ADVANCE PLANNING

for

FUNERAL SERVICES AND BURIAL

at

Grace Episcopal Church

Muskogee, Oklahoma

 

Some Perspective on Burial

It is incumbent upon all Christian people to make advance plans for their own death. While not something readily or cheerfully considered, death for a Christian does not have the terror it has for those who live without faith. Death is the gateway to a larger life in Christ, and while we mourn and will be mourned, we place our grief in the context of the Paschal mystery: that Christ has died and so shall we; that “Christ is risen” and so are we.

 

From the Book of Common Prayer

The liturgy for the dead is an Easter liturgy. It finds all its meaning in the resurrection. Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we, too, shall be raised. The liturgy, therefore, is characterized by joy, in the certainty that “neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” This joy, however, does not make human grief unchristian. The very love we have for each other in Christ brings deep sorrow when we are parted by death. Jesus himself wept at the grave of his friend. So, while we rejoice that one we love has entered into the nearer presence of our Lord, we sorrow in sympathy with those who mourn.

 

Please complete this form out as fully as you can and return it to the church office. Feel free to make any additional notes that will help your loved ones give you the funeral service you want. Also, you may adjust these instructions at any time by contacting one of the priests, who will assist you in revising the document.
 

Access the form here: