The Committal — Stage 5

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At a glance

Brief, dignified, plain: we commit the body in the hope of the resurrection, not in display.
Stand at the head of the deceased, facing the family. Do not walk on the other graves.
Keep it short— above all in bad weather. Music lengthens it; use it sparingly.
A form of committal: for a believer, or where the faith is unknown (below).
Stay until the last of those present have left.

Train — what you must know

The committal is not a final farewell: it is an act of faith. We commit the body “in the sure and certain hope of a joyful resurrection when our Lord returns”. The deceased sleeps; we lay him down “to rest there until the righteous rise”. It is this hope — not despair — that sets the key of the moment.

Plainness honours God. “God is not honoured by the great display so often made over the dead, nor by the extravagant expense” (after E. G. White, on the burial of Aaron). Against the funeral-as-spectacle and the ruinous funeral: dignity in simplicity.

Understand — reading the situation

This is the moment when the real becomes irreversible, and when emotion is at its height. Everything works against you: the accumulated tiredness, the weather, the impatience of the procession. Hence the rule: brief.

Burial customs vary — some gestures, such as throwing a handful of earth onto the coffin, console some and wound others. Watch the family before suggesting anything. Throwing a handful of earth or petals onto the coffin comforts some families deeply; for others, the gesture is too brutal a reminder of human frailty. Do not impose it — ask.

Sometimes the burial takes place before the service (a private committal, then a public service at the church). In that case, the service that follows celebrates the life more than the death.

Serve — the order at the graveside

As you lead the coffin toward the grave, avoid as far as possible walking on the other graves.
Stand at the head of the deceased, facing the family.
Keep the service short; keep music to the strict minimum (it tends to lengthen things). In bad weather, briefer still.
After the prayer, greet the family briefly, then stay until the last have left.

Informal committal

The simplest: a Scripture reading and a prayer. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 and 1 Corinthians 15:51-55 fit perfectly, followed by a prayer of faith and hope in the resurrection.

Formal committal

If one is used, it goes between the Scripture and the prayer. Choose the form according to what you know of the faith of the deceased:

For a believer:“Since God, in His infinite love and wisdom, has permitted our [brother/sister] to fall asleep in Christ, we tenderly commit [his/her] body to the ground, in the sure and certain hope of a joyful resurrection at the return of our Lord in glory. Then this body of our humiliation shall be changed and made like unto His glorious body.”

For someone whose faith is unknown:“Since God, in His goodness and in the working out of His providence, has permitted our friend to lay down the burdens of this life, we lovingly commit [his/her] body to the ground, remembering that all the issues of life are in the hands of our eternal Father, full of love and compassion, who has promised eternal life to those who love Him.”

The form “ earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust ” may be inserted after “ we commit [his/her] body to the ground ”.It is not obligatory. The official handbook notes that some find it “ too crude a reminder of the inevitable decomposition of the body ” and wish it to be dropped.Ask the family. Do not impose it.

Texts for the graveside :

Texts for the graveside :1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 (“ we would not have you ignorant… that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope ”) ; 1 Corinthians 15:51-55 (“ this mortal must put on immortality… O death, where is thy victory? ”).

When an outside body takes part at the graveside

Military, associations, veterans’ groups, corporate bodies, societies, lodges : they have their rites, and they hold to them. The official handbook warns : “ Such services generally imply the immortality of the soul, and the Adventists present may be offended if the last word spoken about their loved one places him already in paradise. ”

Do not forbid them. Do not argue. Correct no one at the graveside. You would lose the family, and you would gain nothing.

The counter-move, in six words — and it is surgical :
“ Encourage them to take part at the beginning. ”

You coordinate with them beforehand. They go first. They do what they have to do.And the last word spoken over this grave is yours : the resurrection. No one has been contradicted. No one has been humiliated. And the truth has had the last word.

Minister’s Handbook (General Conference Ministerial Association), ch. “ Funerals ” — “ Sample graveside service ”.

At the cemetery, do not…

lengthen the service — above all in rain, cold, or crushing sun ;
impose the gesture of throwing earth if the family finds it hard ;
walk on the neighbouring graves ;
leave before the last of those present ;
let display or expense take precedence over plain dignity.