"When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced.
Live your life so that when you die,
the world cries and you rejoice."
-- White Elk
A Native American Inspired Funeral Rite
Funeral Service
The service will begin with the Warrior's Mourning Song. The minister will light the sage and smudge the chapel's four directions during the music.
Minister:
Smudging, while often used by Native Americans, is not a religious but a spiritual act, an act of clearing the soul of pain, grief, anger, frustration, and sadness. If there is anyone here who feels the need to be smudged and cleansed before the beginning of this service, please come forward now.
After the smudging, a poem will be read to reflect the deceased's life and journey.
Why smile in such sadness?
It's because of the memories
of laughter shared in the past.
The humor of life, the fun and the joy,
The reminiscences certain to last.
Why relief in such sadness?
It's because there is a peace
With no more chance of pain
No one can hurt, nor take away
There will never be fear again.
- Gloria Matthew
Minister:
I'd like to welcome each of you to this celebration of the life of S.J.. S. left strict instructions that his friends and family were to celebrate, not mourn, and that he wanted each of you to remember the good times. His life was a strong one, comprising 11 years with cancer, 21 years as a parent, 31 years as a husband, and 35 years as the best friend of his wife. He navigated life on his own terms, and walked head high into death in the same way.
Wherever he went, he enriched the lives of those around him. He was spiritual, private, and loved the deep woods. He had a connection with animals and the wind, with the Universe itself.
Rather than have a single person speak about the life and journey of S., we would like to have you, his friends and family who knew him best, to speak briefly about the happy moments, the memories that bring you joy and contentment. I invite you then, to come forward and share together in this celebration of S.'s life and times.
S.'s best friend will come up and speak, and then invite others to share their favorite stories.
Minister:
You all have shared a very intimate part of yourselves today. You've shared your happy memories, spreading the joy. There will be grief, and it should be said that it's alright to be sad. But S. wanted the memories to be light and lively and full of motorcycles and dogs and beer and laughter as much as possible.
I would like to close with a poem, something which it seems to me that S. might say to each of you, in thanks for your loving and sharing tonight. This poem, Deep Peace, is written by Shaina Noll.
Deep peace of the running wave to you
Deep peace of the flowing air to you
Deep peace of the shining stars to you
Deep peace of the gentle night to you
Moon and stars pour their healing light on you
Deep peace to you.
-- Shaina Noll
Please settle for a quiet moment, as we share a final piece of music dedicated to S.J.'s life, Soul Spirit Song, a Native American healing song.
Minister:
T. S. Eliot was a wise man. He wrote:
What we call a beginning is often the end
and to make an end is to make a beginning.
The end is where we start from.
We shall not cease from exploration
and the end of all our exploring
will be to arrive where we started
and know the place for the first time.
Goodbye, S., and thank you for enriching and empowering all of these lives!
The service will begin with the Warrior's Mourning Song. The minister will light the sage and smudge the chapel's four directions during the music.
Minister:
Smudging, while often used by Native Americans, is not a religious but a spiritual act, an act of clearing the soul of pain, grief, anger, frustration, and sadness. If there is anyone here who feels the need to be smudged and cleansed before the beginning of this service, please come forward now.
After the smudging, a poem will be read to reflect the deceased's life and journey.
Why smile in such sadness?
It's because of the memories
of laughter shared in the past.
The humor of life, the fun and the joy,
The reminiscences certain to last.
Why relief in such sadness?
It's because there is a peace
With no more chance of pain
No one can hurt, nor take away
There will never be fear again.
- Gloria Matthew
Minister:
I'd like to welcome each of you to this celebration of the life of S.J.. S. left strict instructions that his friends and family were to celebrate, not mourn, and that he wanted each of you to remember the good times. His life was a strong one, comprising 11 years with cancer, 21 years as a parent, 31 years as a husband, and 35 years as the best friend of his wife. He navigated life on his own terms, and walked head high into death in the same way.
Wherever he went, he enriched the lives of those around him. He was spiritual, private, and loved the deep woods. He had a connection with animals and the wind, with the Universe itself.
Rather than have a single person speak about the life and journey of S., we would like to have you, his friends and family who knew him best, to speak briefly about the happy moments, the memories that bring you joy and contentment. I invite you then, to come forward and share together in this celebration of S.'s life and times.
S.'s best friend will come up and speak, and then invite others to share their favorite stories.
Minister:
You all have shared a very intimate part of yourselves today. You've shared your happy memories, spreading the joy. There will be grief, and it should be said that it's alright to be sad. But S. wanted the memories to be light and lively and full of motorcycles and dogs and beer and laughter as much as possible.
I would like to close with a poem, something which it seems to me that S. might say to each of you, in thanks for your loving and sharing tonight. This poem, Deep Peace, is written by Shaina Noll.
Deep peace of the running wave to you
Deep peace of the flowing air to you
Deep peace of the shining stars to you
Deep peace of the gentle night to you
Moon and stars pour their healing light on you
Deep peace to you.
-- Shaina Noll
Please settle for a quiet moment, as we share a final piece of music dedicated to S.J.'s life, Soul Spirit Song, a Native American healing song.
Minister:
T. S. Eliot was a wise man. He wrote:
What we call a beginning is often the end
and to make an end is to make a beginning.
The end is where we start from.
We shall not cease from exploration
and the end of all our exploring
will be to arrive where we started
and know the place for the first time.
Goodbye, S., and thank you for enriching and empowering all of these lives!
