Funeral Thank You Messages

1 Corinthians 15

A reading from the first letter of St Paul to the Corinthians.

I will tell you something that has been secret: that we are not all going to die, but we shall all be changed. This will be instantaneous, in the twinkling of an eye, when the last trumpet sounds.

It will sound, and the dead will be raised, imperishable, and we shall be changed as well, because our present perishable nature must put on imperishability and this mortal nature must put on immortality.

When this perishable nature has put on imperishability, and when this mortal nature has put on immortality, then the words of scripture will come true: “Death is swallowed up in victory. Death, where is your victory? Death, where is your sting?”

Now the sting of death is sin, and sin gets its power from the Law. So let us thank God for giving us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

The word of the Lord.

1 Corinthians 15: 20-28

Christ has been raised from the dead, the first-fruits of all who have fallen asleep. Death came through one man and in the same way the resurrection of the dead has come through one man.

Just as all men die in Adam, so all men will be brought to life in Christ; but all of them in their proper order: Christ as the first-fruits and then, after the coming of Christ, those who belong to him.

After that will come the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father. For he must be king until he has put all his enemies under his feet and the last of the enemies to be destroyed is death, for everything is to be put under his feet.

Though when it is said that everything is subjected, this clearly cannot include the One who subjected everything to him. And when everything is subjected to him, then the Son himself will be subject in his turn to the One who subjected all things to him, so that God may be all in all.

The word of the Lord.

All: Thanks be to God.

1 Corinthians 15: 51-57

I will tell you something that has been secret: that we are not all going to die, but we shall all be changed. This will be instantaneous, in the twinkling of an eye, when the last trumpet sounds.

It will sound, and the dead will be raised, imperishable, and we shall be changed as well, because our present perishable nature must put on imperishability and this mortal nature must put on immortality.

When this perishable nature has put on imperishability, and when this mortal nature has put on immortality, then the words of scripture will come true: “Death is swallowed up in victory. Death, where is your victory? Death, where is your sting?”

Now the sting of death is sin, and sin gets its power from the Law. So let us thank God for giving us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

The word of the Lord.

All: Thanks be to God.

1 John 3: 1-2

Think of the love that the Father has lavished on us, by letting us be called God’s children; and that is what we are.

Because the world refused to acknowledge him, therefore it does not acknowledge us.

My dear people, we are already the children of God but what we are to be in the future has not yet been revealed, all we know is that, when it is revealed, we shall be like him because we shall see him as he really is.

The word of the Lord.

All: Thanks be to God.

1 John 3: 14-16

We have passed out of death and into life, and of this we can be sure because we love our brothers.

If you refuse to love, you must remain dead; to hate your brother is to be a murderer, and murderers, as you know, do not have eternal life in them.

This has taught us love – that he gave up his life for us; and we, too, ought to give up our lives for our brothers.

The word of the Lord.

All: Thanks be to God.

1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18

A reading from the first letter of St Paul to the Thessalonians.

We want you to be quite certain, brothers, about those who have died, to make sure that you do not grieve about them like people who have no hope.

We believe that Jesus died and rose again, and that it will be the same for those who have died in Jesus: God will bring them with him.

At the trumpet of God, the voice of the archangel will call out the command and the Lord himself will come down from heaven; those who have died in Christ will be the first to rise, and then those of us who are still alive will be taken up in the clouds, together with them, to meet the Lord in the air. So we shall stay with the Lord for ever.

The word of the Lord.

2 Corinthians 4 & 5

A reading from the second letter of St Paul to the Corinthians.

We know that he who raised the Lord Jesus to life will raise us with Jesus in our turn, and put us by his side and you with us. You see, all this is for your benefit, so that the more grace is multiplied among people, the more thanksgiving there will be, to the glory of God.

That is why there is no weakening on our part, and instead, though this outer man of ours may be falling into decay, the inner man is renewed day by day. Yes, the troubles which are soon over, though they weigh little, train us for the carrying of a weight of eternal glory which is out of all proportion to them.

For we know that when the tent that we live in on earth is folded up, there is a house built by God for us, an everlasting home not made by human hands, in the heavens.

The word of the Lord.

2 Corinthians 5: 1, 6-10

A reading from the second letter of St Paul to the Corinthians.

We know that when the tent that we live in on earth is folded up, there is a house built by God for us, an everlasting home not made by human hands, in the heavens.

We are always full of confidence, then, when we remember that to live in the body means to be exiled from the Lord, going as we do by faith and not by sight – we are full of confidence, I say, and actually want to be exiled from the body and make our home with the Lord.

