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Two reasons: One, a friend died. The family decided not to have a funeral, nothing to acknowledge him or his death. At first I took it in stride, but then it occurred to me that something was not right with that. In not acknowledging his death, they did not acknowledge his life….The other reason I changed my mind about a funeral has to do with the gospel that bears on my calling as a pastor. My righteousness is not in my apparent clean living. My hope is not in my efforts. The gospel points me to Christ, and that is exactly where I would want my funeral to point others.

My funeral:

Prayer

Scripture reading: Romans 8:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith,5 as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

Hymn: It is Well With My Soul

Sermon: 1 Corinthians 15, 1-11 Now I would remind you, brothers,1 of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.

3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day pin accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 11 Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

Assurance of Pardon: Romans 8:1: There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Hymn: Amazing Grace.

Communion

Hymn: Isaiah 43

Prayer

Bagpipe: Amazing Grace

At the Grave: Military roll call. When I don’t answer, Taps

1Cor.15:54-55
…54But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, "DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory. 55"O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?"
As a sinner I to have wrestled with a funeral/memorial about my life..still do. Married for a 3rd time. Consent reminders of my failures. My daughters didn't even have me walk them down the isle..a very real indicator that I screwed up.

When you attend a funeral
It is sad to think that sooner or
Later those you love will do the same for you
And you may have thought it tragic
(Not to mention other adjec-
-tives) to think of all the weeping they will do
But don’t you worry

No more ashes, no more sackcloth
And an arm band made of black cloth
Will some day nevermore adorn a sleeve
For if the bomb that drops on you
Gets your friends and neighbors too
There’ll be nobody left behind to grieve

I heard a sermon on Sermon audio on grieving.. it was so good

He talked about the trend not to mourn the loss, but cerebrate the life of someone..

He pointed out that mourning is a spiritual event that e see through out scripture..we see it through the OT and even Jesus wept at the death of a friend

I had never planned to have a funeral ...but I will now