Vicar complains of 'feeling like a lemon at pithy funerals which blare out My Way'

London Daily Mail ^ | 10/19/2009 | By David Wilkes

[iowamark]

Having a loved one laid to rest to the blaring strains of Simply The Best might seem a fitting tribute to assembled mourners.

But whenever the Tina Turner hit - or any other pop song now popular at funerals - booms out, it leaves one vicar feeling 'like a lemon'.

Father Ed Tomlinson, 35, said he wonders what a clergyman's role is at such services as he feels 'spiritually unwanted'.

Writing on his internet blog, the vicar from Kent lamented the decline of Christian farewells centred on a 'beautiful requiem mass'.

He said: 'The best our secularist friends can hope for is a poem from Nan combined with a saccharine message from a pop star before being popped in the oven with no hope of resurrection.

'In the last few years, it has become painfully obvious that many families I have conducted funerals for have no desire for any Christian content.

[narses]

+

Freep-mail me to get on or off my pro-life and Catholic List:

Add me / Remove me

Please ping me to note-worthy Pro-Life or Catholic threads, or other threads of interest.

Obama Says A Baby Is A Punishment

Obama: “If they make a mistake, I don’t want them punished with a baby.”

[Dewey Revoltnow]

Who’s a Papist hater? I assumed he was an Anglican Vicar! My problem is with theology that robs people of the assurance of their personal salvation that Christ intended us to have. Christians were not intended to be a “sullen” lot worrying whether they had obtained sufficient favor with God to be let into His Heaven. Peter and Paul were BOLD! There is no guesswork here. You are either in or you’re out.

You either call on the name of Jesus Christ as savior and depend solely on his sacrifice on the cross for your salvation, or you are slapping God in the face. The work of salvation is due to the grace of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.

Amen and amen. I am an ex-Catholic who saw the light. Jesus Christ is the head of the church.

[marshmallow]

I don't need this vicar at my funeral! I agree that a secular funeral is a missed opportunity to evangelize. However, my eternal salvation is assured and does not depend upon the attendees to pray for me. I am SAVED!

That's called presumption and it's half-baked, "da Bible sez", Protestant theology.

When you die you will be judged as will every other soul. If you were already saved, there would be no need for judgment. St. Paul makes it clear that we must persevere to the end for as long as we have life in us, we have the capacity to sin.

The blood of Christ shed for me assures that I am already granted eternal life.

No it doesn't.

The blood of Christ opened the gates of heaven.

That salvation which is offered to us is contingent upon us cooperating with the the grace of God and living holy lives.

As for when this salvation was secured? The Bible tells me that I was chosen "from the foundation of the world"!

To God, all moments of time are present in their immediacy. When therefore he establishes His eternal plan of "predestination", He includes in it each person's free response to His grace. Nothing is imposed over our free will.

[paudio]

I see. Many thanks for the info!

[steve8714]

I didn’t get that from the blog. He refers to Mass.

[elcid1970]

You have helped me affirm my Catholic faith.

I have two coworkers who are trying to convert me to Christianity, no joke; they say if it’s not in the Bible, it’s wrong. No Magisterium or dogma for these two. One of them thinks he could debate Pope Benedict XVI.

[steve8714]

Wow, an interesting guy, an “Anglican Catholic”, in the Catholic doctrinal tradition but aligned with the Church of England. American Episcopalians must drive him nuts.

[marshmallow]

You've likewise encouraged me to keep posting..... :-)

Some days, one wonders if it's worth it....

[dfwgator]

If they’re going to play “My Way” at my funeral, I’d rather them play the Sid Vicious version.