What to Expect at a Christian Funeral

Many funerals organized by funeral homes in Manhasset, NY, are Christian funerals. If you rarely attend church, you might be intimidated by the experience. Or maybe you want to familiarize yourself with the process.

Here is what to expect if you are attending one.

The Wake

Ideally, the wake happens a few days before the funeral. But in some cases, they happen on the same day and place, typically a church.

The casket will be open at the wake. Christian beliefs allow embalming. Therefore the body will be clean and dressed. Still, you might find it unsettling to view a dead body, especially if it is someone you knew.

You should attend anyway. You don’t have to approach the casket to say your goodbyes. You can spend time with fellow mourners instead.

The Funeral

The funeral typically lasts the longest over the day, usually lasting about an hour. It is held in a church or graveside at a church-affiliated cemetery. Sometimes, it happens inside the chapel of a funeral home.

It is a Christian funeral if a priest or minister leads it wherever it is held.

The funeral starts with mourners fully seated in the church or the burial site. Then pallbearers, consisting of family and close friends, carry the coffin into the church or gravesite.

When they finish, the service will start with a hymn. The organizers will print the lyrics on the program or find them in the hymnals at the back of church pews.

Next, a spouse, sibling, child, or someone close to the deceased will read a message of hope. It is usually a verse from the book of Psalms. Other times, it is a piece of secular writing. Whatever it is, the procedure is meant to give up to the survivors and honor the deceased.

After this, the minister may deliver the second message of hope. An exhortation. In the case of a Catholic Church, a mass. This may add up to 30 minutes to the service. However, not all Christian funerals include this part.

A quiet period of reflecting and remembering will follow. In some cases, the family might ask people to lay meaningful tokens like flowers or a poem on the coffin. There might be another hymn to encourage people back to their seats during this section.

Finally, the priest or minister says a prayer asking God to keep the deceased in his care. He will recite the iconic “ashes to ashes, dust to dust” passage. This will be the most emotional part of the funeral.

After that, the service ends. More music will play as you exit the church or graveyard.

Once the funeral is over, a reception where food and drinks are provided for the guests will follow. Attendees and mourners also give flowers and gifts they brought to the deceased’s family.

If you have additional questions, contact any of Manhasset, NY’s funeral homes like us, Roslyn Heights Funeral Home. We are available to make sure you have a good experience. Call us or visit our location to get the answers you need.