Notes from a Discussion on the Lutheran Liturgy of Sickness,

Death, and Dying

Summary of Part 1 A General Discussion of Death and the
Christian Attitude Towards It

We live in a death-denying culture.

In the churchs liturgies, the church witnesses to Christs victory over death
and Christs presence in suffering and dying.

Death is a part of life. Death is a separation from God. We look for life in
creation rather than in the Creator.

The primary purpose of a pastor is to teach what death is, how death has
been defeated, and that through Gods Word and Sacraments life is given as
a gift.

The comfort for the Christian is that when he dies his soul will go to heaven
and his body will rest in the tomb until it is raised and then it will be glorified.
We will be with the Lord in body and soul.

God cares about our bodies. He will not leave it in a decaying state forever.
We treat our bodies with respect.

The hymn, In the Resurrection, holds the comfort of a soul in heaven and a
body that will be raised.

In the pre-reformation period the burial liturgy was full of anxiety and fear
because of the belief in purgatory. The liturgy then prayed for them in their
sufferings and torment.

Luther said comfort each other with the Word of God. Regard the coffin as a
soft couch: Lazarus has fallen asleep; the girl is not dead but sleeping. Church
cemetaries are dormitories for the dead. They rest there until they are woken
up on the Last Day.

We must be prepared to die every day. Apart from Christ death is nothing but
horror.

Christians know that death is temporary and that all people will rise, some to
glory and some to condemnation.

For the Christian death is a foe that has been defeated. It is not to be feared.

Notes from a Discussion on the Lutheran Liturgy of Sickness,

Death, and Dying

People are afraid of dying because they are afraid of the unknown. Jesus uses
a familiar image to comfort us: a mansion with many rooms, which he has
prepared for us. We have a permanent home waiting for us.

We are attached to the world because of all the comforts and plenty that we
have. Most people throughout the centuries have experienced great hardship
and suffering in this world. They looked forward to a better place.

God allows suffering to remind us that things arent that great here; were too
attached to these things; we come with nothing and we will leave with
nothing. Our eternal inheritance will be so much better.

Luthers advice to those who are dying: Confess your sins to God and receive
absolution; set your earthly affairs in order; make peace with friends and
relatives; and then put the thought of death out of your mind. Dwell on the
promises of life and heaven. Chase the thoughts of death away with the
promises of Gods Word.

There is incredible emptiness and grief that comes with death. The churchs
liturgies are meant to bring comfort during these times.

When a service of eulogy is substituted for the funeral liturgy the people of
God are deprived of the comfort that comes from the Good News of what
Christ has done for that sinner who has died. And the unbeliever never gets
to hear the testimony of the Christian faith. This is the supreme moment in
which the church confesses her faith in the resurrection. The church looks
death square in the face and says, yes it is awful but never-the-less this is not
the end.

It is said that you can really tell what a church believes when you go to a
funeral. What the Christian liturgy does is proclaim the joy that you can have
even in the midst of your sorrow. For the Christian, death is not the end.
Heaven awaits.

Christians do not deny death. We defy it. We defy it because it has already
been defeated by Christ. He died for us. He rose for us. He lives for us. He will
return and raise our bodies to life. Death is real. Through death he purchased
life for us through his Son.

Summary of Part 2 - The Liturgy for the Sick

Today we will talk about sickness. In our day and time we have not had to
deal with the sickness that the world has had to deal with in previous

Notes from a Discussion on the Lutheran Liturgy of Sickness,

Death, and Dying
centuries. But sickness still exists. We will be talking about sickness leading
to death and what Gods Word and Sacraments have to offer to us in these
conditions.

Illness, sickness, and disease are a real part of a Christians life. Those that
teach otherwise cause great damage. Some Christians teach that while
Christians may get sick it is always Gods will to heal people here and now. If
healing doesnt happen then its my fault-my faith isnt strong enough or Im
not praying enough, etc. Thats a deadly way of thinking.

The reality of the better part of human history is that sickness was not an
occasional thing, but a daily reality in the life of Christians. Denying that
sickness is a part of a Christians life is denying reality. As Lutheran Christians
we can look at reality directly in the face and deal with it. Yes, there is
sickness. Yes, there is suffering. Yes, there is death. Yes, God is in control. Yes,
God can use even these things to bring blessing.

Sickness, disease, and illness are not always a bad thing in the life of a
Christian. These things seem to be evil to us. We use the word evil for
things we dont like. But God uses the word evil for only one thing. It is evil
for someone to fall away from God, to become disconnected from God. Thats
the only thing that is evil. [So God may allow sickness or accidents in order to
bring us closer to him. In that sense it is not evil but good for us.]

It could be considered evil and a form of attack to have health and wealth if
those things take us away for God. In that case God could send suffering,
poverty, or sickness to bring us back to him. He will do whatever it takes.

Someone might ask, If the Word of God is not good enough to zap by
headache, my sore throat, my cancer, my deadly disease, then what good is
the Word of God against sickness? Now we come to the very heart of the
matter. It is there to provide the Christian the comfort they need to get
through the difficult times, keeping us connected to God.

Luther put it this way: God works under the opposites. Luther said, When God
wants to bring you up to heaven, he sends you to hell. When he wants to
bring you to life, he kills you. He works through opposites to achieve his goal.
The Word of God reveals that it is God at work through this thing to bring you
blessing.

Does God heal sickness? Healing will take place. Its just a question if its on
this earth or not. If not then there will be healing on the Last Day. Whatever
happens God is working out his good, gracious, and perfect will.

Notes from a Discussion on the Lutheran Liturgy of Sickness,

Death, and Dying

Visiting the sick is an important part of what every Lutheran pastor is charged
to do. It is in both the ordination rite and the installation rite. To avoid visiting
the sick is a breach of what God has called the pastor to do.

Sometimes parishioners dont inform the pastor because they think he is too
busy. But this is what he is called to do. He needs to be there with the sick to
bring them the comfort of Gods Word.

