The Burial of the Dead in the Episcopal Church

 

The Burial of the Dead in the Episcopal Church may be much different from other funeral or memorial services that you have attended. The burial service in the Anglican tradition is a service of Christian worship that centers on the hope of the Resurrection, rather than a vaguely spiritual service which focuses the memory of the deceased. The service of burial in our tradition is essentially the same for everyone and is contained in the Book of Common Prayer (Rite One, p. 469; Rite Two, p. 491).

 

The liturgy for burial is an Easter liturgy. It finds its hope and meaning in the Resurrection. Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we shall be raised as well. The liturgy is, therefore, 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 Lazarus. So while we rejoice that one we love has entered into the nearer presence of our Lord, we also grieve in sympathy with those who mourn.

 

There is no eulogy or obituary in the Burial of the Dead and no attempt to recite all the accomplishments or good qualities of the deceased. God, better than any of us, knows this person. God does not need to be reminded of anything the person has done or been or hasn’t done or hasn’t been. So we come together in God’s presence to thank God for giving this person to the world and to us, to ask God to receive back what He originally gave, to mourn our loss, and to strengthen and support the family and ourselves.

 

At a funeral, the casket or coffin or urn is covered by a special cloth called a pall. The pall reminds us of our equality before God and lends dignity regardless of the type or price of the container in which the body is placed. The coffin or casket or urn is never opened once the service has begun. This helps us to focus our attention on God and his love for this person and for us, instead of focusing on a dead body.

 

The Book of Common Prayer offers recommendations for the Old Testament, Psalm, Epistle, and Gospel readings. All of the gospel readings are taken from The Gospel According to John and focus on God’s defeat of death and the resurrected life promised us in Jesus Christ.

 

Our burial liturgy enacts as well as states our core beliefs about life, death, and resurrection. Together, we walk the deceased the last steps to the grave and entrust them into the hands of the God whose grace we experience in Jesus Christ. Members of the immediate family are normally seated towards the front of the church and follow the coffin or urn out of the church. When possible, the priest will also walk with the coffin or urn to the place of burial where additional prayers are said (The Committal).

 

Almighty God, Father of mercies and giver of comfort; Deal graciously, we pray three, with all those who mourn, that casting every care on thee, they may know the consolation of thy love; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.