Christian Funerals and Important Facts Regarding This Ceremony

The cost of a funeral event can be really high when burial process is used to dispose the body of the deceased. This factor has helped a lot in making cremation method immensely popular in several religions including Christianity as well, where it was totally restricted till some time back. But now people have started realising the benefits of Christian cremations not just from the cost point of view, but also from the environment protection point of view. 

A number of things are there to know regarding Christian funeral services and here in this post, we have covered some of them.

Where Should We Hold The Service?

In a majority of cases, you will find people opting for their closest located church for the entire Christian funeral service outline. Since the life of a Christian person revolves around the church right from his birth, it is anticipated that the church would be the last place he visits before being laid to rest. 

What Should A Christian Funeral Cost?

The cost would differ a lot depending upon whether Christian cremations are chosen or you have chosen burial services.

Apart from this, the cost would be right inside the budget, when the Christian funeral service outline is held in a church as in that case, no fee would be required to pay for funeral home’s services.

Cemeteries-

Things and times, both have changed now and for burying the deceased, the best solution as of now is the veteran cemeteries as in a majority of cases, they are free of cost. However, there are some terms and conditions that you need to abide by and often, they are very simple, straight and uncomplicated. During the burial process, the body has to be handled with immense love, care and respect. 

The reason is, "The body should be buried with loving care, just as Christ’s body was cared for lovingly (John 19:39-40)".

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Types of Flowers Used At Funeral Services and Their Meanings

Flowers are a very important part of the funeral event arrangement and it has been observed in some cases that people have confusions in mind about their selection. 

In this regards, there is nothing to worry about because of the fact that the experts of funeral services are always there to help you. According to them, the choice of right flowers for a funeral event is done in two ways. 

One is that you go to a store and ask the vendor there about the right kind of flower for funeral services. 

The next method is that you are aware of the kind of flowers to be used and you purchase them straightaway before going to attend a funeral ceremony. 

Here in this post, we have chosen different kinds of flowers that can be used at a funeral event and we will also understand what they represent and the first is the roses.

Roses-

• Roses are of different colours and each colour depicts a totally different meaning at all. 

• As far as roses for a funeral event are concerned, the best option is to go with yellow or white roses, as they signify peace, tranquillity as well as the bond between you and the deceased.

Lilies-

• According to the experts of online funeral services, lilies happen to be the most commonly used and favourite type of flower used in funeral services.

• These flowers are known to represent peace, tranquillity and also the innocence that is associated with soul as it leaves the body of the deceased.

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Carnations-

• The next very common flower type recommended by the experts of online funeral services is the carnations that are often included in wraths and standing sprays. 

• Just like the roses, carnations too come in different colours, where each colour has a totally different feel to represent.

• For example – Red carnations show affection, white carnations symbolize innocence and pink carnations signify remembrance and in funeral services, it is recommended to go with the white one. 

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UNDERSTANDING SOME STAGES OF (CATHOLIC) CHRISTIAN FUNERALS

The religion of Christianity has different beliefs and one of them is the catholic that has different rules altogether in terms of death of somebody. 

These rituals are entirely different from Christian funerals and this is what we will be discussing here in this post.

According to the experts, a Christian funeral service outline has three main stages of the funeral ceremony.

• The Reception of the Body or Prayer Vigil, usually the evening before the funeral. This is popular, but optional

• A funeral Mass or a funeral service without Mass

• The committal, which takes place at the cemetery or crematorium

However, there are no hard and fast rules that everyone following catholic tradition has to go through these stages. 

The world has advanced a lot and now people are considering other tine saving alternatives, but still, let us get into the details of these three stages.

Did you know : Role of a Funeral Director in Christian Funerals

Reception of the Body-

• The "Reception of the Body" is also given the name of prayer or vigil and here, the coffin consulting of the body is taken to the church on the eve of the funeral.

• People gather there and pray for the departed soul ad this way, the near and dear ones get some time to spend with the deceased.

• In this event, there may be music, readings and the sharing of memories of the person who has died.

The Church funeral – with or without Mass-

• The mass is an important part of catholic as well as Christian funerals and it is also given the name of Requiem Mass, as it includes Holy Communion. 

• In some parishes, funerals are celebrated at a regular weekday Mass and are part of the life of the parish.

The Committal-

• If the deceased had opted a cemetery as a final resting place, mourners or the family members accompany the coffin and the deceased to the graveside for this rite.

• Then, the priest chosen by the family reads some sacred verses from the religious scriptures and he also recites some special prayers for the departed soul.

• The rite may end with a hymn or song. 

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MAKE NON-RELIGIOUS FUNERALS MEMORABLE WITH THESE TIPS

"Non-Religious Funerals" is the new talk of the town and not just the town, but it has become hugely popular all across the globe. 