When the pastor visits the sick he brings the liturgy of the sick for their
comfort. The structure of the liturgy of the visitation of the sick is simple and
straight forward. This liturgy does not include communion. Just Word and
prayer.
---- (A) Greeting
----(B) Reading from Scripture
----(C) Meditation
---- (D) Confession and absolution
---- (E) Intercession
---- (F) The Lords Prayer
---- (G) Benediction

(A) Greeting. Starts out with Peace to this house and all who dwell here.
Very similar to Jesus sending out the 70. The pastor begins by proclaiming the
gift that he has come to bring peace, the peace that surpasses all
understanding, the peace that comes by faith. The greeting sets the tone.
The point of everything that follows is to bring the peace of God. Peace
actually brackets the entire liturgy.

(B) Scripture Readings. The readings fall into one of three categories: (1)
invocation and consolation, (2) forgiveness and redemption, and (3) peace
and hope.
(B1) James 5:14ff.The sick should call the elders (pastors) for prayer and
anointing with oil. This liturgy offers an opportunity for confession and
forgiveness. The passage does not say he will be healed by doing these
things. It says he will be saved and raised up (resurrection). Forgiveness is all
important in this passage. The passage drives toward it. It is the heart of
what is shared with the sick. The sick might think they have done something
wrong and God is punishing them. Forgiveness combats and alleviates that
fear. They are not being punished. Christ already received that punishment
for them. Christ, through his representative the pastor, is letting him know
that.
(B2) Mark 2:1-12 the healing of the paralytic. He came for healing, but
Jesus said, Your sins are forgiven. Pharisees think to themselves, Who does he

Notes from a Discussion on the Lutheran Liturgy of Sickness,

Death, and Dying
thing he is, only God can forgive sins. Jesus responds, Which is easier, to
forgive sins or to say rise and walk? Forgiveness was hard because it cost
Jesus his life. Jesus then healed the man and he walked. The physical healing
testified to Jesus ability to forgive sins. Whats the greater gift? Forgiveness,
because it prevents Gods judgment and eternal death. Resurrection to
eternal life is great comfort for the sick.
(B3) Ps. 23 provides peace and hope. Even though I walk through the
valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me. We
should not fear death because as we walk through it, we walk with the One
who has conquered death. We are his sheep and he leads us through the
valley. No one can snatch us from his hand. What a promise. What comfort.

(C) The Meditation. The pastor explains what the Bible passage that has just
been read means. The Good News is spoken to and applied to the sick
person.

(D) Confession and Absolution. Opportunity for individual, private confession

and absolution. If not then have the general confession of sins and
absolution. Absolution is the main part. God has a word of forgiveness for the
sick. This is the most important part of the rite. The pastor is able to forgive
sins because he is Jesus representative. He only speaks the words that the
King has authorized him to say (Jn. 20). When the pastor says, I forgive you
all your sins, the I there is not the pastor, but Christ.

(E) Intercessory prayer. Starts with Psalm verses. Then comes the prayer of
intercession for the sick person. It commends the person into the mercy of
God, asking above all for the unshakable gift of peace and comfort. It asks for
protection against evil (falling away from God). It does not instruct God on
how best to do these things. We do not know better than God. God knows
when he will heal the person, before death or after death. We pray, Your will
be done. This prayer and weekly prayers in the Divine Service for the sick are
very similar. We may ask for healing, but the ultimate healing comes through
resurrection. Faith trusts God in whatever he decides to do.

(F) The Lords Prayer. Thy will be done is very important.

(G) Aaronic Benediction. It ends with, And give you peace. The service ends
as it began with peace.

The Holy Sacrament can also be brought to the sick. If it is, we generally
follow the historic liturgy. At the minimum you will have the Lords Prayer, the
words of institution, and the consecrated bread and wine, the body and blood
of Christ, given to the sick person. This is given to them to strengthen both

Notes from a Discussion on the Lutheran Liturgy of Sickness,

Death, and Dying
body and soul. It is a pledge of eternal life planted in them. Jesus said,
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks by blood has eternal life. And I will raise
him up on the Last Day.

Pastor, please speak about my sickness as a token of Christs suffering for

me. To be in Christ is to share in his sufferings. The greatest form of this is
when we suffer for the Gospels sake. But in another sense, at times it is
Gods will that we suffer, that we have a cross to bear (like Jesus did in
Gethsemane). It becomes suffering with Christ because he goes through it
with us. He can then bring blessing out of this sickness. So we can rejoice
even in sufferings. Is. 53 he has born our sicknesses and carried our sorrows
and by his wounds we are healed. Every sickness in the world is a
manifestation of sin, but Jesus heals us of these sin-caused sicknesses by his
suffering, death, and resurrection.

Summary of Part 3 - The Commendation of the Dying

The death bed. It used to be that almost everyone died at home in their own
bed. Today many die in a hospital or nursing home. When death is expected
the pastor can be present to bring the comfort and peace of Gods Word.

One of the main purposes of the liturgy of the commendation of the dying is a
confession of certainty, which comes from faith. Being certain is not an act of
pride. Rather, it is complete trust in what Christ has done for us. We trust
Gods Word and promises. (See 1 Jn. 5 that you may know that you have
eternal life.) We want the dying to be certain that they will spend eternity in
the presence of Christ.

Sometimes death comes just like falling asleep. But many times it does not.
There may be writhing and gasping. How do we deal with this? The church
accompanies those dying even when it is most unpleasant and stares death
in the face and says not even this will separate us from the love of Christ. The
words of the church under such circumstances may not be understood by the
dying, but they should be of great comfort to those who are by the bedside of
the dying. Death is a defeated enemy.

At his death bed Luther was asked, Do you want to die steadfast in your
confession of Christ your Savior? When the dying responds in the affirmative,
this is of great comfort to family who are in the room.

The liturgy for the commendation of the dying is fairly simple and flexible.
----- (A) Begins with peace of knowing your sins have been atoned for by the
Lamb of God.
----- (B) The Kyrie (Lord Have Mercy).

