Sample Committal Service by Tony Cooke

/in , /by

Scriptures

Revelation 1:17-18

17 Fear not; I am the first and the last:

18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore.

 

John 14:19

19 …because I live, ye shall live also.

 

I Corinthians 15:51-55

51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

______________________________ is not here.  (S)he stands in the Presence of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The body that lies before us is but the earthly tabernacle, the house in which (s)he lived among us for a time.  It is tenderly and reverently that we commit this house to the grave.

The body returns to the earth, from which our bodies came.  The spirit returns to God who gave it, waiting for the day when both spirit and body shall again be united at the coming of the Lord.

 

I Thessalonians 4:16-18

16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

Committal Prayer

 

Heavenly Father,

We thank you this day for Jesus, for his precious gift of eternal life, and for the comfort of the Holy Spirit.

In the midst of our natural sorrow, we thank you for your supernatural grace.

In facing death, we thank you for the promise of life everlasting.

And in the face of separation, we thank you for the assurance of eternal reunion.

We thank you for ______________________’s life here on this earth, and we recognize that the body before is not _______________________ but is the house, the tabernacle, in which (s)he lived.

We acknowledge that _______________________ is with you now, rejoicing in your presence and enjoying the blessings of heaven.

So Father, we now commit the body of _____________________ ____________________ to this earth, and we rejoice that her spirit is with you even now.

We look forward to that day, when we can all rejoice together, and we thank you that we are not without hope or comfort at this time.

We thank you for making your presence very real to each family member, and that you will especially strengthen and sustain them in the days, weeks, and months to come.

In Jesus Name, Amen.