Prayers at the
Re-Committal of a Body
November 2012
Opening
Sentences
When the people are gathered at the
grave, the Presiding Minister says the following Sentences.
The souls of the righteous
are in your hands, O God, *
and no torment will ever touch them.
In the eyes of the foolish
they seemed to have died, *
and their departure was thought to be a disaster,
and their going from us to
be their destruction; *
but they are at peace.
Those who trust in you
will understand truth, *
and the faithful will abide with you in love,
because grace and mercy
are upon your holy ones, *
and you watch over your elect.[i] Wisdom
3.1-3, 9
Opening Prayer
After the Sentences the following
Prayer is said or sung by the Presiding Minister.
Let us pray.
O God,
our Lord and heavenly
Father,
we give thanks for the
life
you have breathed into
humanity,
and we remember before you
the life of N,
who has gone before us to
your nearer presence.
As his/her mortal remains are returned to their place of rest,
we put our trust in you.
May those who bear
responsibility for this process
show care and compassion,
and be given wisdom and
skill,
so that N ’s journey’s end may be reached
safe in your presence.
In
your great mercy comfort those who grieve,
and
grant that all who look to you
may
continually grow in hope and faith
until
they come to know the fullness of your love
in
the glory of your eternal kingdom,
where
all your children rejoice in your holy presence for ever;
through
your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.[ii]
A
Short Reading from the Scriptures
After the Opening Prayer the Presiding
Minister or a Member of the Family or a Friend may read the following Reading
or other appropriate text from the Scriptures.
[Jesus said to his disciples,] “Do not let your hearts be
troubled. Believe in God, believe also
in me. In my Father’s house there are
many dwelling places. If it were not so,
would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I
will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may
be also.” John 14.1-3
After the Reading the following may be
said or sung.
Here what the Spirit is
saying to the church.
Thanks be to God.
Re-Committal
of the Body to its Resting Place
The remains are placed in the
grave. The Presiding Minister then
re-commits the remains saying,
Our brother/sister N was entrusted to the mercy of God
and laid to rest in the
hope of the resurrection.
We now re-commit his/her body to its resting place
and pray that he/she may rest undisturbed
until the fullness of the
resurrection
when Christ shall gather
all his saints
to reign with him in glory
for ever. Amen.[iii]
Members of the Family and Friends may
place soil in the grave or other signs of their affection.
Prayers
after the Re-Committal
The Presiding Minister then says or
sings the following Prayer.
Let us pray.
Heavenly Father,
you alone can heal our
broken hearts;
you alone can wipe away
the tears
that well up inside us;
you alone can give us the
peace we need;
you alone can strengthen
us to carry on.
We ask you to be near
those whose grief
has been renewed by events beyond their control.
Assure them that with you
nothing is wasted or incomplete,
and uphold them with your
tender love.
Supported by your
strength,
may our love for one
another be deepened
by the knowledge of your
love for us all. Amen.[iv]
Gathering all our cares into one, let us pray as
our Saviour taught us,
Our
Father in heaven,
hallowed
be your name,
your
kingdom come,
your
will be done,
on
earth as in heaven.
Give
us today our daily bread.
Forgive
us our sins
as
we forgive those who sin against us.
Save
us from the time of trial,
and
deliver us from evil.
For
the kingdom, the power,
and
the glory are yours,
now
and for ever. Amen.
or
And now, as our Saviour Christ has taught us, we are bold to
say,
Our Father,
who art in heaven,
hallowed be
thy name,
Thy kingdom
come,
thy will be
done,
on earth as
it is in heaven.
Give us this
day our daily bread.
And forgive
us our trespasses,
as we
forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us
not into temptation,
but deliver
us from evil.
For thine is
the kingdom,
the power,
and the glory,
for ever and
ever. Amen.
Dismissal
Rest
eternal grant to him/her, O Lord.
And let
light perpetual shine upon him/her.
May
his/her soul,
and
the souls of all the departed,
through
the mercy of God, rest in peace.
Amen.
Let
us go forth in the name of Christ.
Thanks be to
God.
[i] Wisdom 3.1-3, 9 emended for inclusive language by
R. G. Leggett.
[ii] ‘Exhumation Prayer’ found at http://www.lunt.org.uk/resources/pages/liturgy/funeral_resources.html on 24 November 2012 and altered by R. G. Leggett.
[iii] Common
Worship: Pastoral Services (2000),
314 altered by R. G. Leggett.
[iv] Common
Worship: Pastoral Services (2000),
309 altered by R. G. Leggett.
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