Whether we are living in the body or exiled from it, we are intent on pleasing him. For all the truth about us will be brought out in the law court of Christ, and each of us will get what he deserves for the things he did in the body, good or bad.

The word of the Lord.

2 Timothy 2: 8-13

Remember the Good News that I carry, “Jesus Christ risen from the dead, sprung from the race of David”; it is on account of this that I have my own hardships to bear, even to being chained like a criminal – but they cannot chain up God’s news.

So I bear it for the sake of those who are chosen, so that in the end they may have the salvation that is in Christ Jesus and the eternal glory that comes with it.

Here is a saying that you can rely on: If we have died with him, then we shall live with him. If we hold firm, then we shall reign with him. If we disown him, then he will disown us. We may be unfaithful, but he is always faithful, for he cannot disown his own self.

The word of the Lord.

All: Thanks be to God.

2 Timothy 4: 6-8

A reading from the second letter of St Paul to Timothy.

As for me, my life is already being poured away as a libation, and the time has come for me to depart. I have fought the good fight to the end, I have run the race to the finish. I have kept the faith; all there is to come for me now is the crown of uprightness which the Lord, the upright judge, will give to me on that day, and not only to me, but to all those who have longed for his appearing.

The Word of the Lord.

A Face We Love

A face we love is missing,
a voice we love is still,
a place is vacant in our hearts,
that no one else can fill.

A Golden Heart Stopped Beating

A golden heart stopped beating,
two hands were laid to rest,
God broke our hearts to prove,
He only takes the best.
If tears could build a stairway,
and memories build a lane,
we would walk right up to heaven
and bring you back again.

A Life Well Lived

A life well-lived is a precious gift
Of hope and strength and grace,
From someone who has made our world
A brighter, better place.

It’s filled with moments sweet and sad,
With smiles and sometimes tears,
With friendships formed and good times shared
And laughter through the years.

A life well-lived is a legacy
Of joy and pride and pleasure,
A loving, lasting memory
Our grateful hearts will treasure.

A Special Mum

A Mother is the greatest gift – a gift meaning love,
Her love is unconditional and it fits just like a glove.

From day one it’s always mum who’s there by your side,
Picking up the pieces and wiping the tears you’ve cried.

Who was there when you rode your first bike,
And listened when you told her about the boy you liked?

She encourages you all the time to do your very best,
Even when you don’t succeed – she picks you above the rest.

Then comes that awful day when you tell her to stay out of your life,
But notice how she’s the one to bail you out of strife.

Then you find true love and your mother must learn to share,
This can be difficult and it may seem quite unfair.

As you get older you realise that your relationship can be fun,
So you make amends and say you’re sorry for all that you’ve done.

She now becomes your best friend and you tell her how much you care,
And thank her over and over for always being there.

Most of these experiences for me are yet to come,
All I wish for is to be half as good – as my special mum.

Tracy Kollmann

A Special Smile

A special smile,
a special face,
and in our hearts,
a special place.

A Wonderful Man

A wonderful man laid to rest
For everyone he did his best
His deeds were good
His heart was kind
A better husband and dad
No-one could find

Loved by all who knew him

Sadly missed – Sleep peacefully

A Wonderful Woman

A wonderful woman laid to rest
For everyone she did her best
Her deeds were good
Her heart was kind
A better wife and mother
No-one could find

Loved by all who knew her

Sadly missed – Sleep peacefully

Acts 10: 34-43

Peter addressed Cornelius and his household: ‘The truth I have now come to realise,’ he said, ‘is that God does not have favourites, but that anybody of any nationality who fears God and does what is right is acceptable to him. It is true, God sent his word to the people of Israel, and it was to them that the good news of peace was brought by Jesus Christ – but Jesus Christ is Lord of all men. You must have heard about the recent happenings in Judaea; about Jesus of Nazareth and how he began in Galilee, after John had been preaching baptism. God had anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and because God was with him, Jesus went about doing good and curing all who had fallen into the power of the devil. Now I, and those with me, can witness to everything he did throughout the countryside of Judaea and in Jerusalem itself: and also to the fact that they killed him by handing him on a tree, yet three days afterwards God raised him to life and allowed him to be seen, not by the whole people but only by certain witnesses God had chosen beforehand. Now we are those witnesses – we have eaten and drunk with him after his resurrection from the dead – and he has ordered us to proclaim this to his people and to tell them that God has appointed him to judge everyone alive or dead. It is to him that all the prophets bear this witness: that all who believe in Jesus will have their sins forgiven through his name’.

The word of the Lord.

All: Thanks be to God.

Afterglow

I’d like the memory of me
to be a happy one,
I’d like to leave an afterglow
of smiles when life is done,
I’d like to leave an echo
whispering softly down the ways,
of happy times and laughing times
and bright and sunny days,
I’d like the tears of those who grieve,
to dry before the sun
of happy memories that I leave
when life is done.

