Belief Types
When you arrange a farewell, you'll often be asked if you'd prefer a 'religious' service (traditional service with a faith leader) or 'non-religious' service (usually celebrant led).
The label 'non-religious' is unhelpful, as if you feel a celebrant-led service is right for you, you still have the choice to incorporate the beliefs of a person of faith or none. Really, the issue is who would you like to lead the service - a minister, humanist, independent celebrant, or other officiant.
Here are the the services types I offer:
Humanist
Humanist ceremonies focus on the life and legacy of the loved one, with a warm 'celebration of life' tribute to the deceased.
A humanist ceremony embraces the philosophy of secular humanism.
This worldview celebrates 'the one life we have'.
Humanists have an absence of belief in any deity or an afterlife; instead there's a positive belief in human nature: finding meaning, hope and happiness in this life.
Humanist ceremonies may also incorporate:
- a favourite reading from a book on science or nature
- poetry or stories reflecting humanist values and themes, such as empathy, reason, and curiosity
- a philosophical reflection on life and death
There will almost always be some people of faith attending, so during the Reflection section of the service, you can have an invitation for private contemplation of beliefs if you wish.
You don't have to be 'a humanist' to choose a humanist style ceremony; most people aren't.
It should only be called a 'humanist service' if it is led by an actual humanist.
Personally, I am a humanist, and the only celebrant in N E Lincs qualified to lead these authentic ceremonies, having trained and been accredited to Humanist Ceremonies (part of Humanists UK). Professionally, I now work independently of any organisation to better support the families I work with.
Secular a.k.a. Non-Religious
A 'non-religious' service is secular:
It will be without religious or spiritual content, so there'll be no prayers, hymns, religious rites, or faith readings.
It's the safe choice if the deceased was not religious,
if they were unsure about their beliefs, or their beliefs were simply not known.
It's also a sensitive option if there are people attending the ceremony from a range of faith backgrounds.
It certainly doesn't mean it is a lesser choice, though, or not a 'proper' funeral.
It's the most popular choice for funerals I conduct.
The service will have carefully chosen, appropriate content to honour your loved one.
It is person-centred usually with a tribute or eulogy at the heart of it.
It may have as much - or little - music, readings, poetry, and symbolic ritual as you wish.
In practise, secular services led by trained independent or civil celebrants are now so similar to humanist ones, that people (mistakenly) use the terms interchangeably.
Don't worry about the labels. With me as your celebrant, you will have the ceremony that is right for your person, regardless of what it's called.
Faith Respecting
Semi-religious, light faith, or spiritual services are for when you don't desire the formality & standardisation of a funeral led by an ordained faith leader.
But you do wish to gently acknowledge the beliefs, or upbringing, of your loved one with some inclusion of spiritual content.
Perhaps your loved one was not, or was no longer, a church-goer, or member of a religious community, but they had some beliefs they would have wanted to be respected.
If so, you may wish to have a service with some of these:
Sometimes, families wish for a ceremony to reference their person's spiritual preference, such as Buddhism, paganism, spiritualism etc.
As a humanist, I don't lead 'acts of worship'.
However, if you require spiritual content, I'm happy to introduce (although I don't sing) your choice of hymn, or deliver your chosen reading as part of presenting the contextualised story of your loved one's life. If there is a family member or close friend who follows a faith who would like lead a prayer or recite a reading for your loved one, I'll support them in doing so.
Semi-religious, light faith, or spiritual services are for when you don't desire the formality & standardisation of a funeral led by an ordained faith leader.
But you do wish to gently acknowledge the beliefs, or upbringing, of your loved one with some inclusion of spiritual content.
Perhaps your loved one was not, or was no longer, a church-goer, or member of a religious community, but they had some beliefs they would have wanted to be respected.
If so, you may wish to have a service with some of these:
- a traditional prayer or reading (such as The Lord's Prayer or the 23rd Psalm)
- a poem or reading from an inspirational text reflecting their beliefs or practises - from any tradition
- a hymn
Sometimes, families wish for a ceremony to reference their person's spiritual preference, such as Buddhism, paganism, spiritualism etc.
As a humanist, I don't lead 'acts of worship'.
However, if you require spiritual content, I'm happy to introduce (although I don't sing) your choice of hymn, or deliver your chosen reading as part of presenting the contextualised story of your loved one's life. If there is a family member or close friend who follows a faith who would like lead a prayer or recite a reading for your loved one, I'll support them in doing so.
Whatever worldview or philosophy, I'll craft an appropriate and meaningful farewell for you.
As your Lincolnshire funeral celebrant, I can lead a service for you at Grimsby, Alford, Scunthorpe or Hull crematoria, and the cemeteries and venues in the region between.
As your Lincolnshire funeral celebrant, I can lead a service for you at Grimsby, Alford, Scunthorpe or Hull crematoria, and the cemeteries and venues in the region between.
