Alternative Funeral Service - Yr Eglwys yng Nghymru

I. NOTES TO THE FUNERAL SERVICE
1. SENTENCES
Sentences of Scripture may be used at the entry, after the Introduction,
or at other suitable points.
2. RECEIVING THE COFFIN
The coffin may be received into the church at the beginning of the service, or earlier in the day,
or on the day before the funeral. The Paschal Candle may stand beside the coffin and may
be carried in front of the coffin when it is brought into the church. Where it is the practice, the
coffin may be sprinkled with water on entry. This may also occur at the Commendation or at
the Committal. A pall may be placed over the coffin in church by family, friends or other members
of the congregation. Appropriate symbols of the life and faith of the departed person
may be placed on or near the coffin before or at the start of the service or after the opening
prayer and hymn. Silence is kept. At the sprinkling, the placing of the pall or symbols, the
words in Section VII below may be used.
3. HYMNS, PSALMS AND READINGS
Points are suggested at which hymns may be sung, but they may be used at any suitable
place. A selection of hymns and anthems is provided in Section XIV below. Psalms and Readings
should normally be drawn from those set out in Part 1, or in Section XII below. A psalm
should normally be used. It may be in a metrical or hymn version, or be replaced by a scriptural
song. For Canticles see Section XIII below. There must always be one reading from the
Bible. Appropriate non- biblical texts may be read before the Tribute.
4. SERMON AND TRIBUTE
The primary purpose of a Sermon, which should always be given by an authorised minister,
is to proclaim the gospel in the context of the death of the deceased. A tribute, remembering
and honouring the life of the person who has died, and the evidence of God’s grace and work
in them, may be made and/or an appropriate non-biblical text may be read at some suitable
point at the discretion of the minister.
5. CREED
An authorized Creed or an authorized Affirmation of Faith may be said after
the Sermon.
Funeral Services
6. THE COMMITTAL
The Committal is used at the point at which it is needed, for example:
(a) at the burial of the body in a cemetery or churchyard;
(b) at the interment of cremated remains when this follows on the same day or the day
following cremation, in which case the prayer “if the Committal is to follow at the Burial of
the Cremated Remains” is used at the crematorium;
(c) at a crematorium when the interment of cremated remains is not to follow immediately ;
(d) at the interment of cremated remains when cremation has taken place without any formal
service ;
(e) when burial takes place at sea;
(f) when the body or the cremated remains are to be deposited in a vault, mausoleum or brick
grave, when these words may be used at the Committal: “We have entrusted our
brother/sister to God’s mercy, and we now commit his/her body to its resting place.”
Forms of Commendation and Committal are provided, but when occasion demands other
authorised forms may be used.
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