Apocalypse 14: 13

A reading from the Book of the Apocalypse.

I, John, heard a voice from heaven say to me, “Write down: Happy are those who die in the Lord! Happy indeed, the Spirit says; now they can rest for ever after their work, since their good deeds go with them.”

The Word of the Lord.

Apocalypse 20 & 21

I, John, saw a great white throne and the One who was sitting on it. In his presence, earth and sky vanished, leaving no trace. I saw the dead, both great and small, standing in front of his throne, while the book of life was opened which were the record of what they had done in their lives, by which the dead were judged.

The sea gave up all the dead who were in it; Death and Hades were emptied of the dead that were in them; and every one was judged according to the way in which he had lived. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the burning lake. This burning lake is the second death; and anybody whose name could not be found written in the book of life was thrown into the burning lake.

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; the first heaven and the first earth had disappeared now, and there was no longer any seas.

The Word of the Lord.

Apocalypse 20: 1-7

I, John, saw a new heaven and a new earth; the first heaven and the first earth had disappeared now, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, and the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, as beautiful as a bride all dressed for her husband. Then I heard a loud voice call from the throne, ‘You see this city? Here God lives among men. He will make his home among them; they shall be his people and he will be their God; his name is God-with-them. He will wipe away all tears from their eyes; there will be no more death, and no more mourning or sadness. The world of the past has gone.’ Then the One sitting on the throne spoke: ‘Now I am making the whole of creation new’ he said, ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give water from the well of life free to anybody who is thirsty; it is the rightful inheritance of the one who proves victorious; and I will be his God and he a son to me.’

The Word of the Lord.

All: Thanks be to God.

Apocalypse 7: 9-10, 15-17

A reading from the Book of the Apocalypse.

I, John, saw a huge number, impossible to count, of people from every nation, race, tribe and language; they were standing in front of the throne and in front of the Lamb, dressed in white robes and holding palms in their hands. They shouted aloud, ‘Victory to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’ they now stand in front of God’s throne and serve him day and night in his sanctuary; and the One sits on the throne will spread his tent over them.

They will never hunger or thirst again; neither the sun nor scorching wind will ever plague them, because the Lamb who is at the throne will be their shepherd and will lead them to springs of living water; and God will wipe away all tears from their eyes.

The word of the Lord.

As Long As You Live And Remember

May tender memories soften your grief,
May fond recollection bring you relief,
And may you find comfort and peace in the thought,
Of the joy that knowing your loved one brought –
For time and space can never divide,
Or keep your loved one from your side,
When memory paints in colours true,
The happy hours that belonged to you.

Helen Steiner Rice

Beautiful Memories

Beautiful memories woven in gold,
this is the picture we tenderly hold,
deep in our hearts your memory is kept,
to love, cherish and never forget.

Count Your Garden By The Flowers

Count your garden by the flowers,
Never by the leaves that fall.
Count your days by golden hours,
Don’t remember clouds at all.
Count your nights by stars, not shadows.
Count your life by smiles not tears
And with joy on every birthday.
Count your age by friends, not years.

Dads Are Special People

Dads are special people,
No home should be without.
For every family will agree,
They’re so nice to have about.

They are a happy mixture,
Of a small boy and a man
And they’re very necessary,
In every family plan.

Sometimes they’re most demanding
And stern and firm and tough,
But underneath they’re soft as silk,
For this is just a bluff.

But in any kind of trouble,
Dad reaches out his hand
And you can always count on him,
To help and understand.

And while we do not praise Dad,
As often as we should,
We love him and admire him,
And while that’s understood.

It’s only fair to emphasise,
His importance and his worth,
For if there were no loving Dads,
This would be a loveless earth.

Daniel 12: 1-3

I, Daniel, was doing penance when I received this message from the Lord: “At that time Michael will stand up, the great prince who mounts guard over your people. There is going to be a time of great distress, unparalleled since nations first came into existence. When that time comes, your own people will be spared, all those whose names are found written in the Book. Of those who lie sleeping in the dust of the earth many will awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting disgrace. The learned will shine as brightly as the vault of heaven, and those who have instructed many in virtue, as bright as stars for all eternity”.

This is the Word of the Lord.

All: Thanks be to God.

