace, And Joy that _________________ is feeling right now.
SERMON:
During the last few days as each of us considered the untimely death of baby _________________ our hearts have been full of questions - amongst them being "how did this happen?" and "why did this happen?" These questions have not only been in the hearts and minds of Cindy and Damien and their families, but upon the lips of many of you who are here today - and indeed they have been heard throughout our communities.
We are not here today to answer these questions - even if we could. Rather we are here to mourn - to mourn and to commend _________________ into God’s care, and to ask God to help us - and to most especially help their families through this tragedy.
In the most beautiful of gardens, even those tended by the most skillful of botanists, there is an occasional rose that buds, but never opens. In all respects the rose is like all the others, but something keeps it from blooming. It fades away - or disappears - without having reached maturity.
What happens in nature’s garden happens once in a while also in the garden of God’s human family. A baby is born, beautiful, precious, but fails to come to its rightful unfolding. This child, like the bud that never fully opens, is gathered back into God’s heavenly garden of souls - where all imperfections are made perfect; all injustices made right; all mysteries are explained; and all sorrows turned to happiness.
Today we mourn our loss of such a child. We weep, just as Jesus himself wept at the death of his friend Lazarus. Even if we knew the answers to the questions that rise so naturally to our hearts and minds at times like this, there still would be no adequate explanation for this loss. It is painful.
And I believe it is also painful to God, who created the world intending for it to be perfect. As Jesus himself said in Matthew 18:14: "It is not the will of your Father that one of these little ones should perish."
And, as promised to us by God through the prophet Isaiah, there will come a time when there is a new heaven and a new earth - a time when never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his years - a time so glorious in its presence that all will continuously Rejoice
But this is not yet that time.
Rather this is the time when heaven yet remains above - and the earth below; the time when the joy of eternal life is only experienced in its fullness once our mortal bodies perish, much as a flower can come forth only after a seed or bulb is planted in the earth and loses its form.
There are angels above. Angels who watch over the little ones of this earth. Jesus speaks of them when he tells his disciples to be careful not to think less of little children simply because they are little children, for in heaven, he says, their angels continually see the face of my Father in heaven.
There is a special place in the heart of God and amongst the angels for the little ones of this world just as there is a special place in our hearts today for _________________.
And so we weep at what has happened. And so too - God weeps with us.
What can be said that might ease the pain or the grief that you - and all of us feel today?
There isn’t much we can say that will help. We can express our sympathy and sorrow. We can offer words of love, care and concern. We can say we will pray for you. But other than that we don’t know what to say about these things.
Maybe it is because people don’t know what to say that they sometimes say the wrong things.
Some people may say that _________________’s death at this time was God’s will. Don’t believe them. The God we worship, the God who watches over us, doesn’t will the death of babies or the pain of their parents. Many, many things that happen in this world are not the will of God. That is part of the price of the freedom we have been given by God.
Some people may say to you that God wanted _________________ in heaven with him. While I am confident God has welcomed _________________ into his kingdom, I am sure God did not want her to die right now so that He could have her there.
Some people may seek to comfort you by saying to you that you are young and that you have other children. That may be true, but other children will not replace _________________. She was her own person. The empty place her death has left in your heart will not be filled simply because you have another child. Nor should it be. Every child is unique and precious.
I am sure the people who say things like this say them with a desire to comfort. They want to say something that will help. Bless them for it - but know that we are faced with a mystery - the mystery of life - and of death - in which there are no easy answers.
"What" then, "are we to say to these things?"
What Paul answers in romans 8: 31What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?
It is important to know that God is for you. God did not do this to you. God did not will _________________’s death or your pain. But God is with you in the midst of it all and will help you through it. God is for you. What is more, God gave up his own son for us all.
(Parents Names) , God understands your pain. God had a son who died also. Jesus died on the cross for us.
Now, you may think, "Sure, but Jesus rose from the dead." Well, because Jesus rose to new life you can be confident that _________________ has new life also, one that can never be snatched away from her - or from you.
Today - in our grief - know – _________________ is Rejoicing in heaven. Cling to that hope - that promise of our God - and allow your tears to wash away the pain in the days and months to come.
PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, whose Son Jesus Christ did take little children into his arms and bless them; we thank you that you gave _________________ to us, even for a brief time; and we thank you that you caused our hearts to love her. We praise and bless you for the assurance that you have received her to yourself, and that you will keep her now and always.
O God, whose compassion never fails; we commend to you those who mourn, especially _____________________________________________________
and all the family members who have been denied the joy of seeing _________________ blossom and grow in our midst. Grant unto them, and all of us who weep today, your strength - and uphold them with a living hope. May the words of Jesus, which reveal his love for little children, speak peace to their troubled hearts. Make them know that the child who has been taken out of their sight is with you, safe in your eternal care, with all suffering passed. May they also have assurance in their hearts that in your own good time they will see him again. This we ask in the name of Jesus, who taught us to pray, saying,
OUR FATHER WHO ART IN HEAVEN, HALLOWED BE THY NAME; THY KINGDOM COME, THY WILL BE DONE, ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN. GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD; AND FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES, AS WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US; AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION, BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL. FOR THINE IS THE KINGDOM, THE POWER AND THE GLORY, FOR EVER AND EVER. AMEN
Give People an opportunity to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior
POSTLUDE:
BENEDICTION:
May the Lord Bless you and Cause his face to shine upon you. Go now in peace, and may the blessings of God Almighty, the Father, The Son, and Thy Holy Spirit - Amen
INSTRUCTIONS:
GRAVESIDE COMMITAL:
As Christians, it is our conviction that our loved ones move on into the nearer presence of God, where they shall hunger no more, either thirst any more; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water; and God himself will wipe away every tear from their eyes.
Having this faith, we now commend into God’s keeping _________________. We commit her mortal remains to the elements from which they first arose: earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust, trusting in Gods great mercy by which we have been born anew to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
God’s peace is hers. God’s peace will be ours.
Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
BENEDICTION:
Go now in peace, and may the blessings of God Almighty, the Father, The Son, and Thy Holy Spirit, rest upon you and remain with you all, both now and forevermore - Amen
