Bereavement

The old address of this page is /berevement/, and that spelling is kept so existing links still work.

A funeral marks the close of a human life on earth. When someone dies, people want the opportunity to express grief and give thanks for their life. A Christian funeral can also enable people to commend the person who has died into God’s safekeeping.

A funeral service in the Church of England, whether in a parish church or a crematorium chapel, may be very short and quiet with only a few members of family and friends present, or it may be an occasion of great solemnity with music, hymns and a full church.

Whatever the pattern of service, the words and actions speak of a loving God, and the preciousness to him of every human being.

At the time of a death, questions about life and death can be uppermost. The page recalls that Jesus believed in a life-giving God, “the God of the living, not the dead”, and that Christians believe Christ’s resurrection is the triumph of good over evil and of life over death, and has made eternal life available.

The funeral may reflect some of this hope, and will reflect the personality of the person who has died. When it is the end of a long and fruitful life, the feelings of thanksgiving can be strongest. Feelings of grief, gratitude, joy and sadness often intermingle. Sometimes a sense of tragedy is uppermost, especially when it is a young person who has died. All of these feelings can be expressed and held by the words of the funeral service.

Everyone has the right to a funeral in their parish church, whether they go to church or not. The clergy will work with the bereaved and their families so that the funeral makes a fitting end to someone’s life in this world.

Contact the ministry team at rector@somershamparishes.org.

More information: churchofenglandfunerals.org.

The caring page also describes two bereavement or remembering groups that meet over coffee each month.