Death Is Nothing At All

Death is nothing at all;
I have only slipped away into the next room.
Whatever we were to each other, that we are still.
Call me by my old familiar name;
Speak to me in the easy way you always used.
Laugh as we always laughed
at the little jokes we enjoyed together.
Play, smile, think of me, and pray for me.
Let my name be the household word that it always was.
Let it be spoken without effect.
Life means all that it ever meant.
It is the same that it ever was;
there is absolutely unbroken continuity.
Why should I be out of your mind
because I am out of your sight?
I am but waiting for you, for an interval,
somewhere very near just around the corner.
All is well. Nothing is past; nothing is lost.
One brief moment and all will be as it was before,
only better, infinitely happier and forever,
we will be one together with Christ.

Do Not Cry For My Absence

Do not cry for my absence
feel me close and still
talk to me.
I will love you from heaven
as I have loved you
on earth.

Do Not Mourn Too Long (Dad)

Do not mourn too long
for our caring father,
but honour his memory
with a promise to live a little better
for having known him.
It will enrich his life and yours,
for Dad’s legacy will live on.

Do Not Mourn Too Long (Mum)

Do not mourn too long
for our caring mother,
but honour her memory
with a promise to live a little better
for having known her.
It will enrich her life and yours,
for Mum’s legacy will live on.

Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep

Do not stand at my grave and weep,
I am not there, I do not sleep.
I am the thousand winds that blow,
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain,
I am the gentle Autumn’s rain.
When you awake in the morning hush,
I am the swift uplifting rush
of quiet birds in circling flight.
I am the soft star that shines at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry,
I am not there, I did not die.

Do Not Weep

Do not weep that I have gone,
‘Be Glad’ that I have been.

For I have known life to its fullest measure,
I have felt pain and I have known pleasure.

Tears I have cried in grief and in laughter,
I have known love and all that comes after.

I’ve tasted the salt and bitterness of tears,
I’ve walked in the rain when the day is done,
Felt a soft summer breeze,
And the warmth of the sun.

I’ve sat by the sea and heard the waves pound,
Held the hand that is friendship,
its richness abound.

Yes, I have known life, and I will learn death,
So weep not for me that I have gone,
But ‘Be Glad’ that I have been
And that I have known you.

Do Not Weep That I Have Gone

Do not weep that I have gone,
But rejoice that I have been.
For I have known life to its fullest measure,
I have felt pain and I have known pleasure.
Tears I have cried in grief and in laughter,
I have known love and all that comes after.
I’ve tasted the salt and the bitterness of tears,
I’ve walked in the rain when the day is done,
Felt a soft summer breeze, the warmth of the sun.
I’ve sat by the sea and heard the waves pound,
Held the hand that is friendship, its richness abound.
Yes, I have known life, and I will learn death,
So weep not for me that I have gone,
But rejoice that I have been,
And that I have known you.

Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8, 11

A Reading from the book of Ecclesiastes.

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.

God has made everything beautiful in its time.

The word of the Lord.

Ephesians 1: 3-5

Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings of heaven in Christ. Before the world was made, he chose us, chose us in Christ, to be holy and spotless, and to live through love in his presence, determining that we should become his adopted sons, through Jesus Christ for his own kind purposes.

The word of the Lord.

All: Thanks be to God.

Footprints

One night a man had a dream. He dreamed he was
walking along the beach with the LORD.
Across the sky flashed scenes from his life.
For each scene, he noticed two sets
of footprints in the sand; one belonging to him,
and the other to the LORD.

When the last scene of his life flashed before him,
he looked back at the footprints in the sand.
He noticed that many times along the path
of his life there was only one set of footprints.
He also noticed that it happened at the very
lowest and saddest times in his life.

This really bothered him and he questioned
the LORD about it. “LORD, You said that
once I decided to follow You, You’d walk with me
all the way. But I noticed that during the most
troublesome times in my life, there is only
one set of footprints. I don’t understand why
when I needed You most You would leave me.”

The LORD replied, “My precious, precious child,
I love you and I would never leave you.
During your times of trial and suffering,
when you see only one set of footprints,
it was then that I carried you.”

Forever In Our Hearts

In tears we saw you sinking,
and watched you pass away.
Our hearts were almost broken,
we wanted you to stay.
But when we saw you sleeping,
so peaceful, free from pain,
How could we wish you back with us,
to suffer that again.
It broke our hearts to lose you,
but you did not go alone,
For part of us went with you,
you are forever in our hearts.

He Is Gone

You can shed tears that he is gone,
Or you can smile because he has lived.

You can close your eyes and pray that he’ll come back,
Or you can open your eyes and see all he’s left.

Your heart can be empty because you can’t see him,
Or you can be full of the love you shared.

You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday,
Or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday.

You can remember him and only that he’s gone,
Or you can cherish his memory and let it live on.

You can cry and close your mind,
be empty and turn your back,
Or you can do what he’d want:
smile, open your eyes, love and go on.