MINISTER: “On behalf of _____’s family and friends, I welcome you to this Celebration of Life Service. Today, we come together to celebrate and honor our brother/sister, _____.”
“This is a time designed to release our loved one into the care and keeping of God. Yet, it is a time of affirming life, life abundant and everlasting. As spiritual beings, we are all on an eternal journey whose purpose is to express that inner spirit of love, truth and eternal life that is our divine birthright. _______ lived a loving, beautiful and fulfilling life, one of _____ years. So today we honor a life well-lived, but more importantly, we celebrate, support and love him/her into a new and fresh dimension of life, a life after life, a closer walk with God.”
“For a moment, let us remember all the beautiful ways in which ______ has touched our very souls. Gently call to mind his/her love, his/her gentleness, his/her quick wit and his/her laughter. Remember the sweetness of his/her Spirit that he/she gave each and every day. And now knowing the Divine Law, ‘as you give you truly receive;’ we give that love back to _____ as we support him/her in his/her new realm of life, free and eternal.”
“Friends, we have a sacred and heart felt purpose in gathering here today. That purpose is to reaffirm our faith in life eternal as we bless ______ on his/her way into the next experience of living.”
“From this time forward, let us think of him/her as no longer limited by time or form, always think of him/her as a living soul, continuing on the way of life, ever in the wise and loving care of our Father-Mother God.”
“Let us turn to this source of our comfort, God, who is both father and mother to us all. Please join me in prayer.”
“Almighty God, we acknowledge your presence with us and your Spirit in us now, blessing us with your love and strength as we bid goodbye to the physical presence of one whom is dearly loved. It is through experiencing our oneness with you that we recognize our oneness in eternal life, and know that in Spirit there can be no separation from those we love. And in this truth we find comfort. It is in this faith that we pray. Amen.”
Song
MINISTER: “One of the greatest challenges that all of us meet is the challenge of change. Surely one of the greatest challenges, and indeed the most mysterious of all challenges, is the one that we call death. Let us approach this time of readjustment by turning to the Infinite within ourselves. We now give _____ the strength of our own increased understanding as we bless him/her in his/her ongoing journey of life.”
“The 23rd Psalm: ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul. He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies. Thou annointest my head with oil. My cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Amen.'”
“Let us take a moment to close our eyes and silently release a real blessing of prayer that will follow ____ on his/her great ongoing. If there is anything unsaid, unspoken, please do it now in this time of silence.”
Moment of Silence
“From John Chapter 14 verses 1-6, we recall one of scripture’s most beautiful and comforting promises: ‘Let not your heart be troubled; Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I come again, and will receive you unto myself: that where I am, there you may be also. I am the way, and the truth and the life. No one cometh unto the Father, but by me.'”
“For _____ passing through death, it is really a birth into a new and better world. Life is changed, not taken away. _____ lives on in a world beautiful beyond anything we can imagine. With God, he/she awaits the day when they will welcome us with joy.”
“In this gathering of loved ones and friends, we are particularly aware of the love and friendship of this one we have known, and we are saddened in the thought that something precious has gone out of our lives. But we know that it is not the outer face or form that draws a host of friends. Rather, it is the inner qualities, which come from the heart of God and find expression in those with whom we share rich experiences. And it is in the experiences of the inner qualities of God: strength, faith, hope, joy and love which insure the eternity of life.”
Minister shares personal reflections of the deceased
“In the passing of a dear one, it is natural for the human heart to grieve over the absence of the physical presence of a loved one. But in the light of Truth, we know that it is not one’s body, or physical presence, which attracted our love. Rather, it was the qualities such as the loving heart, the responsive mind, and the caring soul housed within the body that drew forth our love.”
“In our humanness we experience grief and sorrow. However, there is comfort to be found knowing _____ continues to live as love in the heart of each one of us. One tribute we can pay to him/her is to think of the ideals which _____ lived, and how, because of his/her living those ideals, our lives have been transformed and enriched.”
“I share with you the words I hear you say, ‘Yes, but I am left. What about me?’ The sorrow of death should turn into joy, not because you have lost someone but because you have had someone. Every joy, problem, and experience – even the tears you have shared – are your treasures. Imagine what life would have been like without them. Let your sorrow turn into joy.”
“Indeed, _____ left this world a better place. To ____, we say, ‘God bless you and Godspeed on your way.’ We love you, we bless you, and we thank you for being a part of each of our lives.”
“As the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ abides with us all, we remember that we are always one in Spirit and one in the Lord. We loosen you and let you go on to new experiences in expression. We behold you as God sees you: a radiant, ever-living, ever-loving child of the Most High, and we release you to your highest good.”
A poem or inspirational passage can be read here
(Closing Prayer)
MINISTER: “Dear God, we know that in Your great love, You are guiding Your beloved children along the path of spiritual unfoldment. Through Your infinite love and care we release the Spirit of Your loved one, ____, and place all who were near to him/her lovingly in Your hands, knowing that Your peace which passes all understanding will fill their hearts and minds, now and forever.” “As we turn to face the work that lies before us, we keep in mind the beautiful scripture reading of Paul. ‘Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.’ Philippians 4:8.” “As we focus on the purity of this world, our life, we know that all the love that we had expected to shower on ____ will now be shared with each other, making us richer and better able to fulfill our part in the challenge of living. We thank You, God, for Your love and ever present Light on our path. We lift our eyes to the sunrise of a new day and to a new life.” “Our prayer for you, ____ is that wherever you are, ‘The light of God surrounds you, the love of God enfolds you, the power of God protects you and the presence of God watches over you.’ Amen.”
“In this loving presence we conclude this Celebration of Life Service. We love and bless each and everyone here today. God Bless You.”
Ceremony written by Unity Worldwide Ministries