Changing Lives Through Preaching and Worship

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How we bury the dead goes a long way in determining our acceptance in a community and the depth of our spiritual impact on a congregation.
—Calvin Ratz

I love funerals. Not that I enjoy death, it's just that I agree with Solomon, who said, "It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting" (Eccles. 7:2 niv). After talking and praying with the bereaved, I go home feeling I've made a difference; I've touched people at the point of their deepest need.

Burying the dead is part of pastoral turf. How we handle it goes a long way in determining our acceptance in a community and the depth of our spiritual impact on a congregation. Any strengths I muster can lose their power if I can't help people who are bereaved.

A well-handled funeral can be the best opportunity for genuine public relations a church and its pastor can have. It doesn't lead to instant church growth, but it breaks down barriers and builds an attitude of respect and appreciation. It's a positive point of contact with people who have drifted away from the church.

Whenever I've gone to a new congregation, I realize my first funeral is a chance to let the people see a side of me not obvious from the pulpit. Parishioners are initially skeptical about a new leader. They're wondering what the new pastor will be like and how much they can trust him or her. When they see me conduct a funeral service, people notice whether I care about them as individuals, even in their darkest moments.

I was surprised to find that nowhere in the Bible does it tell pastors to bury the dead. Yet when I was ordained to the Christian ministry, part of the charge given was to "bury the dead." The church and its leaders have quite properly accepted this responsibility ...

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