Today I've received (very partial!) details of a request to conduct a 'graveside only' funeral next week.  I have agreed to take this on, largely because there is a major shortage of ministers in our area at the moment, and assuming that I can find a suitable liturgy from somewhere.  As yet I do not know the age, circumstances or background of the deceased, but know that in this area such requests often come where there are few or no mourners, little overt faith connection and cremation is not desired.

So, a trawl through the obvious published candidates - including the green (current) edition of Funeral Services - which has turned up absolutely nothing for this precise circumstance.  A web trawl found no liturgies, only a few examples of mass services (as in large numbers of burials at once, not RC communion services).  Does anyone have any ideas?

My current plan is to do a fairly standard funeral but with no hymns (I'm not about to sing solo in the rain on a hillside!) and no address, though allowing a few moments for silent reflection/recollection.  In other words something along the lines of:

Welcome

Scripture sentences

Gathering Prayer

Reading

Silent reflection

Prayers of thanksgiving & commendation

Committal

Blessing

If there are family members, I will meet them to see if they want anything special to occur and/or any poems etc read, but I can't see it being a long drawn out affair.

But if anyone out there has done this kind of service and has some ideas or liturgies I can use, please let me know.

Thank you.

... called Dibley BC.

So, yesterday's church meeting looked at upcoming services/events and a change to service times beginning in January. For a church that, five years ago, expected 10:30 to 11:30 morning and 6 - 7 evening exactly with no loitering and no variation to routine we must have undergone something of a Copernican revolution to where we are now!

Here's the autumn programme....

7 Sept - joint service at D+1

14 Sept - cluster service and tea at D+2

21 Sept - own service, probably at Dibley Meths as school not available

28 Sept - B2C service at school, with tea

5 Oct - Harvest service, collection of non-perishables for homeless and women's refuge

12 Oct - Songs of praise in sheltered housing complex and tea

19 Oct - One World Week at D-2 Anglicans (on the basis south needs to be minus if north is plus!)

26 Oct - Baptismal service and tea at D+2

2 Nov - joint service at D+1

9 Nov - Remembrance service at school

After that it settles down for a few weeks!!

From January we begin a trial of a new approach where we'll meet at 10a.m. on Sundays 1 and 2 and 3 p.m. on Sundays 3 and 4.  This is an attempt to balance the needs of the more  frail, elderly folk (for whom afternoons are better) with those of the middle-aged folk for whom Sunday is their day for family.  We'll see how it goes!  Oh, Sunday 5, when it occurs will be 10 a.m. though in a flippant moment we did wonder if we could all take the day off...!

So every Sunday, we're on our way, for we're a wandering, flexible church here at DBC!