The non-religious funeral is gaining favor as society evolves and individuals explore new belief systems or choose not to align with a particular faith. While many people relate religious and Biblical influences with traditional funeral services, a non-religious funeral can certainly be meaningful, symbolic and reverent, too. Let’s explore ways to make a non-religious funeral a memorable life celebration:
Reflection of Life
By not relying on traditional religious influences and service components, a funeral can focus more on the life of the deceased, how the individual lived, and what he or she was passionate about.
Music is often a great place to start when planning a deeply personal non-religious funeral. Incorporating a handful of meaningful songs into the service can be like adding a soundtrack of the life of the deceased. Individually and together, the songs can evoke the spirit of the departed in a way that strikes a chord with those gathered to pay their respects.
Photos and a video tribute can also be a perfect way to personalize the service. Photos can be displayed on boards or placed in frames throughout the gathering space, and the video can play on a loop so visitors can stop, remember, reminisce with others, and pay tribute to the deceased.
Readings from favorite books can also be a reverent way to honor the departed. Passages that resonated with the deceased can create a non-religious, but still spiritual, connection with survivors.
Also, depending on the hobbies and passions of the deceased, the funeral home can often be decorated to follow a theme, using effects of the departed, and inviting attendees to bring related items or dress accordingly.
Using music, photos, readings, and adopting a theme, are simple ways to create a deeply meaningful service that reflects the life of the deceased.
Honoring Faith Needs of Mourners
Often, instead of using local clergy to lead a funeral service, the Funeral Director or a Celebrant may be called upon. It can, however, be important for these officiants to recognize that mourners may have their own needs to turn to faith when dealing with a loss. A non-religious funeral service can still accommodate the belief systems of those in attendance. For example, the Funeral Director or Celebrant can offer mourners opportunities to engage in moments of silent prayer or turn to silent readings of scripture as needed.
Regardless of the influence and inclusion of elements of faith in a funeral service, it is important to make the service a deeply personal tribute to the departed. To learn more about how Stillinger Family Funeral Home helps make services meaningful and personal, contact us today at (317) 462-5536.
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