A Contemporary Handbook for Weddings and Funerals and Other Occasions
A Contemporary Handbook for Weddings and Funerals and Other Occasions: Revised and Updated. Edited by Aubrey Malphurs, Keith Wilhite, and Dennis Hillman. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2022, 978-0-8254-4665-8. 449 pp., $23.99.
Reviewer: Gary L. Shultz Jr., First Baptist Church, Tallahassee, FL
Three weeks into my first full-time pastorate, the chairman of the deacons at my church passed away suddenly. This would be the first funeral I had ever officiated. In my advanced expository preaching class in seminary, I had put together a funeral sermon, but it seemed entirely inadequate to the occasion now that the real thing had arrived. I tried not to panic as I looked through my resources, began contacting professors and mentors for help, and looked up sample funeral sermons I could find online. Somehow, by the grace of God, I managed to piece together a service and a sermon. As I read A Contemporary Handbook of Weddings and Funerals and Other Occasions, I couldn’t help but think of this occasion, and how I wished I had this book in my hands at the beginning of my ministry.
This book is a compilation of resources for weddings, funerals, communion services, baby dedications, baptisms, holidays, ordinations, church anniversaries, and state of the church addresses. It contains outlines of services, sample services, messages, brief articles of advice, lists of additional resources, and even a section of classic Christian poems to use on different occasions. The original book came to be when the manager of the Dallas Theological Seminary Book Center approached the editors, telling them how often he received requests for resources for weddings, funerals, and other ministry occasions. The editors intentionally sought out resources that had been used in fruitful ministries that they believed were adaptable for different contexts. These resources come from dozens of different people actively involved in ministry, primarily pastors and seminary professors. This current edition is the third iteration of the book, thoroughly revised to be as relevant as possible for ministry today.
For those pastors who do not have mandated liturgies for weddings and funerals, this book is a one-stop shop of ministry ideas and helps. Young pastors early in their ministry will find helps for conducting these services in almost any circumstance imaginable. Even experienced pastors will find plenty of material that is helpful and though-provoking, aiding in the task of keeping these services fresh and meaningful in the midst of busy ministries. Preaching and practical ministry professors should have this book near the top of their lists when it comes to recommending such helps to their students. While the section on “other occasions” is not as detailed, primarily due to the number of different occasions it references, it is also worth consulting when those ministry occasions arise.
There are a number of resources that outline services and offer sample messages, especially for weddings and funerals. What makes this book stand out is its breadth of topics, the consistent biblical focus across contributors, the adaptability of the material, and the balance of contemporary relevance with traditional resources. Perhaps the only weakness is the lack of depth in the “other occasions” section, which could profitably be developed into a separate book length treatment. I have already recommended this book to other pastors, particularly younger ones, and recommend it to you as well.
