As cremations service continue to rise, Ash scatterings are becoming very popular. Many of your clients will do ash scatterings, and they need options. Tying into this market can produce a rewarding income stream for you.
A Scattering Service is not as simple as it may seem. There are many considerations to doing it properly and professionally. In our industry, you only get one chance to do it right. Clients demand top service.
We specialize in scattering cremation services and have one of the best scattering locations in the world. Your clients will appreciate our professionalism and first-class approach to scattering. We are the best at what we do; you and your clients will appreciate the exceptional service and attention we give you.
This is a partnership. Simply suggest us to your client during the funeral planning and we will take care of the rest. They will be extremely satisfied with the recommendation you gave them. And we will compensate you a handsome commission for each referral.
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Nancy Burban: It is my pleasure to interview Jeff Staab, a funeral director for over 20 years and a renowned cremation solutions specialist. He is also the owner of www.lifetreefarm.com , a provider of green cremation products and services to funeral homes. For the past 20 years, Jeff has been the leading authority on scattering ashes.
Jeff Staab: Thank you, Nancy for chatting with me about green cremation products and scattering of ashes.
Nancy: We’ve been friends for many years and since we are both very invested in “green burials” and now “green cremation”, it made sense to ask you what you see on the horizon for both cremation and the greening of cremation.
Jeff: Let’s start with cremation. Cremation is the fastest growing disposition in the death care industry, not only in the USA, but worldwide. Over 43% of the population in the USA is now being cremated and over 50% in Canada. In some states like California, the numbers are approaching 70%.
Nancy: Why are some states like California so high?
Jeff: Two big reasons come to mind. First the high cost of burial plots in California. You can spend anywhere from $7,000 -$15,000 in some areas. That’s before the cost of a funeral. Second, many people are living longer and selling their burial plots to be able to afford food and shelter.
Nancy: A third reason is also because many people are eco-friendly. That is also a big factor in the new natural cremation aka alkaline hydrolysis growing in demand.
Jeff: Yes, absolutely. I cremation takes the focus off the body and let’s people focus more on the life. It also gives the family more time to create a more personalized event that reflects more on the unique qualities of the life lived.
Nancy: Jeff, you are undoubtedly the go to person for both cremation and memorialization. Can you share what new trends that you are seeing nationwide?
Jeff: With the combination of Baby Boomers seeking personalization and the eco-friendly green movement, we are seeing more and more survivors turning to nature to connect with life and each other. In fact in a poll was conducted by TheWirthlin Report and when people were asked to choose a memorial, the #1 choice was a living memorial such as a tree. Trees not only mark a life well lived, they also create a space of comfort and healing. Recent studies have shown that patients in hospital rooms with a view of trees heal faster and school children learn better when exposed to green spaces. Trees help us to experience our natural heritage and connect with our deeply held spiritual and cultural values.
Nancy: That’s very interesting. Are these trees given at visitation or a celebration?
Jeff: Funeral Directors can offer living trees to client families for their families and to share with those in attendance, as a way of remembering and memorializing the decedent’s life. When a living tree is not practical, alternatives are available like seed packets or a tree planting program. It’s a beautiful, eco-friendly, green product with the personalization that families appreciate and treasure.
Nancy: Jeff, you are also a big advocate of scattering. Are there any new trends in this area?
Jeff: Yes, I have been working with a company out of Israel who offer a unique service in which families can send their loved one’s cremains, or part of the cremains to the Holy Land, where Jesus lived and have them professionally scattered in a protected, sacred garden. It’s called Holyland Ash Scattering It’s a very spiritual type of celebration. Families receive a DVD of the ceremony & a numbered certificate of scattering.
Nancy: That seems like a beautiful way to deal with families who are conflicted about cremation. Send your loved ones back to the birth of civilization. Can the loved ones visit the site?
Jeff: Yes, you can visit the site and pilgrimages to the Holy Land are life changing. The families can also watch the DVD on the one year anniversary if they cannot visit the Holy Land.
Nancy: What other trends are you seeing with cremation?
Jeff: Cremation jewelry is increasing. Jewelry that holds the loved one’s ashes or Fingerprint jewelry which is jewelry made from a fingerprint etched in silver and gold are popular. You can even get a cremation diamonds and cremation crystals made from a loved one’s ashes.
There are also some beautiful wooden urns and ceramic urns which are a work of art that are becoming popular. Personalization is the commonality. Baby Boomers want memorialization.
Nancy: So, the prevailing theme is eco- friendly, green and personalization?
