The foundation for Christian belief is the second coming of Jesus Christ, who is God’s son. Further, Christians think that at the time of their demise, judgment will be passed on the deeds they have done while they were still alive. They believe that it is by their deeds that they will be worthy of staying in paradise with God. In their day to day existence, Christians try to live by the example of Christ.
For a god-fearing Christian, a funeral service is a celebration of the soul’s journey into the after life. Funeral services and ceremonies are alleviating, because of the positive belief that the departed soul has finally found an eternal home in God’s place.
Christians believe death to be an entry into the world of eternal bliss and exit from this world of grief and agony. The intensity of grief caused by the death of a loved one is lessened by the very thought that the dead person is enjoying the bliss of being in the Lord’s home with the Lord Himself. The Christian funeral ceremonies are organized with these beliefs and feelings.
Generally, a pastor is the main officiator at a Christian funeral ceremony. They are usually conducted at the church which the dead person used to visit when he or she was alive. Generally the ceremonies do not have casket, but in case the service is being held inside a funeral home, caskets are very often present. A traditional Christian funeral ceremony does not include public viewing of the deceased at the time of ceremony.
The funeral service is conducted in the memory of the departed, and it begins with singing of religious hymns and recitals from the Bible and Holy Scriptures. Then the pastor delivers a message and the people join in with a mass prayer.
Then the family members and close friends share their grief with the gathering, and the attendees express their feelings and respect for the deceased and share their thoughts on how the dead person touched their lives and left an everlasting void. These days, people also put up a slideshow containing snapshots from the life of the deceased or play a pre-recorded video taken from the deceased’s lifetime.
The final phase in the ceremony is that of a short reception that is conducted in the church itself and some food is served. A graveside service is usually not included, but some make an exception to this.
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