Please help with funeral

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My husband’s grandmother died yesterday after a long and painful battle with cancer. My husband will not be able to attend the funeral as he is Afgahnistan. His mother and aunt asked me to speak at the funeral. I would greatly appreciate your help with a few things.

Please share your favorite Scripture passages. I would like to be able to read something.

Would it be inappropriate to read a passage from “The Last Battle?” I am thinking of the last paragraph describing heaven.

This will be a Methodist service. DD and I have discussed how happy Grandma is right now and how she is praying for all of us. Can I say this?

Thank you so much for your assistance.
 
Ecclesiastes 3:1-11 “…A time to be born, a time to die…”

1 Corinthians 2:6-10 …Eye has not seen, ear…heard…what God has prepared…"

John 14:1-6 “There are many rooms in my Father’s house.”

2 Maccabees 12:43-46

Job 19:1, 23-27a

*Wisdoms 4:7-15

*Isaiah 25:6a, 7-9

*Lamentations 3:17-26

Daniel 12:1-3

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
 
stadre said:
DD and I have discussed how happy Grandma is right now and how she is praying for all of us. Can I say this?

Thank you so much for your assistance.
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Should be careful with that around Methodists. A funeral isnt the time to show off your Catholic faith to people who may get offended.
 
Maggies list is great, however, Protestants don’t have Maccabees in their Bible.

Also, it is possible grandma is in purgatory and needs your prayers. However, as purgatory is not in Protestant theology (hence the missing Maccabees) I don’t know if you could suggest it in a delicate way or not. (Something like “We commend our dear grandma to the mercy of Almighty God.”).

Was grandma a Catholic? If so, I think it would be perfectly appropriate to mention she would appriciate prayers for her after death as a part of her Catholic belief. If not, then don’t make a big deal publicly about it.
 
Ecclesiasticus 38:19-23
  1. For of sadness cometh death, and it overwhelmeth the strength, and the sorrow of the heart boweth down the neck.
  2. In withdrawing aside sorrow remaineth: and the substance of the poor is according to his heart.
  3. Give not up thy heart to sadness, but drive it from thee: and remember the latter end.
  4. Forget it not: for there is no returning, and thou shalt do him no good, and shalt hurt thyself.
  5. Remember my judgment: for thine also shall be so: yesterday for me, and to day for thee.
-ALSO, PSALM 23 (THE LORD IS MY SHEPHARD…)

.
 
Thank you for your responses.

Monicad, I am ashamed to admit that I had not opened this up to the Holy Spirit in the first place. Thank you for the important reminder.

Maggieodae, I will be meditating on these. Thank you for the beautiful passages.

Since she was not Catholic and was not even practicing her Methodist faith that I was ever aware of, I know that I cannot mention purgatory. Of course, we never know what happens to those who go before us. I really don’t want to offend anyone there, which is the reason I was wondering if I can mention it briefly. It would be in the same context that I have discuss with my 8YO. I picture her perfectly happy and praying for all of us. I don’t know exact wording. If it is not appropriate at all, I, of course, won’t say it.
 
Siena said:
Ecclesiasticus 38:19-23
  1. For of sadness cometh death, and it overwhelmeth the strength, and the sorrow of the heart boweth down the neck.
  2. In withdrawing aside sorrow remaineth: and the substance of the poor is according to his heart.
  3. Give not up thy heart to sadness, but drive it from thee: and remember the latter end.
  4. Forget it not: for there is no returning, and thou shalt do him no good, and shalt hurt thyself.
  5. Remember my judgment: for thine also shall be so: yesterday for me, and to day for thee.
-ALSO, PSALM 23 (THE LORD IS MY SHEPHARD…)

.
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These are added to my list! Thanks a lot.

What about that Narnia thing?
 
stadre said:
Since she was not Catholic and was not even practicing her Methodist faith that I was ever aware of, I know that I cannot mention purgatory. Of course, we never know what happens to those who go before us. I really don’t want to offend anyone there, which is the reason I was wondering if I can mention it briefly. It would be in the same context that I have discuss with my 8YO. I picture her perfectly happy and praying for all of us. I don’t know exact wording. If it is not appropriate at all, I, of course, won’t say it.
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You cannot know for certain, right now, what her fate is. But you can be sure that there are only three possibilities. Those three possibilities don’t suddenly change or go away the moment you walk into a Methodist church. You may “picture her perfectly happy and praying for all of us,” but that doesn’t necessarily mean that she is. Maybe she is, and maybe she’s getting ready to enter heaven. The whole point of a funeral is to pray for the departed, in case they need our prayers, because you simply don’t know.

But why you “cannot mention Purgatory” is unclear. Methodists may not believe it, but that doesn’t make it true.

Or perhaps this is all about feelings, and not truth.
 
Don,
I commend your adherence to the truth, but I think a certain amount of tact goes a lot farther advancing it than shoving those beliefs down someone’s throat, especially during their time of grief.
 
vluvski said:
Don,
I commend your adherence to the truth, but I think a certain amount of tact goes a lot farther advancing it than shoving those beliefs down someone’s throat, especially during their time of grief.
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Thank you for this. I am simply trying to walk that line. I appreciate all the help I have been getting here.
 
Having been a funeral director, I always hated it when people would just ramble on and on about the deceased. Yes, you hit the highlights, but the best eulogies (protestant) will take some of the virtues that he/she had and use them to illustrate the work of the Holy Sprit in their lives, combined with a liberal splashing of Corinthians, and a dash of Romans, makes for a good opportunity for conversion. A little gospel never hurts either. 🙂
 
stadre said:
My husband’s grandmother died yesterday after a long and painful battle with cancer. My husband will not be able to attend the funeral as he is Afgahnistan. His mother and aunt asked me to speak at the funeral. I would greatly appreciate your help with a few things.

Please share your favorite Scripture passages. I would like to be able to read something.

Would it be inappropriate to read a passage from “The Last Battle?” I am thinking of the last paragraph describing heaven.

This will be a Methodist service. DD and I have discussed how happy Grandma is right now and how she is praying for all of us. Can I say this?

Thank you so much for your assistance.
Click to expand...
Why not say just what you have said? I am a Methodist, & there is absolutely no problem with saying that your grandmother is praying.
I certainly would think that it is OK to use the CS Lewis quote, too; all the Methodists I know, are very fond of Lewis, & I think it would be very appropriate to use something from him.

I am so sorry for your loss, & my prayers are with all of you at this time. God bless.
 
maggieodae said:
Ecclesiastes 3:1-11 “…A time to be born, a time to die…”

1 Corinthians 2:6-10 …Eye has not seen, ear…heard…what God has prepared…"

John 14:1-6 “There are many rooms in my Father’s house.”

2 Maccabees 12:43-46

Job 19:1, 23-27a

*Wisdoms 4:7-15

*Isaiah 25:6a, 7-9

*Lamentations 3:17-26

Daniel 12:1-3

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
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I would leave out Maccabees and Wisdom since Protestants don’t have those books in their Old Testament
 
Veritas41 said:
I would leave out Maccabees and Wisdom since Protestants don’t have those books in their Old Testament
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True…but they are usuful to read and maybe she can find some inspiration for the Eulogy .
 
I have always like Jesus’ quote from John 14:28…

If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father; for the Father is greater than I.
 
When my grandmother died I remember asking God for some sort of comfort when in my prayers before I did my Bible reading. The Bible reading that night turned out to be John 14:1-6. I always remember it now whenever I think of anyone dying. I strongly second those verses.
 
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