{"id":2999,"date":"2012-08-14T07:04:51","date_gmt":"2012-08-14T11:04:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/simplelife\/?p=2999"},"modified":"2012-08-18T07:10:35","modified_gmt":"2012-08-18T11:10:35","slug":"how-to-write-a-funeral-sermon-or-eulogy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/simplelife\/2012\/08\/how-to-write-a-funeral-sermon-or-eulogy.html","title":{"rendered":"How to write a funeral sermon or eulogy"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>It is probably true that you will be asked to be a part of a memorial service or funeral at some time in your life.\u00a0 There are\u00a0specific things which I have observed from pastors who are successfully able to capture the essence of the person and still glorify Christ in a funeral sermon or eulogy.\u00a0 Here are some of those things which you may find helpful.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. \n
    First, find a hook.\u00a0 This is something about the person that seems to embody their personality or mission in life.\u00a0 It may be a phrase, a sentence or an observation.\u00a0 Most often this should come from the family.\u00a0 In trying to find a hook for one man that I had never met, every person I spoke to said, \u201cHe was a good man.\u201d\u00a0 I kept trying to find something else about this man until I realized:\u00a0 This was a truly good man and that was what family wanted to said about him.<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
  2. \n
    Interview as many members of the family as possible to be able to grasp what is meaningful to them.\u00a0 Ask probing questions.\u00a0\u00a0 What is the thing you remember most about Phil?\u00a0 What did he do during his free time?\u00a0 Tell me a little bit about his life.\u00a0 When did he become a Christian?<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
  3. \n
    Everyone has some humor in\u00a0his or her\u00a0life.\u00a0 Try to find it and use it.<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
  4. \n
    The deepest, most moving memories are best wrapped with a glimmer of humor, if possible.<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
  5. \n
    Don\u2019t be afraid to share deeply personal things that the family has given you permission to share.\u00a0 This is a time for them to hear their words echoing back to them in a positive message of hope.<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
  6. \n
    If the person is not a Christian, amplify some good traits.\u00a0 Then emphasis that if she could stand before you today, she would want each person present to know Christ.\u00a0 We know this is a true statement without saying things which are not true.\"\"<\/a><\/div>\n<\/li>\n
  7. \n
    Use a Thesaurus in finding different words to express what you want to say.\u00a0 Don\u2019t limit yourself or your imagination in your sentence structure or your vocabulary.<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
  8. Use Scriptures to say the things you desire to say about the resurrection.\u00a0 Then don\u2019t forget to speak about the\u00a0hope of the resurrection of Christ in each sermon or eulogy.\u00a0 That, after all, is why we have sermons at funerals.<\/li>\n
  9. Keep it short.\u00a0 Limit yourself to a maximum of 10 minutes of sermon.\u00a0 I also try to limit the Scripture readings to five to 10 minutes.\u00a0 Intersperse the Scriptures throughout the service.\u00a0 Find my favorite\u00a0Scriptures\u00a0here.\u00a0\u00a0<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Remember, above all, you are speaking the heart of the family and the heart of Christ.\u00a0 When the two are in harmony, it\u2019s a wonderful union.\u00a0 When they are divergent, God will help you to find ways to honor both.<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/a>God loves the broken hearted and desires to heal those who grieve.\u00a0 It is a wonderful opportunity to show the love of Christ to people who are wounded and hurting.<\/p>\n

    If you are sharing with a family of a mentally challenged person who has died, this is especially important to remember and acknowledge their grief.\u00a0 God wants to touch this family in a real way and you can be His instrument.<\/p>\n

    Here is a eulogy that hopefully will help you to see how these steps can be put together.<\/p>\n

    Eulogy<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

    Leslie Ann\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

    \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The Apostle Paul writes in the Holy Scriptures that the joy of the Lord is our strength.\u00a0\u00a0Proverbs reminds us that a merry heart is as good as any medicine.\u00a0\u00a0On December 19, 1972, God gave to us an ambassador of laugher and giggles when Leslie Ann\u00a0 was born to Priscilla.<\/p>\n

