Your Funeral

[Play The Man]

On a sleepless night, when you are awake in bed, do you ever contemplate your mortality? I do. I have even thought about my own funeral. If your own death was preceded by a long illness and you had time to plan for your funeral, what scripture readings would you want recited? What hymns would you want sung? Is there an excellent sermon that you have heard that you would want preached at your funeral? Would you want special instruments played, like a harp or bagpipes? What epitaph would you want on your tombstone? I recently had a will drawn up and was thinking of specifying funeral arrangements (I'm not planning to die anytime soon . . . but man knows not his time). This thread is a conversation starter but it also has a selfish motive. If I hear some good ideas, I may take them for my own funeral.

[MattHughesRocks]

Look out here comes Dave! He's got his funeral planned down to his socks!

[MattHughesRocks]

Oh, as for me personally,I'll be dead so I have no plans nor do I think about it

[Bonnie]

Originally Posted by MattHughesRocks

Look out here comes Dave! He's got his funeral planned down to his socks!

I'm laughing only because it's true! He does!

Dave, do you have any music selections for "Play"?

Well.... I'll probably ruffle some feathers but.......... I always thought planning your funeral was selfish... your dead... whatever happens with regards to your funeral has no impact on you but a lot of impact on those left behind.

It's really a last act of selfishness if you ask me....

I've told my wife that my only wish is that she does whatever makes the grieving or remembrance process easier for her and the kids.. it makes no difference to me.


But if given a choice.... I'd like a black and gold casket ;-) With 6 pallbearers... 1 for each..... well you KNOW where I'm going with this

[MattHughesRocks]

Now that you mention it Chuck...it seems like planning ahead would be a caring thing to do for your family.They may be devastated (believe it or not ) when you die so perhaps things would be easier for them if they didn't have to decide after the fact . You can have like a family picnic slash plan Dad's funeral day at the park!

Originally Posted by Chuck

Well.... I'll probably ruffle some feathers but.......... I always thought planning your funeral was selfish... your dead... whatever happens with regards to your funeral has no impact on you but a lot of impact on those left behind.

It's really a last act of selfishness if you ask me....

I've told my wife that my only wish is that she does whatever makes the grieving or remembrance process easier for her and the kids.. it makes no difference to me.


But if given a choice.... I'd like a black and gold casket ;-) With 6 pallbearers... 1 for each..... well you KNOW where I'm going with this

[VCURamFan]

Originally Posted by Chuck

But if given a choice.... I'd like a black and gold casket ;-) With 6 pallbearers... 1 for each..... well you KNOW where I'm going with this

I see what you're talking about!! VCU colors & 1 pall-bearer for each NCAA appearance we had in the 20th century!!!

[Play The Man]

Originally Posted by Chuck

Well.... I'll probably ruffle some feathers but.......... I always thought planning your funeral was selfish... your dead... whatever happens with regards to your funeral has no impact on you but a lot of impact on those left behind.

It's really a last act of selfishness if you ask me....

I've told my wife that my only wish is that she does whatever makes the grieving or remembrance process easier for her and the kids.. it makes no difference to me.


But if given a choice.... I'd like a black and gold casket ;-) With 6 pallbearers... 1 for each..... well you KNOW where I'm going with this

Previously, I posted a thread in "The Woodshed" entitled "What would you have for your last meal?" It involved death and gallows humor and I put it in "The Woodshed" for light-hearted answers. I put this particular thread in the Christian section because I was hoping for serious Christian answers.

I suppose the way I phrased the question (in an attempt to stimulate discussion) could be viewed as solipsistic; however, what I was trying to clarify with the follow-up questions was: What scripture, hymns, sermons, etc. would you want at your funeral to convey to the people in attendance that there was some hope in this world in the face of death.

I remember an anecdote told by Rev. Rod Rosenbladt about him preaching a funeral sermon at a cemetery near an affluent Southern California suburb (Irvine, if my memory serves me correctly - I think the cemetery was not in the city - the dead are not allowed in Irvine!) In any case, after he preached the funeral service, an organist who worked at the mortuary came up to him and asked, "I have been playing the organ for funerals for many years and I have never heard a minister preach what you preached, what was it that you were preaching?" He replied, "The Gospel, ma'am, it is called the Gospel" The lady had probably been at hundreds of funerals and had never heard the Gospel!

In another thread, there is a discussion about when, and by whom, the Gospel should be preached. I would argue that a funeral is probably the best time to preach the Gospel. Everyone attending the service is struck to the core of their being by the awfulness of death - including the atheists. I can't believe that you would not care that the Gospel message was preached at your own funeral. Perhaps you have a reliable family and know that they would make appropriate choices or perhaps you interpreted the beginning of the discussion thread as referring to the aesthetics of the funeral and burial - the size of the tombstone, the ornateness of the casket, or the laurels bestowed on the deceased (all these things could be objects of selfishness in the soon-to-be deceased)?

[Play The Man]

Originally Posted by MattHughesRocks

Now that you mention it Chuck...it seems like planning ahead would be a caring thing to do for your family.They may be devastated (believe it or not ) when you die so perhaps things would be easier for them if they didn't have to decide after the fact . You can have like a family picnic slash plan Dad's funeral day at the park!

A couple years back, my father, as the next-of-kin, became responsible for the estate of a childless, widower uncle. The uncle had made some attempt at plans for his estate and funeral; however, he had neglected to have the will signed in the presence of a witness, the lawyer who prepared the will had died, new laws enacted after the will was written caused problems with the bank, and the uncle didn't specify preferences concerning his funeral and burial. I have never seen my Dad as "frazzled" as he was when he was dealing with the whole situation. He seemed to age a couple of years in a few weeks. I think it is important to specify your wishes while you can, if only to lessen the burden on the living. I think another issue is the expense of the funeral. Personally, I am fine being buried in a plain, pine box. I think many survivors are talked into elaborate funerals based upon feelings of guilt. They feel that they are not showing honor or respect to the dead if they don't have an elaborate, expensive funeral. For me, I would rather have a tasteful, but "no-frills" funeral service, which stressed Christ's victory over death in the scripture reading, hymns, and sermon.

[adamt]

Originally Posted by Chuck

Well.... I'll probably ruffle some feathers but.......... I always thought planning your funeral was selfish... your dead... whatever happens with regards to your funeral has no impact on you but a lot of impact on those left behind.

It's really a last act of selfishness if you ask me....

I've told my wife that my only wish is that she does whatever makes the grieving or remembrance process easier for her and the kids.. it makes no difference to me.


But if given a choice.... I'd like a black and gold casket ;-) With 6 pallbearers... 1 for each..... well you KNOW where I'm going with this

I couldn't agree with you more!!!!

I think you're spot on. It's like trying to control things when you're dead!!! Let the people that are left memorialize you. Don't memorialize yourself! If all you're worth is a pine box then sobeit. Then again, if you're a giant butthead, you might want to plan an extravagant funeral cause no one else will.


I hope my funeral is happy. I mean.... I'm going to heaven right?!?!? RIGHT!!! I hope I get cheered on and people are happy for me.


I don't want to be cremated. I always figured God judges that which he hates with fire and burning. And since I am responsible for this vessel for my soul while here on earth I would want to do the best job of stewardship that I could. I don't think burning up the body God entrusted to me would be good stewardship.