Saints I Have Known and Buried: Tributes That Help Define Their Legacy and Sermons for Their More Difficult Funerals

Funerals can often be a time of both great sadness and deep introspection. As a result, finding the right things to say and do can be a challenge even for someone officiating a funeral. Unfortunately, poor theology and a lack of expertise can sometimes create deeper sadness, resentment, and even diminish faith if the memorial is not handled properly and delicately.

In Saints I Have Known and Buried, author Rev. Christopher Miller offers a set of resources for overcoming these negative consequences by creating Tributes for the deceased that recognize and focus on the legacies the dear departed forged—in words and deeds—over their lifetime.

Intended to help identify, clarify, and honor a person’s life, this book includes sample Tributes written by the author, as well as celebratory Tributes shared by family and friends. Also included are selected sermons for some of the more difficult funerals—such as those for infants, suicides, or accident victims—as well as prayers that can be used during personal devotion, in grief counseling or at public worship.

Designed for new pastors but applicable for seasoned clergy as well, this book offers a unique way to provide hope at a time of great loss.

Christopher Miller was born in Davenport, Iowa, and grew up in parsonages, the son of a preacher. He received a degree in sociology from Carthage College in 1971 and a Master of Divinity from the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago in 1979. Ordained March 25, 1979, he retired December 31, 2013 after thirty-five years in parish ministry in the upper Midwest. He presided over 222 funerals.

A recreational golfer, he has three children, four grandchildren, and two step-grandchildren. He currently lives with his wife, Donna, in the upper Midwest. The couple has purchased a house in Southeast Minnesota to stay near family and friends.