Jeff: Especially with cremation. People want ceremonies. They want to leave a part of themselves behind to be remembered.
First a Scattering Urn, Then a Birdhouse!
For example, Birdhouse Memorial Urns are starting to catch on. They’re designed to enhance the memorialization process and stimulate ceremony for families who choose to scatter the ashes of their loved ones. Death care experts have often say that families who choose to scatter, should either mark the location of the ashes with a memorial or when that is not possible have a memorial placed close to home. It is important for the grief process to have a focal point where survivors may come to reflect and hold on to precious memories.
Nancy: Bird Houses? They’re beautiful but how does that work?
Jeff: Well, they are elegant enough to be displayed during any part of the funeral process and functional in the way they are easily able to disburse the earthly remains back into nature.
After the ashes are scattered the urn converts into a fully functional, beautiful birdhouse. They provide a lasting tribute as a true Living Memorial.
Nancy: Great idea, especially for the many “Birders” and nature lovers who are seeking unique ways to scatter their cremains. So, let’s go full circle and discuss scattering. Is it becoming the new trend?
Jeff: Finally! I have been advocating scattering for many years and now scattering is the fastest growing disposition of cremated remains. It is now the #1 choice compared to other options. Those that choose to scatter are having a higher satisfaction rate than those that choose other options. I estimate that over 50% of those being cremated are now scattering. According to the Wirthlin Report up to 59% of interviewed in a recent poll said they prefer scattering. From exotic locales like Bali or Tahiti to the Grand Canyon to the San Francisco Bridge to the Holy Land, everyone has an idea of where their final resting place would be & that’s where they want to be scattered.
Nancy: Thank you Jeff for sharing your insights to cremation, scattering and some of the new trends out there.
Jeff: It’s been my pleasure. If anyone wants to know more about the new trends or about the ones I spoke about, they can find me on Facebook. I would be happy to discuss this exciting topic. Please check out and “Like” my Facebook page Click Here
As 44 percent of Americans opt for cremation, questions arise regarding the ashes’ final disposition. Many people consider scattering, but they experience uncertainty when seeking a final resting place that holds both meaning and a spiritual connection with their earthly body and loved ones. Holy Land Ash Scattering offers a solution that resounds within the hearts, minds and souls of Christians: scattering ashes in the Holy Land.
Two thousand years ago, our Lord and Savior, a man renowned for incredible compassion, kindness and love, walked the earth and spread his wisdom. Jesus Christ walked, lived and taught in the Mount of Beatitudes lush, rolling foothills. How often did he stand with the Mount behind him and spread his word whilst gazing upon the serene waters of the Sea of Galilee? Imagine the calmness, the peacefulness, of sitting in such a glorious setting and listening to such an incredible man.
Now, imagine the comforting tranquility that comes from knowing your, or a loved one’s, ashes rest along the same ground upon which Jesus once trod.
However, the ashes are not scattered to the wind. Privately owned land lies nestled within the foothills of the Mount of Beatitudes. The land, overlooking the Sea of Galilee much the same as Jesus must have, exists as a park dedicated to scattering ashes of Christians seeking eternal rest within the Holy Land.
The Jesus Trail in the Holy Land
Because this park is owned privately and dedicated to the sanctity of eternal rest, you need never fear that scattered ashes will trespass where they should not. The fear of eternal trespass rather than eternal rest is a thought decidedly uncomfortable, and this is one fear that delays people when they try to decide upon a final location on their own.
Holy Land Ash Scattering removes that fear for you; it also removes worries that the final resting place will be trampled by tourists and trespassers – this park is neither a public place nor a thoroughfare.
If, on the other hand, you or your loved one holds a deep affinity for water, scattering ashes can take place in the warm, beautiful waters of the Sea of Galilee.
Sea of Galilee
Our certified marine captain will pilot a vessel only 500 meters from the coast of Israel, the Holy Land, to perform a scattering ceremony. The ashes will then find rest in one of the most incredibly scenic bodies of water seen in this world.
Regardless of a land or sea scattering, the package includes a professional video of the ceremony. Capturing the ceremony on video, provided to you as both a DVD and a YouTube link, allows you to share the scattering ceremony with friends and family. It also gives you the opportunity to take comfort in the total serenity of the sacred resting place anytime you feel the need. The DVD will remain a cherished treasure, especially among those unable to travel to the Holy Land to scatter the ashes themselves.
