There are several different ways that we remember the dead, celebrate the gifts they gave us through their lives, and give thanksgiving to God that we knew them. We use words like “memorial service” to describe how we do these things. For many of us, the old word funeral has fallen out of favor.
That word funeral finds its root in the Latin funus, meaning dead body. Of course, that is exactly what happens when there is a full-body burial; there is a sitting with the body of a person who has died – deceased is such a neutral term and does not take in the full impact of death on us.
Yesterday we – the community of faith, friends, relatives – celebrated the life of Nell Ryan, our church secretary who died in January. It is often said that such services bring closure, but there is no closure in grief, only the reality of a life full of love for others cut short far too early. The people we loved remain alive in us, and for that we should be thankful.
Prayer for the Day
Death upon death, such loss is never isolated,
For each death brings to mind those we have lost before;
We cling to not only our memories, but to the tactile:
Items, photos, something that speaks of life.
Let us be embraced by you, O God, in the losses we suffer,
Even as we live in the faith that you are a God of life.
In the name of the One who offers us life more abundantly,
Even Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.
Thoughts for the Day
Don't tell us what to believe, what to fear. Show us belief's wide skirt and the stitch that unravels fear's caul.
Toni Morrison, American writer (1931-2019)
Remember that when you leave this earth, you can take with you nothing that you have received ... but only what you have given: a full heart, enriched by honest service, love, sacrifice, and courage.
St. Francis of Assisi (1181-1226)
For God Alone my soul waits in silence, my hope is from God.
God alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
On God rests my deliverance and my honor; my refuge is in God.
Trust in God at all times, O people; pour out your heart before God, a refuge for us.
Psalm 62: 5-8
There are several different ways that we remember the dead, celebrate the gifts they gave us through their lives, and give thanksgiving to God that we knew them. We use words like “memorial service” to describe how we do these things. For many of us, the old word funeral has fallen out of favor.
That word funeral finds its root in the Latin funus, meaning dead body. Of course, that is exactly what happens when there is a full-body burial; there is a sitting with the body of a person who has died – deceased is such a neutral term and does not take in the full impact of death on us.
Yesterday we – the community of faith, friends, relatives – celebrated the life of Nell Ryan, our church secretary who died in January. It is often said that such services bring closure, but there is no closure in grief, only the reality of a life full of love for others cut short far too early. The people we loved remain alive in us, and for that we should be thankful.
Prayer for the Day
Death upon death, such loss is never isolated,
For each death brings to mind those we have lost before;
We cling to not only our memories, but to the tactile:
Items, photos, something that speaks of life.
Let us be embraced by you, O God, in the losses we suffer,
Even as we live in the faith that you are a God of life.
In the name of the One who offers us life more abundantly,
Even Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.
Thoughts for the Day
Don't tell us what to believe, what to fear. Show us belief's wide skirt and the stitch that unravels fear's caul.
Toni Morrison, American writer (1931-2019)
Remember that when you leave this earth, you can take with you nothing that you have received ... but only what you have given: a full heart, enriched by honest service, love, sacrifice, and courage.
St. Francis of Assisi (1181-1226)
For God Alone my soul waits in silence, my hope is from God.
God alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
On God rests my deliverance and my honor; my refuge is in God.
Trust in God at all times, O people; pour out your heart before God, a refuge for us.
Psalm 62: 5-8
There are several different ways that we remember the dead, celebrate the gifts they gave us through their lives, and give thanksgiving to God that we knew them. We use words like “memorial service” to describe how we do these things. For many of us, the old word funeral has fallen out of favor.
That word funeral finds its root in the Latin funus, meaning dead body. Of course, that is exactly what happens when there is a full-body burial; there is a sitting with the body of a person who has died – deceased is such a neutral term and does not take in the full impact of death on us.
Yesterday we – the community of faith, friends, relatives – celebrated the life of Nell Ryan, our church secretary who died in January. It is often said that such services bring closure, but there is no closure in grief, only the reality of a life full of love for others cut short far too early. The people we loved remain alive in us, and for that we should be thankful.
Prayer for the Day
Death upon death, such loss is never isolated,
For each death brings to mind those we have lost before;
We cling to not only our memories, but to the tactile:
Items, photos, something that speaks of life.
Let us be embraced by you, O God, in the losses we suffer,
Even as we live in the faith that you are a God of life.
In the name of the One who offers us life more abundantly,
Even Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.
Thoughts for the Day
Don't tell us what to believe, what to fear. Show us belief's wide skirt and the stitch that unravels fear's caul.
Toni Morrison, American writer (1931-2019)
Remember that when you leave this earth, you can take with you nothing that you have received ... but only what you have given: a full heart, enriched by honest service, love, sacrifice, and courage.
St. Francis of Assisi (1181-1226)
For God Alone my soul waits in silence, my hope is from God.
God alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
On God rests my deliverance and my honor; my refuge is in God.
Trust in God at all times, O people; pour out your heart before God, a refuge for us.
Psalm 62: 5-8
There are several different ways that we remember the dead, celebrate the gifts they gave us through their lives, and give thanksgiving to God that we knew them. We use words like “memorial service” to describe how we do these things. For many of us, the old word funeral has fallen out of favor.
That word funeral finds its root in the Latin funus, meaning dead body. Of course, that is exactly what happens when there is a full-body burial; there is a sitting with the body of a person who has died – deceased is such a neutral term and does not take in the full impact of death on us.
Yesterday we – the community of faith, friends, relatives – celebrated the life of Nell Ryan, our church secretary who died in January. It is often said that such services bring closure, but there is no closure in grief, only the reality of a life full of love for others cut short far too early. The people we loved remain alive in us, and for that we should be thankful.
Prayer for the Day
Death upon death, such loss is never isolated,
For each death brings to mind those we have lost before;
We cling to not only our memories, but to the tactile:
Items, photos, something that speaks of life.
Let us be embraced by you, O God, in the losses we suffer,
Even as we live in the faith that you are a God of life.
In the name of the One who offers us life more abundantly,
Even Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.
Thoughts for the Day
Don't tell us what to believe, what to fear. Show us belief's wide skirt and the stitch that unravels fear's caul.
Toni Morrison, American writer (1931-2019)
Remember that when you leave this earth, you can take with you nothing that you have received ... but only what you have given: a full heart, enriched by honest service, love, sacrifice, and courage.
St. Francis of Assisi (1181-1226)
For God Alone my soul waits in silence, my hope is from God.
God alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
On God rests my deliverance and my honor; my refuge is in God.
Trust in God at all times, O people; pour out your heart before God, a refuge for us.
Psalm 62: 5-8