5 Lent - March 26, 2023
I am the resurrection and the life - John 11:25
The raising of Lazarus is one of the marvelous signs by which St. John tells us of the great authority and saving power of Jesus, which includes power over the greatest enemy, death. Lazarus, upon hearing the call of Jesus, stepped out of the tomb, his life restored. Lazarus returned to his life, to his home at Bethany with his sisters Mary and Martha. What Jesus restored in Lazarus was his physical life, so that he was able to carry on as he had before the sickness that took his life came upon him. Lazarus was still mortal and subject to physical death. In fact, as news of his being raised spread, more and more Judeans were believing Jesus to be the messiah, and so as the chief priests of the temple formed their plot against Jesus, it also included putting Lazarus back into his tomb on a more permanent basis (John 12:9-11). Although Lazarus would one day face his mortal end, he did so with an assurance that Jesus would again call to him, “Lazarus, come out,” and it would be into the larger life, the never dying life that is for all who believe Jesus to be the resurrection and the life.
I am Resurrection and I am Life, says the Lord. Those words announce the beginning of a funeral service in The Book of Common Prayer. Everything that follows hinges on the faith that those words are trustworthy, that the one whose body is to be committed to its resting place and soul to be commended to the care of God will, like Lazarus, hear the voice of Jesus call him or her out into that larger, never dying life eternal.
I am Resurrection and I am life, says the Lord. During the time I have served this parish it has been my duty to announce those trustworthy words 86 times. It is a duty I hold sacred, for it is the Church’s final act of pastoral care for someone who ideally has passed a long and fruitful life with the gentle rhythm and cadence of The Book of Common Prayer marking a long journey of faith that leads at last to consummation and bliss in God’s eternal and everlasting glory. Unless the return of Christ in glory puts a permanent end to the sad tolling of the funeral bell, each of us will come to a day when a priest will say those trustworthy words to announce the start of our funeral.
I had a recent meeting with some Communicants of this parish about their end of life wishes. We worked our way through a document called Planning a Funeral at Emmanuel that I prepared as a resource to help the people of this parish prepare a funeral plan. Through our conversation I learned that it would be helpful to revise it a bit and also add some information that I previously purposely omitted because there is a lot of money-grubbing associated with funeral planning, and I did not want the church to seem to be part of the money-grubbing enterprise. I would like to share the latest revision with you today, and encourage those of you who have not, as far as the church knows, made end of life plans, to do so. Those of you who have made such plans will also find this document useful, since it adds some information to previous versions I may have shared with you.
There are a couple of copies in each pew, and you are invited to refer to them as we go along.
Page 1 provides a Table of Contents. On page 2 is an Introduction which tells why planning ahead is helpful as a way for you to express your wishes and to help your family feel confident that what is planned really does suit your wishes.
The next section is under the heading The Church is Here to Help. The point person for such help is the rector, and this paragraph reminds you that the Prayer Book directs that the Minister of the Congregation be notified, the reason being so that the ministrations of the Church may be provided. It’s not just so that the rector can respond with kindness and care, which hopefully will be the case, but so that important spiritual work can be done on behalf of the one who is making the journey. That section includes my contact information, and I am at your service 24/7 if needed at such a moment. The paragraph also reminds us that the Prayer Book teaches that baptized Christians are properly buried from the church, meaning from this place that has been your spiritual home. Your last stop should be here, your feet toward the altar, so that if the trumpet should sound to announce the Great Day, you will rise up and face your Lord and Savior.
The next section is Ministries the Church Provides. It describes what is offered at a time of sickness. The service of Ministration to the Sick, which can be done at home, hospital, or skilled nursing facility, offers the comfort of Holy Scripture, prayer, anointing with healing oil, and Holy Communion from the Reserve Sacrament. I would also point your attention to some wonderful prayers for the sick and also prayers for use by one who is sick on pages 458-461 in the Prayer Book. That leads me to a question. Do you have your own copy of the BCP? We have lots of extra pew editions. If you don’t have one, I would gladly make one available to you free of charge. I hope the Vestry won’t be mad at me for making that offer. You can also get it digitally at bcponline.org. I keep that version on my phone and have it bookmarked on my computer.
