Generic Sea Burial

Introduction

Friends, 朋友们我们在诗篇55:22 读到

Cast your burden on the LORD, and God will sustain you. (, ALT.)

“把你的重(zhong)担(dan)卸(xie)给耶和华, 他必抚(fǔ)养(yǎng)你“

Pastoral Prayer

Let us pray.

Jesus our Friend, you wept at the grave of Lazarus, you know all our sorrows.

Behold our tears and bind up the wounds of our hearts.

Through the mystery of pain, bring us into closer communion with you and with one another. Raise us from death into life.

And grant, in your mercy, that with Mr Hu, who has passed within the veil,

we may come to live, with you and with all whom we love,

in our Father’s home. Amen.

Let us now sing Hymn 1, Amazing Grace, we will sing stanzas 1, 2 and 3

1. Amazing Grace

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound

That saved a wretch like me!

I once was lost, but now am found;

Was blind, but now I see.

‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,

And grace my fears relieved;

How precious did that grace appear

The hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares

I have already come;

‘Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,

And grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me,

His Word my hope secures;

He will my shield and portion be,

As long as life endures.

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,

And mortal life shall cease,

I shall possess, within the veil,

A life of joy and peace.

When we’ve been there ten thousand years,

Bright shining as the sun,

We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise

Than when we’d first begun.

Scriptural Reading

Friends, let us now listen to the word of the Lord, from ;

21:1 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” m for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.

2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.

3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.

4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ u or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

6 He said to me: “It is done”[1]

The Commendation

Almighty God, into your hands we commend your son Mr Hu Ming Kieu 许明侨,

in sure and certain hope of resurrection to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

This body we commit to the ground, earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust.

Before he/she was ours, he/she is yours.

Benediction

So now, as we offer Mr Hu back into your arms, comfort us in our loneliness,

strengthen us in our weakness, and give us courage to face the future unafraid.

Draw those of us who remain in this life closer to one another, make us faithful to serve one another, and give us to know that peace and joy which is eternal life; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Now to the One who is able to keep you from falling,

and to make you stand without blemish in the presence of God’s glory with rejoicing,

to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord,

be glory, majesty, power, and authority, now and forever. Amen.

[1] The New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), .