Following a friend’s death, funeral and cremation his widow arranged to have her late husband’s ashes scattered in the grounds of the crematorium and we were privileged to be asked to go along.
She asked her Church Minister if he could be there and say a few words and initially, he was uncertain as he had to re-arrange some other commitments. She therefore asked me if I would say something in the event of the minister not being able to. I agreed and spent some time thinking and praying about it and what I may say.
Thankfully the minster was able to be there and all were thankful for that. After he spoke and prayed we were invited to share in the spreading of the ashes. The first person made a cross (I am not sure if this is normal) and others then went over in turn. It was good to be there and share.
I was pleased that as the minister was there, I did not get to share my thoughts but did give a copy of them to the widow. I quote them below for any who may be interested.
Some words from Paul’s 1st Letter to the Corinthians Chapter 15
50 I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed – 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory.
55 ‘Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?’
56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain.
Prayer
“Father, even as your Son committed his spirit into your hands at the hour of his death, even so we commit these remains to your care. Your word promises that if we are, by faith, united to Christ in his death, we are also united to him in his resurrection. So we say goodbye to (insert name), and scatter his ashes into your keeping. One day, at the last trumpet, we shall see him again; sown in corruption, raised in incorruption; sown in weakness, raised in power; no longer bearing the perishable image of the man of dust, but changed and bearing the imperishable image of the man of heaven. Amen.”
Lord grant to (Insert name), and each of us, your peace and may the Grace of our Lord Jesus Chrit, The love of God the Father and the comfort of the Holy Spirit be with each of us today and for ever more.
Amen
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