Dingwall Castle Street Church of Scotland will help any family which has been affected by bereavement. An Undertaker will take care of the many issues concerning arrangements at such a time, and will work closely with the family, the church, and the minister through this period. There is no charge for use of the church for any funeral service. Neither is there any fee for the minister, although the organist and church-officer normally receive a fee.

Any funeral service in the church is primarily a Christian service of worship. However, because funerals are often depicted in the media quite differently from what actually happens in church, it may be helpful to know what occurs during a church funeral service.

Mourners and family arrive.

The Minister welcomes those present

Opening Hymn

Words of Tribute

Prayers of Thanksgiving

Bible Readings

Prayers for the Family

Closing Hymn

The Blessing

Hymns

The family can discuss with the minister the hymns they would like at the service. Here are some suggestions.

The Lord's My Shepherd.

Abide with me.

I to the hills.

Guide me O thou great Jehovah

Be Thou my Vision

God who made the earth

Morning has broken.

Love divine, all loves excelling

The King of love my shepherd is

Thine be the glory

How great Thou art

O God our help in ages past.

Lord of all hopefulness

Safe in the arms of Jesus

Great is Thy faithfulness

There is a green hill far away

Jesus Christ is risen today

Jesus loves me this I know

For the beauty of the earth

All things bright and beautiful

What a friend we have in Jesus

All people that on earth do dwell

Letter for Clarification

[October 2009]

The Kirk Session of Castle Street Church of Scotland in Dingwall is immensely grateful to those in the Undertaker profession for the assistance they give to so many bereaved families, and for the cooperative manner in which they work with the church.

The Kirk Session is also aware that the Undertaker is often the first person who has to deal with a mourning family and, as such, is often the first to hear of a family’s wishes at the time of a death. That being so, and because of the way in which funerals are often depicted on TV or in modern culture, the Kirk Session realizes that sometimes the Undertaker is asked by a family to ensure that certain components are included in a funeral service which are not truly compatible with Christian worship.

For the avoidance of doubt the Kirk Session wishes to re-iterate that it cannot allow pop-songs or any other secular songs to be part of the funeral service. The Kirk Session acknowledges that such songs may well have been very meaningful for the deceased and his/her family, and is of the opinion that the best forum for them being sung or played is at a family event before or after the funeral service itself.

Similarly, the Kirk Session re-iterates its decision that music played in church before or after a Christian funeral service should be recognized Church music, or – as has become a tradition in Scotland – some well known, traditional Scottish airs.

The Kirk Session emphasizes that a Church funeral service is, first and foremost, a service of worship to the God who made us, and in whom is our hope in both life and death: as such, the music, hymns, and readings are to be directed to this end.

We trust that this letter will be helpful in clarifying the situation, and again we thank our Undertakers for all the help they give at difficult times.