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Appendix B—Sample Memorial Services 113

Committal Service 1
This can be used for the graveside service of a committed Christian.

1. Read John 14:1–4.
2. Summarize thoughts from funeral message.

3. Committal statement:
(Deceased’s name) is not here. (Deceased’s name) stands in the presence of the Lord, who said to one dying
on a cross, “Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.”
What lies before us is but the earthly tabernacle, the house in which he (or she) lived among us for a time.
Tenderly and reverently we commit that house to the grave. The body returns to the earth from which it came;
earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust. The spirit returns to God who gave it, awaiting the day when both
spirit and body shall again be united at the coming of the Lord. “For the Lord himself will come down from
heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead
in Christ will rise first” (1 Thessalonians 4:16). “For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and
the mortal with immortality . . . . Then the saying that is written will come true: ‘Death has been swallowed up
in victory’” (1 Corinthians 15:53–54).
4. Prayer

5. Benediction
May God bless you and give you peace. May you serve after the example of our friend until the day God calls
you home.

Committal Service 2
This can be used for the funeral of a non-Christian.

1. Read Psalm 90:2.
2. Summarize thoughts from funeral message.
3. Committal statement:
We come here today to again make this ground a sacred place for this family. Today, we lay to rest the body
of (deceased’s name). His life seems far too brief for us to understand. Nevertheless, we commit his body to
this ground.
In a very real sense, (deceased’s name) is not here. What lies before us is but the earthly tabernacle, the
house in which he (or she) lived among us for a time. Tenderly and reverently we commit that house to the
grave. The body returns to the earth from which it came; earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust. The spirit
returns to God who gave it, awaiting the eternity that God has placed before us.
This is a special place. The stones and monuments around us speak of the affection of surviving friends and
relatives. This is a place of rest, suggested by the quietness of this place. Life beyond the grave is suggested by the
beauty that springs forth each year in flowers, grasses, and trees. (Deceased’s name)’s future is in God’s care today.
4. Prayer

5. Benediction
As we go from this place today, let us not forget that a day such as this comes to all of us. Therefore, let us
live well and hold the memories of this loved one close to our hearts.