Notes from a Discussion on the Lutheran Liturgy of Sickness,

Death, and Dying
----- (C) The Lords Prayer.
----- (D) A Collect.
----- (E) A Psalm, a choice of 3 which speak of the triumph over death.
----- (F) A Scripture reading resurrection, John 3:16, or revelation with saints
around the throne.
----- (G) Anges Dei (Lamb of God) or Nunc Dimmittis (Simeons song).
----- (H) The actual Commendation of the Dying.
----- (I) The Aaronic Benediction.
----- (J) A hymn verse, Lord when at last your angels come.
----- (K) A Collect of thanksgiving if the death has already occurred.
----- (L) A final blessing.

Let us look at the liturgy in depth. (A) First the greeting of peace. There is
nothing more important than the person who is dying knowing that they are
dying at peace with God. Rom. 5: Having been justified by faith we have
peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

(B) The cry for mercy. Especially needed when the person dying is gasping or
in pain. Have mercy on this family as they watch utterly helpless. Couldnt
have more appropriate words for this situation. This is the cry of faith in any
kind of travail, but especially in death. In it we confess our need. It is for the
one dying, before death Satan tries to create doubt and flashes his sins
before his eyes. The Kyrie is like putting a crucifix before the eyes of the
dying and saying, Behold the one who took away all your sins.

(C) The Lords Prayer. How does it fit here? We pray to the Father. He is your
Father through Baptism. The whole family is speaking to the Father. Gods
holy name was placed on you in your Baptism and your Baptism is about to
reach its completion in the death of the old Adam. Send your Holy Spirit to
take this person from this world to your heavenly kingdom. We hope for
healing but we pray Thy will be done. The daily bread of eternity is Jesus. He
is the Bread of life. The forgiveness of sins is the heart of the matter for the
dying. We pray that the dying will be protected from the assaults and
temptations of the devil. Deliver this person from this vale of tears and take
him to heaven. That is what God is doing right before our eyes through death.

(D) The Collect, a small prayer. Look with favor on your child. Forgive him all
his sins. Comfort him with the promise of the resurrection. To dye a blessed
death we need to know that our sins have been forgiven and that death is not
the end.

(E) A Psalm. Several possible psalms. (1) Ps. 16 You will not abandon me to
the grave. It was applied to Christ, but it also applies to Christians. It also
speaks of the way to life (Christs resurrection) and the joy of being in the
Fathers presence. (2) Ps. 23 Yea though I walk through the valley of the
shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with meSurely goodness

Notes from a Discussion on the Lutheran Liturgy of Sickness,

Death, and Dying
and mercy will follow me all the days of my life. I will dwell in the house of the
Lord forever. (3) Ps. 90 Lord, you have been our dwelling place through all
generations from everlasting to everlasting you are God. This psalm does
not sugar coat. It says to teach us to number our days. Thats reality.

(F) Scripture readings. Several readings possible. (1) The Easter reading: Mark
16:1-8. Christs resurrection. The women receive the Good News: the
crucified One has risen; he is not here. His death and rising pays for and
provides absolution for the worlds sins. (2) John 3:16. He who believes in him
will not perish, but have eternal life. This person believed; it is not the end for
him. (3) Another Easter Gospel: John 20. Jesus resurrection makes his God
and Father to be our God and Father. (4) Rev.: a multitude standing before the
throne and the Lamb. Salvation belongs to our God and the Lamb. All
worshipped God. These verses give the dying person a glimpse of what
awaits them as they leave this world and enter heaven.

(G) Anges Dei (Lamb of God) or Nunc Dimmittis (Simeons song). Both of
these canticles scream the Lords Supper to a Lutheran. They call to mind the
body that was given into death for the forgiveness of sins and the blood that
was shed for the forgiveness of sins. In the Anges Dei we are holding up
Christ to the dying person. To the dying it says, He has taken away your sins.
In it we ask for mercy and peace. Simeons song is pretty clear. As Simeon
held the Christ child, he was ready to die in peace. So the dying also holds
the Christ in faith and he too can die in peace.

(H) The actual Commendation of the Dying. Go in peace. May God the Father
who created you; may God the Son who redeemed and saved you by his
blood; may God the Holy Spirit who sanctified you in the water of Baptism
receive you into the company of saints and angels to live in the light of his
glory forever more. What a send off. Isnt that beautiful? This is very similar
to the commendation at the grave site where we are dealing with the body
that will be placed in the ground.

(I) The Aaronic Benediction. It is said over the person who is dying or who is
dead: The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine upon
you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and
give you peace. These words end the order of communion every week for a
Lutheran. It stresses that God is looking at this person with favor because of
his Son therefore he giving the gift of peace. We can die in peace.

(J) A hymn verse, Then let at last your angels come, To Abrams bosom bear
me home, That I may die unfearing. Within my earthen chamber keep, My
body safe in peaceful sleep, Until your reappearing. And then from death
awaken me, That my own eyes with joy may see, O Son of God your glorious

Notes from a Discussion on the Lutheran Liturgy of Sickness,

Death, and Dying
face. My Savior and my ground of grace, Lord Jesus Christ O hear my prayer,
And I will praise you evermore. In this hymn we are like Lazarus, taken to
Abrams bosom. Take me home. Let me die without fear. Keep my body safe
until you reappear. Then wake me up so that my eyes can see your glorious
face and so that I can praise you. This is the heart of Christianity.

(K) A final collect if the person has died. O God the Father, fountain and
source of all blessings, we give you thanks that you have kept our
brother/sister in the faith and have taken him/her to yourself. Comfort us with
your holy Word. Give us strength that when our last hour comes, we may
peacefully fall asleep in you. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and
reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God now and forever. Amen

(L) A final blessing. The Lord bless us, defend us from all evil, and bring us to
everlasting life. This is not a wish. This is a blessing. This is what God
promises.

Next time we will be at the funeral home. There is a service that the Lutheran
church offers for the funeral home on the night before the funeral. We will
look at that service and its scriptures and its prayers.

Summary of Part 4 The Service at the Home/Funeral Home

after Death has Occurred

The death has occurred. The pastor gets a call that the person has died. The
pastor may need to go visit the family immediately or not depending on the
circumstances (sudden, unexpected death or long-time expected death, etc.).

