Yes, I’ve had several friends who have done this (sometimes with the help of their pastor). One reason is because they knew that planning a complete funeral service can be hard on those who are left behind. Even if they didn’t plan the whole service, it still helped for others to know what Scriptures or hymns they wanted to include.

Another reason some have done this, however, is because they wanted to be sure their funeral or memorial service honored Christ, and not just themselves. All too often, the focus is almost totally on the person who has died – what they were like, what they accomplished, and so forth. I have been to funerals where God or eternity were barely mentioned!

But if we know Christ, we know that death is not the end. Because of His death and resurrection we have hope – hope of heaven, and hope of being safely in God’s presence forever. Why not take steps to be certain that Christ is the focus of our final rites? Because of Him, the Bible says, we have “an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade – kept in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:4). Is your hope in Him?

Someday your time on this earth will be ended. What legacy will you leave behind? May it be a legacy of faith and hope in Christ, who died and rose again to make our salvation possible.