The Church also provides ministry when someone is near death and at the moment of death. The Ministration at the Time of Death includes some important prayers to mark that time. The very first time I provided pastoral care as a priest in such a time was for a fellow priest who was at church on a Sunday morning, had a stroke on Sunday afternoon, and by Wednesday we were at his bedside praying the commendatory prayers as his body gave up its spirit. It was holy time for those who were gathered. The first time I was invited into such a situation with an Emmanuel Communicant was the first person I buried from this church, Leroy Gailey, who wanted his priest there, and it was my privilege as he gave up his spirit, to say ,
Depart, O Christian soul, out of this world;
In the Name of God the Father Almighty
who created you;
In the Name of Jesus Christ who redeemed you;
In the Name of the Holy Spirit who sanctifies you.
May your rest be this day in peace,
and your dwelling place in the Paradise of God.
-BCP 464
The next ministry is called Prayers for a Vigil. We did this for Fr. Bob Hedges, and I have sneaked it in on a few other occasions. In old time language, it’s the Wake. I encourage you, instead of the traditional funeral home visitation, to make use of the Vigil as the time for sharing stories, for crying and laughter, and to raise a glass - or two. You could have it at a home, or maybe a restaurant or heaven forbid a pub that was a favorite haunt, or a service club, or even here in the Parish Hall. Make it an occasion.
A new section is Fees and Honoraria. This is the part I added reluctantly. There are some fees that the church asks, but if they are a hardship, talk to me. We can work it out. Also listed are some suggested honoraria for individuals or groups who help with the service and the facilities.
Another new suggestion is about Officiating Clergy. The rector is the default Officiant for the service, and any requests for other clergy to assist or officiate must go through the rector.
I also added a section about Military Honors. Those of you who have served our country are entitled to this act of respect. Your funeral director can help arrange for an honor guard to be present.
The next section is The Theology of Christian Burial. You’ll read that a funeral is an Easter event. Even if it happens in deepest, darkest, purplest Lent, the church is transformed to Easter for the funeral, because Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life, and our hope of resurrection to eternal life is rooted in his Easter triumph.
On Page 4 are some notes about Decorating the Church, including the use of candles, the choice of altar paraments - the colored hangings to be used - flowers, and the prohibition of secular symbols from the worship service.
Then on page 4 is some guidance on choosing the appropriate service, which can be the Elizabethan English of Rite I or the 1970’s American English of Rite II.
There are also some thoughts about whether or not to celebrate Holy Communion. While working on this revision, I had a thought. Perhaps at the main public service not to have Communion, because often our non-Episcopalian friends feel confused or bewildered. I can do a good job of assuring them that all the baptized are invited, but then there’s the navigating of getting to the altar rail and how to receive once you’re up there. When Beth and I got married at Christ Church in Tyler, we had Communion at the rehearsal, but not at the wedding, since most of the congregation were not Episcopalians. My mother-in-law said that she got calls from people for months after the wedding who said how lovely it was, and how much it was like a worship service. Well, duh! So, here’s an idea I’ll throw out about Communion and funerals. We could have the main public service as just the burial office, which includes everything except Communion. Then, on another day we could have a Memorial Eucharist for the one who has died, a service primarily for our Emmanuel family to share, but certainly open to others who would want to attend. It’s just a thought, not an edict, so don’t get the wrong impression. He’s not saying, “No more Communion at funerals!”
The last thing I really want to highlight is on Page 4, The Reception of the Body. This is an important part of the process that sometimes gets overlooked. I would like for this to happen about 45 minutes to an hour before the service. It is a way to mark the beginning of the person’s transition from part of the Church Militant, here on earth, into the Church Triumphant, in the Paradise of God.
The booklet continues with descriptions of different funeral rites, even one for someone
who does not profess the Christian faith. We’ll bury anybody, entrusting all to God’s mercy.
Then there are all the suggested readings written out for you to review. If you have another idea for a Scripture reading, you can choose your idea instead of the suggestions.
The last section is a list of hymns that might be appropriate. Our hymnal is divided up by topics, specific services, and seasons of the Church Year. Do take note that there are a few hymns specific to the burial service. Nobody ever chooses them because they aren’t hymns we would normally sing at other occasions, but they are beautiful expressions of trust in the Lord at this stage of the journey of faith.
I hope you will consider putting some thought and prayer into your end of life plans. I would welcome the opportunity to discuss your arrangements and help you choose what is the best way for you to express your ultimate faith in our Lord Jesus, who is the Resurrection and the Life.
Click Here to Open the Funeral Planning Guide