We say Im sorry for your loss or my condolences etc. There is nothing

good anyone can say at that moment about death, except for the words that
the Lord Jesus has given us. Sometimes saying nothing and just being there is
of more value.

At the funeral home people come to pay their respects. People come to
support the family, to show them that they are not alone in their mourning,
there are others that care. It can be very awkward. It is probably one of the
most emotionally difficult moments of the entire ordeal.

Many times the pastor will meet with the family before the general public
arrives. It is important that the family be fortified by what Gods Word says
about death and dying and resurrection and eternal life and hope in Christ so
that they will not grieve as those who do not have hope. With Christian hope
there can even be joy and happiness in the midst of grief at the funeral home
because we have the promises of God.

Notes from a Discussion on the Lutheran Liturgy of Sickness,

Death, and Dying

The burial of the dead has three stages. (1) The service at the funeral home
is stage 1.

A. Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Grace is Gods unmerited favor and love. This peace is the peace that
surpasses all understanding. Peace in the time of death. These are Gods gifts
offered to all who have gathered there. The Father and Son are mentioned,
where is the Holy Spirit? He is the personal grace and peace of God present
now. Grace and peace are offered in this liturgy.

B. Psalms. (1) Ps. 23 used again, but with a little different nuance. Now the
shadow caused by death is the grief that this family is now walking through.
But they do not walk through it alone. They walk through it with their
Shepherd who leads them to the light of eternal life. He will set a table before
them in the presence of their enemies (sin, death, and the devil). It recalls Is.
25:6ff. a feast is prepared by God and he will swallow up death forever and
he will wipe away tears. This table celebrates the overthrow of death. We join
at that table and have a foretaste of what is to come. At the Lords Supper we
are as close to our dead loved ones as we can be because they are at the
same table with the Lamb. This brings comfort every Sunday because we join
with the saints who have gone before us. (2) Then comes Ps. 90 again. Two
lines are of great importance in this psalm. Verse 3: You [God] turn men back
into dust, saying, Return to dust, oh sons of men. That is a clear confession
that death does not come by accident, but is something that God himself has
done. There are other passages that say this also: Deut. 32:39; Job 1:20; 2:10
(The issues of life and death belong to the Lord. It is in his hands. Therefore
we live life without fear.). (3) Ps. 130: If you oh Lord kept a record of sins, oh
Lord who could stand? (No one of course.) But there is forgiveness with you.
Therefore you are feared. (The record of our sins has been blotted out by the
blood of Jesus.) I wait for the Lord, my soul waits and in his word I put my
hope. This is a key thought for the family to cling to Gods Word of promise,
which are read in the Scripture lessons next.

C. The Scripture readings continue to focus on the resurrection that is our

hope. Several scriptures can be read. (1) 1 Thess. 4:13-18: The risen Christ
will bring with him those who have fallen asleep in him. When Christ returns
the dead in Christ will rise to be with God forever. (2) John 5:24 - Those who
hear Jesus Word and believe have eternal life and will not be condemned.
They have passed over from death to life. It began in Baptism. (3) John 10,
the Good Shepherd chapter. The Shepherd gives to the sheep that follow him
eternal life. It goes well with the 23rd Psalm. As his sheep we follow him
through suffering, through death, into eternal life. His promise is that his
sheep will not perish. The one who has died, is actually alive. They are with
God in heaven. No one can take them from Gods hand. (4) Jn. 14 Jesus has

Notes from a Discussion on the Lutheran Liturgy of Sickness,

Death, and Dying
gone to prepare a place for us, a room, a mansion, a home. We will be where
Jesus is.

D. The Collect, a short prayer: Almighty and most merciful God, You bring us
through suffering and death with our Lord Jesus Christ to enter with him into
glory. Grant us grace at all times to acknowledge and accept your holy and
gracious will to remain in true faith and to find peace and joy in the
resurrection of the dead and the glory of everlasting life. Through Jesus Christ
your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one
God, now and forever. Amen. This prayer has a number of important things.
(1) The suffering, dying, and entering glory are with the Lord Jesus (Ps. 23).
(2) Accepting Gods holy will means accepting that it was Gods will that they
die in this way and at this time. That could be hard to pray depending on
the circumstances.

E. The Lords Prayer. It is prayed for those who mourn. We pray that Gods
name be hallowed in their lives, that Gods kingdom would come to them now
in the comforting grace of the Holy Spirit, that Gods will will be done in their
lives, that he would give them everything that they need in these days of
mourning (maybe even strength to go on), forgive them of their sins (which
may include anger against God for this death), that they may not fall into the
temptation of doubting Gods love for them, and that he would deliver them
from every evil (especially at this time when they so vulnerable to the
enemy).

F. Final blessing: The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the
communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. This concludes the service at
the home or funeral home. It ends with grace, love, and the gift of the Holy
Spirit.

It is important to note that this service was just the beginning of a long
service. This means that the church has a word of God to speak to the
grieving every step of the way to the grave.

The funeral home may be one of the least favorite places for people. People
are uncomfortable there. Some funeral directors tend to try and ignore that
someone has died. Others recognize how horrible death is and try their best
to comfort the surviving family.

Sometimes skeletons come out of the closet at funerals. In regular life we

tend to hide a lot of our feelings. But when a loved one dies we dont have
the energy to that. Emotions are raw at that time and you are just making it
through. So sometimes things just spill out that normally wouldnt.

Notes from a Discussion on the Lutheran Liturgy of Sickness,

Death, and Dying

Next time we will talk about the service at the church. Why is it important
that the body of the deceased is brought to the house of God before they go
to the grave? One of the greatest joys of a Christian congregation is the
funeral of a beloved brother or sister in Christ. For in this service we stand in
the face of death and confess the resurrection right over this body, the place
where this body was baptized and where this person heard the promises of
Gods Word. We confess the triumphant of life in the face of death in this
place where Christs resurrection and victory over death is proclaimed and
celebrated each week. [We come into Gods kingdom in the church and the
last stop as we leave this world and enter into eternity is at the church.] It is
very important and appropriate.