    Raised in a strong Catholic family, faith and commitment to the Lord were the backbone of her existence.\u00a0\u00a0As a natural outgrowth of that love for the Lord, her first communion was a joyous time shared with her mother, grandparents, her Uncle Jack, his two children and the community of believers.<\/p>\n

    Later, as Leslie matured into adulthood, reaching out became an anchor of her commitment to the Lord as she endeavored to share her faith.\u00a0\u00a0Each Christmas at Special Gathering, we collect gifts for the Haitian children.\u00a0\u00a0Leslie was the first one to bring her gifts.\u00a0\u00a0But she didn\u2019t stop there.\u00a0\u00a0Sunday after Sunday, she would bring toys and school supplies for the young children who have so little.<\/p>\n

    Of course, Leslie understood the value of money.\u00a0\u00a0The best presents she received were always money or gift cards.\u00a0\u00a0No birthday was complete without a card filled with big bucks. Yet, she never totally comprehended the complete concept.\u00a0\u00a0After obtaining her first job came the wondrous first paycheck.\u00a0\u00a0Excited by this new found wealth, Leslie wanted to put it in the bank as the first installment toward buying a new Corvette.\u00a0\u00a0Somehow the fact that it was only $4 escaped this young financier.<\/p>\n

    Leslie had a knack for remembering names and addresses.\u00a0She remembered the full name of everyone she met.\u00a0\u00a0But phone numbers were her specialty.\u00a0\u00a0She spent hours on the phone with her various boyfriends.\u00a0\u00a0Mark from New Jersey was her first real boyfriend.\u00a0\u00a0For more than ten years, they conversed every evening until it was time for them to go to bed.\u00a0\u00a0Last July, when Leslie and her mother went back to Jersey, Mark begged them to come back in the spring because he needed a date to the prom.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cYou know my girl\u2019s down there with you,\u201d Mark told Priscilla pensively.<\/p>\n

    Though she seldom complained, at times her disability would hinder her from doing the fun activities that the other family members enjoyed.\u00a0\u00a0One day, Elaine, her step-sister-in-law, could no longer take her mournful expression as the other young adults scooted around on jet skis.<\/p>\n

    \u201cI\u2019ll take you,\u201d Elaine volunteered.\u00a0\u00a0Leslie was in her mid-twenties but not too old to giggle.\u00a0\u00a0Unfortunately, in her enthusiasm, Leslie leaned too far and tipped over the jet ski.\u00a0\u00a0In an effort to save herself, Leslie quickly grasped the closest thing to her\u2013which was Elaine\u2019s throat.<\/p>\n

    Her mother was following her in a boat.\u00a0\u00a0She and the driver of the boat scooped Leslie up from the water within a few seconds.\u00a0\u00a0And Elaine is still thankful.<\/p>\n

    Leslie never liked being left behind.\u00a0\u00a0And she didn\u2019t like losing when she played games.\u00a0\u00a0After her great nephew, Colin, was born, she would spend hours coloring and playing games with him.\u00a0\u00a0He was her little buddy.\u00a0\u00a0But her competitive nature didn\u2019t die easily and she didn\u2019t enjoy losing, even to him.<\/p>\n

    Vincent, Colin\u2019s dad and her cousin, was two years younger than she.\u00a0\u00a0He, naturally, was her big buddy.\u00a0\u00a0As children the cousins etched together a life-long bond.\u00a0\u00a0They spent hours building towers with blocks.\u00a0\u00a0After the construction was felled, they would head for the hallway and a ball game.\u00a0\u00a0For Leslie, the fun with Vincent was never in the game or the competition but in the giggling.<\/p>\n

    About ten years ago, after moving from Jersey, Leslie began attending Special Gathering.\u00a0\u00a0Later, she joined the choir.\u00a0Her commitment to the choir was remarkable and we came to lean heavily on her strong\u2013though never pitch-perfect\u2013voice.<\/p>\n

    Every Saturday evening, she\u2019d ask her mom, \u201cDo I need to wear my choir uniform to Special Gathering?\u201d\u00a0\u00a0Her mom would explain that the choir wasn\u2019t singing at another church, only practicing.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cAre you sure?\u201d\u00a0\u00a0Leslie would enquire suspiciously.<\/p>\n

