November CCS Friday – Shifting Funeral Practices

November CCS Friday – Shifting Funeral Practices

On Friday, Nov 22 we hosted an online conversation with Michelle Owens about the changing landscape of mourning, grief, and funeral practices. Michelle is a United Church diaconal minister, former Principal of the Centre for Christian Studies, and currently serving in congregational ministry at White Oaks United in London, ON.

These are some of the resources that Michelle recommends:

Liturgy Resources

• Celebrate God’s Presence – Funeral/Memorial small book in black cover 
• Joan Tessier – Seasons of Life, Putting Loved Ones to Rest, Creative Ideas for Funeral Services 

Books about Death

• Caitlyn Doughty: Smoke Gets in Your Eyes, From Here to Eternity, Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs
• Harold Schechter – The Whole Death Catalog 
• Lucinda Herring – Reimagining Death 
• Ann Neumann – The Good Death 
• Becca Stevens – Funeral for a Stranger 
• Anna Lyons, Louise Miller – We All Know How This Ends 

Online

• Order of the Good Death
• Ask a Mortician
• Natural Burial Association

Field Museum Exhibit (not currently on display) 

• Death: Life’s Greatest Mystery

Grief Workbook

• Ed Lipskey – Grief is a Team Effort (self published, 519 453 5880 or 1 800 551 3740) 

Indigenous Resource

• “When The Time Comes”: A Guide for End-of-Life Planning for Indigenous People- Saskatoon Survivors Circle, Truth and Reconciliation Centre 

Children’s Books

• Nanny Mac’s Cat – grandma moving into a nursing home 
• Grandpa’s Boat – death of grandfather 

Provincial Resources

• BC After Death: First Steps
• BC What to do after a death
• AB Death
• AB Saying Farewell
• SK End of Life Planning Practical Guide and Checklist
• SK Dealing with Death
• MB Estate Handbook
• MB Death
• ON Bereavement Authority Guide
• ON What to do when someone dies
• QC Death
• QC What to do in the event of death
• NS Unexpected death at home brochure
• NS Guide to Legal and Emotional Concerns
• PEI Practical Considerations
• NB Death Registration

---

CCS Fridays: Online conversations to help us all respond faithfully to emerging issues in local contexts. These workshops are open to anyone who might be interested. Each session will be on a Friday from 12:00 to 1:00 CT and in the form of a Zoom workshop.  There will be a presentation that will be recorded for future viewing, plus opportunities to engage with the ideas in small groups.