Recent trends in end of life “celebrations” are a clear indication that the traditional funeral is itself, dead.

A comprehensive report from the Theos Think Tank in London details these trends away from religious rites and toward more informal gatherings tailored to the unique personality of the deceased.

What the report reveals is what it doesn’t say explicitly: we are masking the horrific nature of death (and its cause – SIN) with irreverence and humor rather than confronting the reality of what death is, how it has separated us, and where the hope lies.

LINKS:

Theos Think Tank: Ashes to Ashes: Beliefs, Trends, and Practices in Dying, Death, and the Afterlife

Pastor Paul Edwards: Pastoral Thoughts on the Funeral and the Treatment of the Body After Death

April 6, 1981: Memorial Service for Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Rev. Paul Scalia: Funeral Homily for The Honorable Antonin Scalia