Where Is God In All This?

Invocation

Gently sustain us, O Lord, through this day of sorrow and loss. In our time together, may we honor (NAME) . May we sense your Spirit with us. May your Spirit bring to our hearts your merciful and compassionate comfort. Amen.

Welcome

On behalf of the (NAME) family, thank each of you for coming here today. This afternoon as we gather together to remember (NAME), I’m going to invite you to remember (NAME) with your own memories. I invite you to remember a time when you and (NAME) shared laughter. I invite you to remember a time when you and (NAME) shared a meaningful moment. I invite you to remember…

Announcements

The family asked me to invite everyone to a luncheon in the cafeteria following the service.

Opening Prayer - Looking Forward

Lord God, here we are gathered, although we really would rather not be here. We would rather be almost anywhere else. It is difficult to be here because it means, in a way, that death is real now for us. But here we are, Lord. Our friend and loved one has died. Here we are, Lord, to weep and mourn. Let your Spirit be with us as we remember and celebrate. Lord, nourish and strengthen us through your rich, full love and grace.

Eternal God, we pray we will be able to see beyond this earthly life to the joys and wonders of life eternal. Help us learn, understand and firmly believe Your promises of life eternal. Speak to us in our needs at this moment. Empower us to look forward always with confidence.

(Prayer continues with Confession)

God of the rainbow, you made a covenant with all human life, promising life and hope. God of pathways, you show us how we should walk. Yet, Lord God, we tend to take you far too much for granted. Often we forget our connection to all human beings and assume we are the center of it all. We tend to wander from your pathways and forget that you are the covenant God of hope and life. Forgive us and lead us back into the arms of your mercy and grace. Amen.

Assurance

God is always merciful and full of amazing love. God will never forget us and will never take us for granted. God will forgive us through that amazing grace. God’s guidance will always be coming to our lives, and God’s amazing promise of eternal life is trustworthy and true.

Romans 8: 31-39

If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He 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? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long;

we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 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.

Will you join me is the Lord ’s Prayer.

NAME

Died (DATE)

OBIT INFO

(NAME) was a very special man. He was a very caring and loving husband, father and doting grandfather. He gave life to all through his drawings. He also will continue giving life through organ donation. He was a gifted and talented artist and cartoonist who will be sorely missed.

His family was his greatest achievement.

(THIS PARTICULAR OBIT CONTAINED THE NAME OF THE DECEASED CAT AS ONE WHO PRECEDED HIM IN DEATH… UNIQUE!)

I can’t remember ever seeing a cat as part of an obituary. Now I didn’t know (NAME), but I wish I had. It’s clear this was a man with a very kind heart. And the mention of Ozzie reminds me of a story.

Originally this was A Dog Story, but in honor of (NAME), we’re going to change it to a “pet” story.

A man and his pet were walking along a road. The man was just enjoying the scenery, when it suddenly occurred to him that he was dead. He remembered dying and the pet had been dead for years. He wondered where the road was leading them. After a while they came to a high white stone wall along one side of the road. It looked like fine marble. At the top of a long hill it was broken by a tall arch that glowed in the sunlight.