Humanist, non-religious Funerals in Northampton

Death is an inevitable part of the human experience and a funeral is an important rite of passage. It is an opportunity for friends and family to come together to remember and celebrate a unique life.

A religious ceremony may not seem appropriate to mark the life of someone who has lived without religious beliefs. Talk of an after-life may not offer comfort or solace to the bereaved.

But there is another option: a non-religious, or Humanist, funeral or memorial ceremony is a celebration of the life of the person who has died. Proper tribute is paid to a unique personality, to the life they lived, the connections they made and the memories they have left behind. Words and music are carefully chosen to celebrate a very special life.

You may wish to look at the Humanist Ceremonies video “A Personal Goodbye” (3 minutes)  click here .

 

Where will your funeral service take place?

A ceremony can take place at a crematorium, a cemetery or a green burial ground. You can have the main part of the ceremony in a village hall, or similar place, followed by a brief graveside service or committal at the crematorium.

Increasingly popular is the idea of a “direct cremation”, with no funeral service, followed by a celebration of life, at a venue and date/time of your choice.

Here is a 3-minute video of a Northamptonshire green burial which I conducted at Greenhaven Woodland Burial Ground, near Rugby. The family have given permission for me to add this link. Click here

For me, it is a privilege to help people arrange a fitting ceremony to mark the end of a life.

A funeral ceremony conducted by me will be about the person who has died, and for those who are left behind. No two ceremonies are the same, because no two people are the same.

 

What is said in  a Humanist funeral?

I am guided in my choice of words and readings by the wishes of the family and by a sense of what fits with the experience, tastes and character of the person whose life we are going to celebrate.

The central part of the service will be the tribute (sometimes called the “eulogy”). This is the life story of the person who has died and, based on what I learn about him or her, a word picture of their personality. The tone of the tribute will be affectionate and positive.

A friend or a member of the family often writes and delivers their own tribute. Or they write the tribute, and I deliver it on their behalf.

 

What will be the tone of the ceremony?

A service taken by me will be non-religious, but not anti-religious. There will be a time of quiet reflection when those who have a religious belief may wish to make their own private prayer. This time of quiet, usually with some gentle music, allows everyone present to pause, take stock, and remember the good times spent with the person to whom they are about to make a final farewell.

I do not “preach” Humanism, but I do refer to many Humanist beliefs, for example in the importance of doing good for the sake of our fellow men and women, in the continuity of the human race and human spirit, and in the notion that a person who has died lives on through the influence they have had on others, and in the memories of those whom they loved.

Someone once paid me the compliment “Charley, that service was really spiritual”.

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For more information on the preparation of a funeral ceremony, click here.