A Matter of Life and Death: Preaching at Funerals

Rating:
Summary: The "key" to an excellent funeral sermon
Review:

When I learned that Fr. Hoffacker was planning a book of funeral sermons, I thought it would be a great book for preachers to have on their bookshelves. When the difficult funeral comes, the preacher would pull the book off the shelf, find the sermon that fits, adapt it, and be ready to go.

Now that I have read the book, I still think that it would be a great book to have on your shelf, but my concept has shifted. I no longer think of it primarily as a collection of funeral sermons, although it does include those. The greater value of the book, however, may lie elsewhere.

Fr. Hoffacker begins by establishing what a funeral sermon should be. He says that it should sound as if the preacher has the Bible in one hand and the obituary in the other -- it should incorporate both the hope of the resurrection and something personal about the deceased.

Then he talks finding "the key" that makes it possible for the preacher to capture that personal element regarding the deceased. He teaches us where to go and what to do to learn something meaningful about the person. Then he asks us to tailor the sermon to that person based on "the key" that we have discovered -- making sure that we have not ignored the hope of the resurrection.

And the eighteen sermons in the book demonstrate how he has done that for a variety of funeral situations. They are, in my estimation, some of Fr. Hoffacker's best sermons, and constitute an unusually fine collection of funeral sermons...

I heartily recommend that you obtain a copy of the book and read it before the occasion arrives where you really need it. Learn what a funeral sermon should be. Learn how to find "the key" to the person's life that will enable you to develop a faithful funeral sermon. Read through a few of the sermons to see what a really good funeral sermon looks like. Then put the book on your shelf until you need it. I think that, over the coming years, you will consult it often...

Rating:
Summary: The "key" to an excellent funeral sermon
Review:

When I learned that Fr. Hoffacker was planning a book of funeral sermons, I thought it would be a great book for preachers to have on their bookshelves. When the difficult funeral comes, the preacher would pull the book off the shelf, find the sermon that fits, adapt it, and be ready to go.

Now that I have read the book, I still think that it would be a great book to have on your shelf, but my concept has shifted. I no longer think of it primarily as a collection of funeral sermons, although it does include those. The greater value of the book, however, may lie elsewhere.

Fr. Hoffacker begins by establishing what a funeral sermon should be. He says that it should sound as if the preacher has the Bible in one hand and the obituary in the other -- it should incorporate both the hope of the resurrection and something personal about the deceased.

Then he talks finding "the key" that makes it possible for the preacher to capture that personal element regarding the deceased. He teaches us where to go and what to do to learn something meaningful about the person. Then he asks us to tailor the sermon to that person based on "the key" that we have discovered -- making sure that we have not ignored the hope of the resurrection.

And the eighteen sermons in the book demonstrate how he has done that for a variety of funeral situations. They are, in my estimation, some of Fr. Hoffacker's best sermons, and constitute an unusually fine collection of funeral sermons...

I heartily recommend that you obtain a copy of the book and read it before the occasion arrives where you really need it. Learn what a funeral sermon should be. Learn how to find "the key" to the person's life that will enable you to develop a faithful funeral sermon. Read through a few of the sermons to see what a really good funeral sermon looks like. Then put the book on your shelf until you need it. I think that, over the coming years, you will consult it often...

Rating:
Summary: Sober, serious, thoughtful, and inspirational reading
Review: A Matter Of Life And Death: Preaching At Funerals by Episcopal priest Charles Hoffacker is a heartfelt testimony written especially for Christian ministers who are called upon to speak to and comfort the friends and family of the deceased. Offering guidelines for speeches that celebrate resurrection and eternal life through Jesus Christ, A Matter of Life and Death: Preaching at Funerals is recommended a sober, serious, thoughtful, and inspirational reading.