    One of Leslie\u2019s favorite songs was a selection from our choir.\u00a0\u00a0Often before practice, we would sing it as our prayer.<\/p>\n

    Change<\/strong>\u00a0my heart, Oh, God.<\/p>\n

    Make it ever true<\/p>\n

    Change my heart, Oh, God,<\/p>\n

    May I be like you.<\/p>\n

    \u00a0You are<\/strong>\u00a0the potter, I am the clay<\/p>\n

    Mold me and make me.<\/p>\n

    This is what I pray.<\/p>\n

    Change<\/strong>\u00a0my heart, Oh, God.<\/p>\n

    Make it ever true.<\/p>\n

    Change my heart, Oh, God.<\/p>\n

    May I be like you<\/p>\n

    As Leslie slipped into eternity last Saturday, I believe she met the Lord giggling.\u00a0\u00a0You see, her disability and pains are gone.\u00a0\u00a0She isn\u2018t hurting or afraid anymore.\u00a0\u00a0(show the crystal bowl and the paper cup)<\/p>\n

    On the Friday evening that Leslie was admitted to the hospital, she was in agonizing pain.\u00a0\u00a0Her stomach had ripped and her lungs were full of pneumonia.\u00a0\u00a0She would code three times before they could get her into surgery.\u00a0\u00a0Fighting frantically to save her life, the technician began taking X-rays.\u00a0\u00a0Explaining to her what they were doing, the tech said, \u201cWe are going to hold up this piece of metal and take your picture.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Leslie weakly nodded her understanding.\u00a0\u00a0As the technician put up the metal sheet to her chest, ready to click the X-ray, Leslie said, \u201cCheese\u201d and grinned for the picture.\u00a0\u00a0With each X-ray she said, \u201cCheese\u201d and smiled.\u00a0\u00a0As we remember Christ\u2019s ambassador of giggles, we cannot weep for her, though we will often shed tears for ourselves.\u00a0\u00a0She would demand that we gratefully grin and say, \u201cCheese.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    It is probably true that you will be asked to be a part of a memorial service or funeral at some time in your life.\u00a0 There are\u00a0specific things which I have observed from pastors who are successfully able to capture the essence of the person and still glorify Christ in a funeral sermon or eulogy.\u00a0…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":387,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,20,3,182,40,186,49,11,8,396,398,4,243,470,469],"tags":[690,21,688,696,14,7,699,473,715,472,471,701,694,689,6,700],"class_list":["post-2999","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-christianity","category-church","category-developmental-disabilities","category-disability","category-faith","category-hope","category-inspiration","category-intellectually-disabled","category-mentally-challenged-community","category-sermon","category-sermons","category-simple-truths","category-writing","category-writing-a-eulogy","category-writing-a-funeral-sermon","tag-autism-spectrum","tag-christian","tag-christianity","tag-church","tag-death-and-dying","tag-developmental-disabilities-2","tag-faith","tag-funeral","tag-hope","tag-how-to-write-a-eulogy","tag-how-to-write-a-funeral-sermon","tag-inspiration","tag-intellectual-disability","tag-mentally-challenged-community","tag-simple-scriptural-truths","tag-spirituality"],"yoast_head":"\nHow to write a funeral sermon or eulogy - A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/simplelife\/2012\/08\/how-to-write-a-funeral-sermon-or-eulogy.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to write a funeral sermon or eulogy - A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"It is probably true that you will be asked to be a part of a memorial service or funeral at some time in your life.\u00a0 There are\u00a0specific things which I have observed from pastors who are successfully able to capture the essence of the person and still glorify Christ in a funeral sermon or eulogy.\u00a0…\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/simplelife\/2012\/08\/how-to-write-a-funeral-sermon-or-eulogy.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2012-08-14T11:04:51+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2012-08-18T11:10:35+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/specialgathering.files.wordpress.com\/2012\/08\/flowers.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Linda G. 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