Special to the bulletin - Brian Wyatt - January 10, 2010

 

Recently, the Memorial Committee of the Red Ridge Church, with the generous gifts of the Christian people here, purchased two beautiful worship vestments: A funeral pall and an urn pall or cloth.  These sacred vestments are used to cover the urn or casket upon entry to the front of the sanctuary before the service of worship in the sanctuary.  The pall is a reminder of the robe of Christ's righteousness that covers all of our sin.

 

To help everyone better understand the rich tradition of the pall, let me share a brief history of the funeral pall.  Today, we still use the name "pallbearer," but we are void of the "pall."  Years ago, the pallbearer made the pall that covered the casket, dug the graves, covered the graves and made the burial clothes for the departed.  Some of the first palls used were black, the color of mourning.  In some communities, the black pall was called a "mort-cloth," used to cover the bodies of the poor who could not afford caskets.

 

Today, palls are usually white or very light colored.  As part of the liturgical renewal that has followed since in 1963, the primary emphasis of funerals has moved from mourning to expressing hope in the resurrection, from private services to having the service in sanctuaries.  The pall captures the opening words of most services held in the sanctuary, based on Galatians 3:27.  "For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ."  The United Methodist Book of Worship says it this way: Dying, Christ destroyed our death.  Rising, Christ restored our life.  Christ will come again in glory.  As in baptism ............put on Christ, so in Christ may ...............be clothed with glory.  Here and now, dear friends, we are God's children.  What we shall be has not yet been revealed; but we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.  Those who have this hope purify themselves as Christ is pure.

 

Palls are often adorned with Christian symbols that focus on Christ and on the resurrection.  The white color of the pall reminds those assembled of their faith in the resurrection and further symbolizes putting on the robe of Christ’s righteousness in baptism.  It is especially appropriate to recall baptism-the beginning of the Christian life-as the body of someone who has faithfully served Christ during life enters the church for the last time.

 

The funeral pall further serves to emphasize that we all come before God in the same way.  Whether rich or poor, having an expensive casket or economical one, being a decorated saint or well-known sinner, we stand before God alike.  All distinctions in our respective lives are set aside once death points us to our triumphant hope in Jesus.

 

The symbols on the Red Ridge pall is a remarkable gold cross that spans the entire length of the pall signifying the complete triumph over sin and death by Jesus.  Because of Jesus' death on the cross, we are saved from eternal death.  Jesus has changed death from everlasting sorrow to the gateway of life eternal.  They symbol on the urn cover is a gold Alpha and Omega.  Christ is our beginning and our end.

 

Pall are supposed to be used inside of any church or place of baptism.  There is one standing rule about their general use, flowers are never to be place on this sacred cloth.  However, I did find in my research that a rose may be placed on the pall of an infant.  (Church of England, "The Order of Service, Oxford, Mowbray & Co., 1894)

 

I am grateful for everyone who made these beautiful gifts possible to our church.  Marise Shotts is presently working on a neat solution to our storage needs for the pall.

 

 

God of all life,

Your son conquered sine and death and

revealed the glory of the resurrection.

May off who are baptized in His name

share the abundance of His life.

May our suffering be transformed,

our crosses be turned to signs of victory,

and the death we experience in this life reveal

the fullness of eternal life in your presence.

As we celebrate Christ's resurrection,

give us the grace to see that death is not the end.

Strengthen our resolve to be witness to the

life which Christ bestows on all who are baptized

and believe in him.

Amen