Summary of Part 5 The Funeral Service at the Church

The church is where Christians first received divine life from God and where
they have received spiritual nourishment for that life. So it is only proper that
the body be brought to the church for its final blessing.

Whats the difference between a funeral and a memorial service? You have a
memorial service when there is no body. Sometimes this is required, but it is
preferable to have a funeral with the body, which proclaims the importance of
the body. It will be planted as a lowly body, but it will be raised in glory.

What is the difference between a eulogy and a funeral sermon? A eulogy is an

opportunity to try and think of all the nice things that you can about the
person who died. It focuses on them and praises them for what they have
done. Eulogies filter out anything unpleasant or sinful about the person. A
Christian sermon at a funeral on the other hand focuses on the Lord Jesus
Christ, on his resurrection and on the hope that he brings for this sinner who
died. His sins have been covered and he has the hope of the resurrection.
Certainly the pastor will speak of the deceased in the sermon, but it will
never be for the sole purpose of praising the deceased.

What about having a celebration of life instead of a funeral? This denies

death and the actual emotions that people are going through. The Christian
liturgy does not ignore the peoples grief. As Paul says, We grieve but not as
those who have not hope. This can give us joy in the midst of great sorrow.
The life that should be celebrated is that of the Lord Jesus Christ. When nonChristians attend a funeral they may be taken aback when they dont hear
great stories about the deceased and instead here Christ preached. They may
walk away angry saying, you didnt talk about so and so. All you talked about

Notes from a Discussion on the Lutheran Liturgy of Sickness,

Death, and Dying
was Jesus. [The pastor should take this as confirmation that he has done his
job properly.]

The funeral service begun in the funeral home now continues in Gods house.
There is great comfort in familiarity and continuity. The funeral service is
basically the Service of the Word that we celebrate each Sunday.

A. It begins with a greeting and it begins in the narthex. Two choices: 1 Cor.
1:3-5 or 2 Cor. 1:3ff. The second is used by most pastors. It directs our
attention out, away from ourselves, to the comfort that comes from God and
to our neighbor. We live outside ourselves, in faith with God and in love with
neighbor. Comfort will not come from inside you but from outside from the
God of all comfort and mercy.

B. Proclamation of being united with Christ in Baptism. The church does

something that may be misunderstood. The church places a pall over the
casket. It reminds us of the white garment with which we are clothed in
Baptism, which is the righteousness of Jesus Christ. We stand before God
purely on the basis of what Christ has done for us. The righteousness of
Christ is spread out over the deceased. The pastor calls everyones attention
to Baptism when he says: Do you not know that all of us who were baptized
into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death. We were therefore buried with
him by baptism into death in order that just as Christ was raised from the
dead that by the glory of the Father we too may live a new life. If we have
been united with him in his death we will certainly also be united with him in
his resurrection. The use of the pall then confesses the comfort of the
resurrection.

The pall has one other function. Many times funerals convey a persons
status in this world. That might show up in a coffin (how ornate it is). Before
the coffin is taken into church it is covered with this pall, which is the
righteousness of Christ. It then wipes out any class distinctions.

In the words of Paul spoken by the pastor (see two bullet points above), it is
being said, This is not the first time this person died. They died with Jesus in
baptism. Therefore this little death that they go through now is not a big deal.
They have been delivered from the big death, the eternal death, separation
from God. They have already died and been raised with the Lord in baptism.
Therefore this death will not keep a hold on them.

C. The procession enters into the church as a hymn is sung (or a psalm could
be sung). The hymn is a resurrection hymn. The hymn communicates what
the service will be about. A popular hymn to sing is I Know That My
Redeemer Lives. Because the Redeemer lives, he calls his people from

Notes from a Discussion on the Lutheran Liturgy of Sickness,

Death, and Dying
death. He lives to bring me safely to the mansion he has prepared. Other
popular hymns are: Jesus Christ My Sure Defense and The Strife is Oer.

Some people wonder why we would sing at a funeral. Always and everywhere
we sing praise to the Lord. In the communion liturgy each week it is said,
we should at all time and all places give thanks to you O Lord The church
sings in the face of death because Jesus has already won the victory over
death.

D. Short prayer (collect): O God of grace and mercy, we give thanks for your
loving kindness to all your servants who having finished their course in faith
now rest from their labors. Grant that we also may be faithful to death and
receive the crown of eternal life, through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord.
Sinners who trust in Christ have rest.

E. The Word of God. OT reading usually Job 19 I know that my redeemer

lives in my flesh I will see God . A clear passage testifying to the
resurrection.

Epistle reading. Rom. 8 nothing can separate us from the love of God in
Christ, not even death. More popular are readings from 1 Cor. 15. Paul has a
lot to say about the resurrection, so some of the readings are rather long. For
instance 1 Cor.15:35-57 Death has been swallowed up in victory. God gives
us victory through the Lord Jesus Christ.

Holy Gospel. Almost always from the gospel of John, the book about the
resurrection. Some examples: Jesus said, I tell you the truth, whoever hears
my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life . John 6 Jesus
said, This is the will of him who sent me that I shall lose none of all that he
has given me but raise them up on the last day John 10 Jesus said, I am
the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep I
Know my sheep. My sheep know meI lay down my life for my sheep. John
11 The story of the raising of Lazarus. Jesus told Martha that her brother
would rise again I am the resurrection. He who believes in me will live even
though he dies and he who lives and believes in me will never die. John 14
Trust in God, trust also in me. In my Fathers house are many mansions I go
to prepare a place for you. Incredible Gospel promises. All of them invite us
to lift our eyes off of ourselves and focus them on the one who went into
death to destroy it for us.

F. Apostles Creed. Introduction to the creed: God has made us his people
through our Baptism into Christ. Living together in trust and hope we confess
our faith. This introduction tells us why this creed is used. The Apostles
Creed follows the introduction. The person who died was baptized into this
faith. The creed ends with: I believe in the communion of saints, the

Notes from a Discussion on the Lutheran Liturgy of Sickness,

Death, and Dying
forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting. In
Baptism the Holy Spirit brought him into the Christian Church. The Spirit then
fed him with the holy Eucharist, continually gave him the forgiveness of sins
in absolution, and on the Last Day the Spirit will give him the resurrection of
his body and the gift of life that never ends.

