The Funeral Service
Opening
I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die.
Invocation
O Eternal God, our Father, from whom we come and to whom we go, grant us the favor of Your divine presence at this time in our earthly pilgrimage; assure us by Your Holy Spirit that the one we serve, even Jesus, has conquered death and is alive forevermore; enable us to view our temporal lives in the light of the eternal; and so may our spirits grow calm and our vision clear. Through Christ we pray. Amen.
Meditation
1. Our Tribute - Commemorate
A. To pay tribute: We have two purposes here today, to commemorate and to comfort, as we pay tribute to Richard Spears, We have come to honor a life well lived,
What Must it Be Like?
What must it be like to step on shore, and find it - heaven;
To take hold of a hand, and find it - God’s
To breathe new air, and find it - celestial;
To feel invigorated, and find it - immortality;
To rise from the care, the loneliness, and the turmoil of earth
Into an unbroken calm; and find it - glory?
B. Tribute:
The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even 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, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. Psalm 23
2. To comfort: Though we are assured that Richard is with Jesus, she leaves a vacancy that no one can replace, a gap in our lives
The Strength God Brings
Selected Passages
I. God brings help
PS 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea
A. God gives us strength through help
1. God is our refuge
2. God is our help in time of trouble
3. There is no need to fear
B. God holds us in His comfort
1. God offers us His peace
2. God offers us His protection
II. God brings hope
PS 31:24 Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD.
A. God brings strength through hope
1. God is our source of strength
2. God gives us encouragement
B. God holds us in His compassion
1. God sees and knows your pain
2. God understands your pain
a.) We must remember that God is a Father who has lost a Son
b.) Jesus also understands your pain
III. God brings healing
PS 147:3 He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
A. God gives us strength through healing
1. God heals the broken hearted
2. God binds the wounds of the injured
B. God holds us in His care
1. God offers us His care when we are in need
2. The qualities of God’s care
a.) God’s care is constant
b.) God’s care is consistent
c.) God’s care is complete
Prayer
Eternal and Everlasting Father,
You are the author and perfector of life; You are our hope in times of trial and our peace in times of distress. We seek Your help and power to understand Your way and Your will for our lives; remove all confusion and replace it with Your clarity. May we find You evident in our lives today in power and in peace.
We come to You and ask for Your divine presence in this place today and grant to us Your Spirit of comfort. Allow us to see this life with the assurance and power of Christ Jesus, who has conquered death and is alive with an everlasting life. It is that eternal and everlasting life that gives us hope even in death that we might see Your Son. Now as we mourn the loss of Richard; we know that our loss is heaven’s gain. So help our spirits to find peace and comfort in Your eternal strength.
We lift up the Spears Family to You today and ask that Your peace, mercy and strength might rest with them during this time of sorrow and loss. Grant to them an extra measure of Your grace and pour over them an overwhelming sense of Your presence. Make Your Spirit and peace present in all of their homes and lives. Hear us today, Father, and grant these requests of Your people. Through Christ we pray. Amen.