Unfortunately, most people find travel costs prohibit them from attending the scattering ceremony of their loved one. By entrusting Holyland Ash Scattering with your loved ones resting place, the total package gains you admission to the serene park at any time you find yourself able to visit the Holy Land. You have a standing invitation to sit, contemplate the unparalleled scenery, and commune with your loved ones spirit in a resting place befitting the many Christians there eternally at rest.
The Necessary Details
Your only requirements are to sign up for Holyland Ash Scattering, fill out an authorization form, pack the ashes for shipping according to provided instructions, and send two or three pictures of your loved one to be included in the tribute DVD. The total package takes care of everything else: applying for permits and licenses, all administrative work, the shipping and the performance and recording of the scattering ceremony. You need not worry about the nitty-gritty detail work.
Our Private Memorial Scattering Garden
If you are contemplating your own eternal rest or seeking perfect placement for the long-held ashes of a loved one, sign up with Holy Land Ash Scattering. Find peace and comfort in the knowledge that scattering ashes will take place in the land held most sacred by the Christian population.
I want more then a party when I die!
Americans are embracing cremation as their preferred choice when making funeral plans today. About 45% according to the Cremation Association of America. Working in Hospice Care or the funeral biz, we hear it all the time. “Just scatter my ashes and have a party”.
Here's to Who?
I don’t want all that fuss involved with a funeral. It sounds good and simple, but does not create a very healing environment or a carefully planned ceremony that will shine a positive light on your life. Most people want to feel that their life mattered and that the things they believe in and the projects they have started will be remembered and hopefully carried on. A funeral should express what the deceased valued in their life and help instill those values in others so that the dream may continue.
These selfish half ass plans to just have a party in my memory just don’t cut it today or any time in history. Opportunities to remember and heal takes thoughtful planning. That’s what Funeral Directors and Celebrants do! Cremation should allow for even more opportunity then burial, because it give us the freedom of more time to create what should be the most important event in your life. To take what mattered most to us to our grave without ever sharing is just a sad, sad shame. What’s even worst is, as a result of not having a real funeral plan, is the final disposition of your earthly remains are not being fulfilled. The ashes of many are ending up stowed away at home in “the closet”. How and why are the sacred earthly remains of our loved one’s ending up in such a non-flattering shrine.
Mom, Uncle Fred, Johnny......
It sounds simple “just scatter me”. But to make this request can often lead to these closet internments. The request to scatter me is apparently not enough. The survivors who want to do the “right thing” but are often unsure of exactly what to do with the cremated remains or what people usually refer to as “the ashes”. You choose scattering because it’s a very natural way to go back to the earth and continue the cycle of life. But when no one really knows the specifics it just might be put off so long that not doing becomes easier then not doing.
The lesson here is to just take some time and think about your legacy and how and where do you want things done. People that do participate in scattering have said they feel a huge sense of relief and that the scattering can conjure feelings of completing the natural cycle of life as they are giving the ashes back to nature.
Selecting a location to scatter is what should be an important life decision. For spiritual Christians the mountains, lake or golf course just seems to be sanctified then the sacred grounds of a cemetery. For these spiritual Christians there is now a way to choose scattering yet also be laid to rest on beautiful sacred grounds.
Memorial Scattering Garden in Israel
The Ash Scattering Society now offers a service called Holyland Ash Scattering in response to people’s desire to be scattered in worldwide locations of particular beauty and meaning. Their Holy Land Ash Scattering service, provides the ultimate location for scattering ashes. Their memorial scattering garden is in Israel along the Jesus trail, overlooking the beautiful Sea of Galilee, where Jesus once walked. It’s easy to ship the ashes to them and you even get a video of the complete scattering ceremony!
With new options like Holyland Ash Scattering it’s time to get many of those poor abandoned souls, out of the closet! and laid to rest. Spiritual Americans have begun to embrace this new option. For many the pilgrimage to the Holy Land has been a lifelong dream. Some do get to visit this very meaningful region and have a life changing experience. Now with the services of Holyland Ash Scattering anyone can rest eternal for all time for less than the cost of a plane ticket.
Here at Cremation Solutions we know that the scattering of ashes just comes naturally to some families. A favorite swimming hole, ski trail, the 18th hole. Especially places that are already a traditional visit for a family may one day become even more sacred when our earthly remains one day become one with the special places we love.
To have the insight to say “This is my special place” often does not come natural. Just scatter me is just not enough! So as you are getting along in your life and sharing and exploring for your “Special place”, be sure to share it with other so they will know to grant your final wish.