G. The Sermon. The essentials of a Christian sermon at a funeral. Always

preach their Baptism and not the holiness of his life. Remind the people that
he confessed that he was a sinner, a poor miserable sinner who deserved
nothing but Gods temporal and eternal punishment. But his hope was that
God in Christ had forgiven him of his sins. And in Holy Baptism he was
clothed with Jesus righteousness. That is what he trusted in as he lived his
life. Now as he has departed this life, he will be able to stand before the
Gods judgment seat and hear the verdict of not guilty because he is clothed
in Christ and Christ on Calvary has answered for everyone of his sins.

Every funeral sermon is Easter. And preaching Easter and Baptism is the
same thing. Every Baptism is a little Easter applied to the person being
Baptized. This is also shown by a lit candle. The candle leads the coffin into
church. This candle is lit by the church every Sunday during the 50 days of
Easter. After that it is only lit when there is a Baptism or when there is a
funeral, which is the conclusion of a Baptism. [In between is the Baptismal life
of dying and rising daily.]

H. The Prayers. There is a thread of comfort build into this prayer. The prayer
is built upon the promises of Gods Word and it asks for the comfort of those
promises for all those who mourn. Some phrases in the prayer address: one
communion (the beginning of the collect for All Saints Day); give to the whole
church, whether in heaven or on earth, his light and peace; all those Baptized
into Christs death and resurrection might die daily to sin (when we rise we
will be completely dead to sin, the Old Adam will be gone. We wish for that to
be a reality now.); we ask that those of us who are on the pilgrimage of faith
through this life, that the Holy Spirit might lead us into holiness and
righteousness all our days; we ask for pardon and a quiet mind that we might
serve God; we ask for sure confidence in Gods loving care that we can cast
all our sorrows on the Lord and replace them with comfort; courage, faith,
and strength to the bereaved to face the days ahead and to be sure of a
certain hope and a joyful expectation of eternal life with those whom they
love and have departed in the faith; we recognize that Jesus has defeated
and destroyed death; because he lives we also will live.

I. The Lords Prayer comes next if there is no communion being celebrated.

The context of the funeral provides a particular emphasis in the Lords Prayer.
It is directed toward the bereaved. We turn to our Father that in this time of

Notes from a Discussion on the Lutheran Liturgy of Sickness,

Death, and Dying
grief that his name would still be hallowed, that his kingdom (the gift of the
Spirit) would come to them during this rough time, and that they have the
grace to pray at this time Thy will be done. When someone is taken away
suddenly, this can be hard to pray. The rest of the prayer follows in a similar
fashion.

J. This part of the service ends with Aarons benediction. This is not the end of
the service. (The service continues at the cemetery.) There is this blessing
now because many people do not proceed to the cemetery. This benediction
is for those people.

Next time we will discuss the funeral service as it continues at the grave side
(usually called the committal). It is one of the most underappreciated liturgies
of the church. The church stands at the open mouth of the grave and the
words there provide the greatest comfort.

Some who have listened to this series might be saying, This is so ritualistic
and there is a set form for everything, how can this be spontaneous and Spirit
led? Spontaneity is not the mark of being Spirit led. Otherwise these services
would indeed be worthless. But the Holy Spirit is in Gods Word. Jesus said the
words I speak to you are spirit and they are life. Even the prayers are
drenched in the language of the Scriptures. The comfort that comes from this
service is the comfort that comes from the Word of God being applied in an
ordered way to the mourning family.

Summary of Part 6 The Funeral Service at the Graveside

A pagan historian in the early church observed that a Christian funeral was a
funeral of triumphant. They carried their dead in triumph. It speaks of the
difference between a Christian and non-Christian funeral and the hope of the
Christian faith which is based on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. That
changes how we view sickness, dying, and death.

Today we talk about the last stage of the funeral service which is at the
graveside. We have come from the church where the service so far has been
a service of the Word of God, a service of comfort and hope. We now march
towards the grave in triumph. One pastor said in one of his funeral sermons
that the grave is not a one-way street. What we put in the ground will come
back out. In a very real sense we are planting that body as a seed in the
ground. Just as we know that a seed that is planted will grow up from the
ground, so we know that this body will rise when the eternal spring arrives
when Jesus returns.

Notes from a Discussion on the Lutheran Liturgy of Sickness,

Death, and Dying

The apostle Paul speaks about Jesus return. All will rise Christians to eternal
life and non-Christians to eternal condemnation. Jesus raised some people
while he was here on earth. But their flesh did not change. They died again
later. Jesus resurrection was different. Jesus was raised in a body that was
incorruptible. His flesh would never be subject to death again. It has no more
power over him. His promise is that he will raise us and change our bodies
making them like his incorruptible body.

Yet at the graveside is one of the most heart-wrenching and fearful and sad
times. For many the burial is the worst time of all. The message at the time of
burial is still the same: Death has been defeated by Jesus Christ. This victory
was won for this person who has died. We can celebrate even as we bury our
loved one because Jesus will raise this person with an incorruptible body.

What are cemeteries from a Christian point of view? Is it just a pragmatic

place? We have to put the dead somewhere dont we? The word cemetery
means a place of sleeping. It is a sacred ground where these bodies sleep
until Christ appears again and raises them up. These bodies are not throw
aways; they are not junk any more than your body is at night when you are
asleep. Therefore we honor them. They are still temples of the Holy Spirit.

A. The service of committal begins with a procession. Once the people are
there, the cross may lead the casket carried by the pall bearers and the
pastor to the grave. Some words or songs may be spoken or sang on the way
from the hearse to the grave which center on the fact that the only one we
can turn to to deliver us from death is God. And this he does through his dear
Son. This represents the church on pilgrimage through life to the eternal city.
Selected verses from Ps. 118 could also be used-This is the gate of the Lord
is proclaimed over the hole in the ground. Christ has transformed death into a
gate into everlasting life. Ps. 130 could also be used or the Nunc Dimmittis or
Job 19 I know that my redeemer lives or John 11 I am the resurrection and
the life or Ps. 121 My help comes from the Lord or Rom. 14 Whether we
live or die, we belong to the Lord.

