Reformed Presbyterian Minutes of Synod 1995 - Rparchives.org

REFORMED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 1875.8 Prayer and pronouncement as man and wife. A prayer shall beoffered for the blessing of God upon the bride and groom and the ministershall, before the congregation, pronounce them to be husband and wife,according to God's ordinance:"By virtue of the authority vesting in me as a minister of theGospel, and in accordance with the laws of God and thiscommonwealth, I now pronounce you husband and wife.The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His faceshine upon you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up Hiscountenance upon you, and give you peace."Chapter 6The Burial of the Dead1. Christian burial should be simple and without any unnecessaryceremony or display. The funeral may be held in the home, in a funeralestablishment or in the church building, and be private or more or lesspublic, as the family may desire. The officiating minister should seek to makethe funeral an occasion of praise to God, of comfort to the bereaved, and ofchallenge to the unbelieving. It is the responsibility of the minister todetermine the form and content of the service, according to the Word ofGod and the order of the church. The funeral should not be held on theLord's Day, except in cases of extreme necessity.2. Christian burial must be kept distinctly separate from all non-Christianrites. Accordingly, there should be no compromise with secret orders, suchas the Freemasons, or other non-Christian organizations.3. The funeral of a Christian is both the occasion of mourning the loss ofa loved one and the affirmation of the hope of eternal life through JesusChrist for all who believe in Him. The Scriptures are to have a prominentplace. The singing of suitable Psalms is most appropriate. Prayers should beweighty and winsome, commending the bereaved to the consolation of theGospel and the God of all comfort. The address should be timely and exaltChrist and His salvation as the basis of comfort to the bereaved and counselto the living, and be without undue praise of the dead.4. The minister will consult the family of the deceased regardingappropriate Scripture readings, Psalms and the involvement of otherministers. The final decision shall be at the discretion of the officiatingminister(s). We suggest the following general pattern.4.1 Introduction. The minister shall say:"We are gathered together in the presence of God toremember His sovereignty in death as in life and to seek His