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The Historical Development of the Book of Church Order

Chapter 61 : The Burial of the Dead
Paragraph 1 : Aspects of the Service

61-1. The services proper for such an occasion are:
a. The singing of appropriate psalms or hymns;
b. The reading of some suitable portion or portions of Scripture, with such remarks as it may seem proper to the minister to make;
c. Prayer, in which the bereaved shall be especially remembered, and God's grace sought out on their behalf, that they may be sustained and comforted in their sorrow, and that their affliction may be blessed to their spiritual good.

DIGEST : The current PCA text dates to the PCUS revision text of 1929. Alphabetical division of the paragraph appears to be a minor but helpful change made under the tenure of Stated Clerk L. Roy Taylor.

BACKGROUND & COMPARISON:
1. PCA 1973, Adopted text, DfW 15-1 [M1GA, Appendix, p. 161]
2. Continuing Presbyterian Church 1973, Proposed text, DfW, XV, p. 75.
3. PCUS 1933, DfW, XV, §371
4. PCUS 1929, DfW, XV, §371
The services proper for such an occasion are: the singing of appropriate psalms or hymns; the reading of some suitable portion or portions of Scripture, with such remarks as it may seem proper to the minister to make; prayer, in which the bereaved shall be especially remembered, and God's grace sought on their behalf, that they may be sustained and comforted in their sorrow, and that their affliction may be blessed to their spiritual good.

PCUS 1894, XIV-1
The exercises proper for such an occasion are: The singing of appropriate psalms or hymns; the reading of some suitable portion or portions of Scripture, with such remarks as it may seem proper to the minister to make; prayer, in which the bereaved shall be especially remembered, and God's grace sought on their behalf, that their affliction may be blessed to their everlasting good, and that they may be sustained and comforted in their sorrow.

COMMENTARY:
Morton H. Smith, Commentary on the Book of Church Order, 6th edition, 2007, p. 451.
Though the Bible does not give the services proper for such an example of a formal worship service in connection with the burial of the dead, it is not inappropriate that a service including singing the praise of God, the reading of Scripture with a sermon, and prayer for the bereaved be conducted.