People have acknowledged it as a hassle-free, time-saving, money-saving concept that is absolutely eco-friendly as well. 

Another good thing about non-religious funerals is that the options are numerous when it comes to showing the love and respect to the deceased and moreover, there are even pre-paid funerals packages available if you are really interested in this type. 

Here in this post, we have some ideas for delivering an unforgettable, non-religious funeral service.

Play the Soundtrack of Their Life

• A very impressive step that you can take is that you can play the most favourite tracks of the deceased, irrespective of what genre they belong to.

• This might sound weird to some, but believe it or not, it has been one of the most used methods to show love to the deceased and that you remember him/her. 

• Simply ask your family to provide a top 5-10 list of their loved one’s favourite songs and incorporate them throughout different parts of the funeral. 

Provide All-Inclusive Grief Resources

• You can even make non-religious funerals remembered for life by providing the guests an all-inclusive resource to use in grief.

• This is generally very much required because most people are sad and because of this, they are often short of words. 

• Here, by providing them a grief and healing resources that are appropriate, you will make everything very comforting for every family walking through your doors.

• At some funeral homes, there is the support of 24/7 available as well as interactive grief counselling to help you support the family in such situations.

Choose a Reading from One of Their Favourite Texts

• Another way to remember the deceased and to make the non-religious funerals event memorable is by reading some pages of the deceased’s favourite book.

• The ideal step would be to read some pages from where he/she left and you can even use the text itself to create a beautiful poster quote to display at the event. 

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Some Facts to Know About Christian Cremations

In the past several years, there has been a trend that even Christians too are preferring cremations over burials and experts say that in the coming years, this percentage is expected to rise continually. In America only, it is expected that the percentage of Christian cremations is expected to rise to 78 percent by 2025.

Here is What Christians Should Know about Cremations:

What Exactly Is Cremation?

• According to the experts of Christian cemeteries, cremation is another method of funeral or disposing the body where intense heat is used.

• With the help of heat, the body is transformed back into its basic form and the most parts of the body are vaporised like tissues, etc.

• This means that after Christian cremations, only the bones remain and they are given the name of cremains or ashes.

What Is The Cremation Process?

• At Christian cemeteries, the process starts in the cremation chamber which is also given the name of retort and the temperature could be as high as 2000o Fahrenheit.

• The body is placed in a casket made of wood or cardboard and placed inside the retort. 

• In some hours, the entire body is vaporised and reduced to merely bones fragments that are later removed.

• Once processed by the cremation operator, these fragments are then placed in a special processor that pulverizes the bone to a fine powder and known as cremains.

• These cremains are stored in a plastic bag within an urn or a temporary cremation container and returned to the deceased’s family.

Does The Bible Mention Cremation?

• According to experts of Christian cremations, one can find the mention of cremations in bible and other religious scriptures a number of times.

• The first mention of cremation in the Bible is 1 Samuel 31, where Saul and his sons are burned and then their bones buried.

How Should Christians Determine Whether To Choose Burial Or Cremation?

The Answer to this Question can be found by finding the Answer of the Following Questions.

• What Moral Norm(s) Apply in This Situation?

• Which Method Best Demonstrates Love of God and Love of Neighbour?

• Which Method Would Bring the Most Glory to God? 

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A Checklist to Follow Related To Pre Paid Funerals

As far as pre paid funerals are concerned, experts say that this arrangement requires lots and lots of planning and several steps are to be taken. Therefore, we have come up with a post that discusses the most common inclusions and how these things will influence the overall event.

Here Is A Small Checklist To Follow In Terms Of Pre-Paid Funerals Services – 

Taking Care of Finances and Property

• Create a contact list of everyone who should be notified during the death, including the name of your funeral home.
• Give your executor(s) a copy of your will and the contact list.
• Give your executor(s) a list of bank and investment accounts, creditors, mortgage or lien information, insurance policies, retirement plans, safe deposit boxes, real and personal properties of value, and all related telephone numbers.
• If you are receiving benefits from Social Security or the Veterans' Administration, your executor needs that information to suspend benefit payments.
• According to the experts, you need to select someone whom you trust for dealing with your online accounts: email, online memberships, and social media.
• Other than this, you need to include all relevant information and whether or not they should delete, close, or keep any of the accounts.

Taking Care of Funeral-Related Details

• Make note of all the details you wanted, mentioned in your obituary.
• To get even better results, you can even take this one step further and write your own obituary.
• Here, you can pen down all your preferences you have regarding whether to go with cremations or burials.
• In case, burial is what you have chosen, it’s better to provide the details of the cemetery arrangements.
• If you have chosen burial, what type of casket would you like? Should it be made of wood, metal, or composite materials?
• If you choose cremation, what do you want done with the ashes? 

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