B. Once at the grave a prayer is prayed. Two prayers can be used. (1) At
public cemetery blessing of the grave, making it hallowed ground where the
body will sleep until it is awakened on the Last Day. (2) At a Christian
cemetery prayer of thanksgiving for the blessings shown to the deceased
and a confession of the promises of resurrection. Both put front and center
the promise of the resurrection of the body.

C. Scripture may be read next. Four scriptures are given. (1) John 12 - Jesus
said, Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone.

Notes from a Discussion on the Lutheran Liturgy of Sickness,

Death, and Dying
But if it dies, it bears much fruit. Where I am, there my servant will be also.
We follow Jesus pattern, from suffering to death to resurrection and life.
Like Jesus, this body will have its own Easter Day. Jesus is the Grain of Wheat
and we are the fruit that was produced by his body being planted in the
ground. (2) 1 Cor. 15 What is sown is perishable, what is raised is
imperishable. (3) Another reading from 1 Cor. 15 Death has been swallowed
up in victory. (4) 1 Thess. 4:13-17 We do not weep as those who have no
hope.

D. In the service at this point, the casket is lowered into the ground. The
committal takes place as the casket is being lowered. (But some deviate at
this point because many are uncomfortable watching the casket being
lowered. Instead dirt may be poured on the casket in the shape of a cross
with some words of committal.) In the committal, we commit the body of the
deceased to its resting place, earth to earth, dust to dust, ashes to ashes, in
the sure hope of the resurrection to eternal life through Jesus Christ who will
raise him and change his body into a glorified body.
These words include the Law: dust to dust (Gen. 3:19, Ps. 90:3). It also
includes Gospel: Phil. 3:20-21, citizenship in heaven and we await a Savior,
the Lord Jesus, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body.
The words of committal are purely the words of Scripture spoken over that
body.

E. The blessing. It is a peculiar blessing by God on the body. May God the
Father who created this body, may God the Son who by his blood redeemed
this body, may God the Holy Spirit who by baptism sanctified this body to be
his temple, keep these remains to the day of the resurrection of all flesh.
This ties back to the accommodation of the dying. The focus of the church
continues to be on the body of the deceased. It is not just a throw-away. The
body continues to be the temple of the Holy Spirit.

F. Pray the Lords Prayer as our attention turns from the body to the survivors.
The whole church prays to the Father.
A short prayer follows the Lords Prayer: Almighty God, by the death of your
Son Jesus Christ you destroyed death (2 Tim. 1:10), by his rest in the tomb
you sanctified the graves of your saints, and by his bodily resurrection you
brought life and immortality to light (2 Tim.), so that all who die in him, abide
in peace and joy. Receive our thanks for his victory over death and the grave
which he won for us. Keep us in everlasting communion with all who wait for
him on earth and with all who are in heaven who are with him, who is the
resurrection and the life, even Jesus Christ our Lord.
Death cannot destroy the unity of the church. We are one in Christ.

Notes from a Discussion on the Lutheran Liturgy of Sickness,

Death, and Dying

G. Two verses of a hymn Abide With Me the first and last verses. in life
and death Oh Lord abide with me.

H. Ends in a real note of triumph. The pastor turns to the people and says,
Alleluia, Christ is risen! The people respond, He has risen indeed! Alleluia!

I. The pastor says, Let us go forth in the name of Christ. Amen. And the
Aaronic benediction.

A cemetery is like a wheat field. The bodies have been planted. They will
spring up in the eternal spring.

Knowing that Jesus died and then rose, gives us comfort. He has been
through everything that we will go through, even death itself. We will go
through it with him.

Our bodies are important to God. He took on a human body. In doing so he

honored the human body.

Fast Fall the Even Tide.

Next time the commemoration of the faithful departed and the importance
of preparing your funeral.

Summary of Part 7 The Commemoration of the Faithful

Departed and Preparing Your Will

The radio program began with the singing of Jerusalem the Golden. The
message of the hymn is that while we struggle with life here below, those
who have died in faith in Christ are with the Lord in heavenly bliss. They are
home. They and we form one church. They have reached the final
destination. We will join them when we die. We rejoice in their exalted status
before the Lord.

The golden thread that unites this entire 7 part series is the joyful hope that
Christs resurrection has brought to his people as they experience sickness,
death, and remembering those who have died.

How does the remembrance of the faithful departed fit with the things we
have been talking about -sickness, approaching death, death, the funeral
from the funeral home to the church to the gravesite, to the committal of the

Notes from a Discussion on the Lutheran Liturgy of Sickness,

Death, and Dying
body, and the resurrection of all flesh? This commemoration happens one day
a year when the church consciously stops and remembers the saints who
have gone before. Its called All Saints Sunday in America (or Nov.1). On that
day we remember the saints and that we are still one with them. And we give
God thanks for them.

The Apology of the Augsburg Confession speaks about this. We give threefold honor to the saints. (1) Thanksgiving. Give thanks to God. These people
are example of his mercy; he wants to save us. (2) The strengthening of our
faith. We see that grace abounds over sin. (3) Imitation of faith of the saints
and then of their other virtues.

In medieval times the saints were prayed to instead of Christ, as if the saints
could hear their prayers. The reformation restored Christ to his high and holy
position. Its like a huge crowd looking up at something. It makes you want to
look up too. The great crowd of saints who went before us are all looking at
Christ and so we join them.

Rev. 7 talks about the saints in heaven. John sees a great multitude from all
nations standing before the thrown and the Lamb wearing white robes and
waving palm branches. They cry out, Salvation belongs to our God who sits
on the thrown and to the Lamb. They stand before the thrown because the
Lamb has washed them clean with his holiness. Because of this they worship
him day and night. So those who have died and who we remember on All
Saints Sunday are in this crowd with God and the angels.

