Torch, Winter 1981

I Mal<ing Your Funeral Christian ToRCH: Pastor Wheeler, thank you for this opportuni ty to question you about funeral arrangements. What advice do you give to people who d e sire to have a Christian funer– al? WHEELER: I like to share Biblical principles that can help guide a Christian's thinking about funer– als . Then the individuals can apply these principles to their own situation . TORCH: Fine , What are some of these principles? WHEELER : First of all , Scripture makes it clear that Christians are different (I Peter 2:9) . We should use every opportunity to express this uniqueness . Mar– riage, birth , and death provide such opportunities . Second , a Christian funeral ought to reflect glory to Christ. Philippians 1:20 states " ... so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life or by death ." Third , we must realize that the body has worth. We are created in the image of God (Gen .1:27). God in– dwells a Christian's body (I Cor. 6:19) . Christ's body was treated with dignity in burial; our bodies should be buried with like dignity. Third , we must keep the purpose of the body in perspective . It is a temporary vessel for the spirit and soul of a person while he is alive. Once dead, its pur– pose is fini shed until the Resurrection. The spirit and soul are in heaven . Thus, there is no need to glorify or preserve that dead body beyond what legal law may re– quire . For example , a blanket is not necessary to keep a body warm in winter, nor a copper vault to keep the body from turning to dust. Fifth , finances must be considered from God's perspective. Scripture teaches that our best investments will be in eternal things . To me , it seems foolish to in– vest an excessive amount of money in a funeral for a temporal body which has already fulfilled its earthly purpose . TORCH: Can you give us an exam– ple o f a funeral that you feel ex– presses Christian values? WHF;ELER: Let's say that a Christian dies and there is a surviving widow. I can picture the order of events as follows : - The pastor is notified and he comes to comfort and to offer counsel. - The funeral home is selected and the director is in– formed of the arrangements desired by the widow. - The family gathers and a burial service is held , thus removing the focus from the body to the per– son who is now with Christ. - Arrangements are made for visiting hours to be held at the church , at the home of the widow, or at the home of a close friend , reflecting a warm and personal atmosphere . The family requests that, instead of flowers, contributions be made to a Christian work, such as the local church and/or Cedarville College. - The memorial service is then held at the church with two goals in mind: 1. To comfort and encourage the family . 2. To exalt Christ through the testimony of the person who has died . There can be testimonies about the deceased person's life . These might be spoken by friends or even be actual tapes made by the de– ceased while he was alive . TORCH: Are there any last thoughts you might mention? WHEELER: Yes . First , I would advise that fu– neral preferences be written out and given to a family member, friend, or pastor. This takes the pressure of decision making from the survivors at a time when deci – sion making is at best very difficult. Second , remember that a funeral home not only provides a service; it is a profit making business . Rates , expertise , and flexibility will vary . Choose a funeral di– rector who is willing to carry out the unique and rea– sonable requests that a Christian should have . Your pastor will be able to suggest a director with a servant ' s heart .