Lets talk about the formal liturgy used to remember those who have gone
before us.

The collect for the day:Almighty and everlasting God, you knit together your
faithful people of all times and places into one holy communion, the mystical
body of your Son, Jesus Christ. Grant us so to follow your blessed saints in all
virtuous and godly living, that together with them we may come to the
unspeakable joys you have prepared for those who love you. Through Jesus
Christ, you Son our Lord. It has two beautiful thoughts in it. (1) God has knit
us together as his people in one church. The saints above and the saints
below make one communion. (2) Follow in virtuous and godly living. We wish
to imitate their virtues and not their sins. We wish to imitate their faith in,
love for, and service of God.

The hymn Jerusalem the Golden picks up some of the joys spoken of in the
collect. (1) The hymn speaks of heaven as a place where the saints are
jubilant with song. (In explaining this Pr. Weedon askes: Whats the purpose of
the church? The normal answer is to spread the Gospel all over the world.
That is not right. The purpose of the church is to worship God. The Great

Notes from a Discussion on the Lutheran Liturgy of Sickness,

Death, and Dying
Commission calls people from the death of idolatry into the living faith that
praises and trusts the Lord and sings to him into eternity.) (2) Those killed in
the faith are there alive with the angels and the Lord. (3) Heaven is the place
where there is no darkness only the light of Christ. (4) The departed shout in
triumph and feast in celebration with the Lord. (5) Clothed in white
(remember the pall?). On All Saints Day we recognize the saints in heaven.
We recognize that we are part of a bigger family. On Sundays we join with the
throng in heaven praising God.

Readings that commemorate the faithful departed. Ps. 34 is the psalm of the
day a psalm about praise, a call for all to come join the worship of God. The
beatitudes (Mt. 5) watch the verbs first and last are present tense, the rest
are future tense. The kingdom of heaven is here now. The present reality
looks forward to the future promises that await us in heaven.

Why do we read the name of those who have died in the last year? We are a
community of love and in love we remember the people who have gone
before us to be with the Lord. Will we recognize our loved ones in heaven? In
Mt. 17 the Transfiguration, Moses and Elijah appear with Jesus. Peter, James
and John recognized them even though they had never met them. As Paul
says, then we will know fully.

A story about a wolf and a sheep that relates to the saints and resurrection.
The story is about a big bad wolf who had a steady supply of sheep to eat.
The more he ate, the fatter he grew, and the hungrier he became. The sheep
knew what fate awaited them. One morning the wolf woke up and saw the
biggest, fattest sheep he had ever seen. The wolf (which by the way was
death) bounded up to the sheep, but the sheep was unafraid. This made the
wolf mad. He said Im going to make you suffer a slow painful death. The
sheep said, yeah I know. The other sheep gathered around to see if things
would be different this time. The wolf pounced on him and the rest of the
sheep scattered away. He kept his word. He made it slow and painful. The
wolf went back to his den and thought, wow that was some good, choice
meat. That was the best I ever had. And this strange feeling came over him.
He didnt feel hungry anymore. He was satisfied. That was strange because
he was always hungry. So he went to bed and when he woke up he had a
tummy ache. And throughout the day the pain kept getting worse and worse.
He wondered if that big, fat, juicy sheep had been poisoned. The next night
there was a shattering howl from the wolf as he just couldnt take the pain
anymore. Something was alive and poking and prodding within him. All of a
sudden his belly was ripped wide open and out stepped a shepherd. And he
looked at the wolf (death) and laughed and laughed. The shepherd said, Well
my old foe, do you recognize me? The wolf recognized the voice. It was the
sheep that he ate 3 days before. How could that be? The sheep/shepherd

Notes from a Discussion on the Lutheran Liturgy of Sickness,

Death, and Dying
said, You kept your promise. You made my death painful, slow, and horrible.
But what will you do with me now. You have a hole in your belly and it will
never heal. Go ahead and try and munch on my sheep. If you do, Ill lead
them right out of your belly just like I came out of your belly. That hole in your
belly will never go away. The shepherd then gathered all the sheep together
and told them, He will come out like always and hell be hungry and he will
eat you, but dont worry about it because he has a hole in his belly. And when
he eats you, I will lead you through it in the same way that I came through.
Thats the story of the Good Shepherd is also the Lamb. When death comes
for the sheep of Gods flock, the flock must remember the hole that is in
deaths belly.

Why do we who are on this side of death remember those who are on the
other side of death, who have come through and already come out of the
hole? Its a reminder that not only does death have no hold on Christ, but
death has no hold on any of those who die in Christ. Even now they live. This
is a huge comfort to us. They are still with us when we join at the altar in the
Lords Supper.

One part of the liturgy that we left out and that I want to get to is the Preface:
community of saints, a cloud of witnesses. We are encouraged by the faith of
the saints and strengthened by their fellowship to run the race set before us
that we might receive the crown of glory.

What about the person who has lost a loved one and thinks about him/her
everday? Ps. 116: Precious in the sight of the Lord are the death of his saints.
God has brought them home. We really havent lost them. They have just
went ahead of us.

Jesus confronted the Saducees who denied the resurrection. God said, I am
the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob. He is not the God of
the dead, but of the living. What did Jesus mean? Dont judge death by what
you see. As the OT says of saints who died, He was gathered to his people.
He has been brought into the presence of God along with all the other saints.
That is now where they live. They are not dead to God.

We are about to hear the hymn, For All the Saints, a standard hymn in the
commemoration of the faithful departed. What should we listen for? Above all
be aware that the church on earth gets to overhear the celebration that is
going on in heaven. And from that we derive great strength. One day we get
to join them around the throne of the Lamb.

The hymn For All the Saints is played.

The hope we have in Christ is more powerful than suffering and death.

Notes from a Discussion on the Lutheran Liturgy of Sickness,

Death, and Dying

The saints are not only now joyfully praising God, they are also waiting. They
are waiting for the resurrection of the dead. We also wait in eager expectation
that comes from faith in Christ.