On a bright, sultry morning a few weeks ago, my family hiked up the small, blueberry-topped mountain that lies a few miles from the summer home my in-laws own in the wilds of New Hampshire.
When we reached the summit, Theresa set her pack on a granite boulder, looked out to the forested horizon and made the announcement that’s become a standard feature of our annual trek into local blueberry territory: “Now don’t forget,” my wife said to me, our two teenage daughters and, seemingly, the universe. “This is where I want to be buried when I die.”
We hardly needed the reminder. Theresa has talked long and openly about her final wishes. Even in grade school our daughters could (and sometimes did) recite the brief of her burial plans to their astonished classmates: My Mama wants to be cremated, have her ashes put in a paper bag and buried under a blueberry bush in New Hampshire.
The blueberry mountain is, our girls know, Theresa’s special place. From early childhood on, my wife has been coming to this lush and verdant hill, to hike, pick blueberries, and for at least a few hours commune with a natural world that couldn’t look any more pristine and untrammeled. Stand at the peak beside the lone fire tower here and all you’ll see is a hilltop overrun in blueberry and raspberry bushes and, beyond, stretching into the far distance in every direction, an undulating and unbroken landscape of trees.
For almost fifty years, Theresa has absorbed this place. Its clean air has filled her lungs; its colors and calm and rhythms have filled her being. In all that time, this wooded corner of the Granite State has, metaphorically but also quite literally, become a part of who she is. Of course, she would want to return here at the end.
When it comes, my wife’s Ash scattering / burial on blueberry mountain will rejoin her with the elements that so infused and inspired her in life. At the last, she will simply be one with her beloved patch of earth. And when she is, her children can come and find their mother in Mother Nature — in these blueberry bushes and red maples, on the winding trail up this mountain and at its peak — where she lives on.
A green scattering or burial of her ashes can save us money. It’s good for the planet, hews to honorable tradition, and celebrates our loved ones. More than all that, it returns our departed to the natural cycle of life — of life and death, decay and rebirth — that turns forever. And in that way, gains them immortality.
Often people do not specify where they want to be scattered and survivors who want to do the right thing will ponder forever just where is that special place. Ashes go into storage as this now gets put off because no one can agree or conclude the place of final rest. As result guilt and lack of closure may eat at the conscious of our family for years to come.
The Holy Land
Now for many that have been interred to the closet the answer is easy. What better a place then the land where Jesus lived and taught. A very special memorial scattering garden has now been opened to the public to scatter the ashes of their loved one’s in the Holy Land. This protected garden has been set aside just for this purpose by Holyland Ash Scattering. This professional service in now available through any funeral home. Millions of Christians make the pilgrimage to this sacred land for a truly life changing experience. Now they have the option of becoming one with this land for all eternity.
Private Memorial Scattering Garden
Its not too late learn how you can have a professional and dignified scattering ceremony in the holiest of all the lands. Survivors will receive and DVD of the entire ceremony that will be cherished for generations and start new traditions that will take away the guessing game of just what is the perfect place.
Watch a Video of our Sacred Scattering Garden Here
Lord knows Christians are scattering ashes in locations that are both meaningful and beautiful. Favorite fishing holes, golf courses, mountain vistas, parks and beyond. It doesn’t seem to matter where they as far as the Vatican is concerned. no where is good enough!
The second Italian-language edition of the ‘Funeral Rites’, produced by the Vatican Publishing House, was presented recently at the headquarters of Vatican Radio. Among other things, the new edition contains fully revised biblical texts and prayers.
The first innovation refers to the visit to the family, which was not part of the earlier edition. Msgr Angelo Lameri of the National Liturgical Office of the Italian Episcopal Conference, explained how “for a priest this a moment to share in the suffering, to listen to the mourning relatives, to learn about certain aspects of the deceased’s life with a view to a correct and personalised presentation during the funeral”.
Thou Should Not Scatter!
Another change involves the revised and enriched ritual for the closing of the coffin; with a number of different texts for various situations: an elderly person, a young person, or someone who has died unexpectedly.
Other changes involve the pronouncement of words recalling of the deceased at the moment of the committal, and the introduction of a broad range of possibilities for the prayer of the faithful.
However the most significant new departure, contained in the appendix of the book, concerns cremation. Msgr Lameri explained that the issue of cremation had been placed in an appendix to highlight the fact that the Church, “although she does not oppose the cremation of bodies, when not done ‘in odium fidei’, continues to maintain that the burial of the dead is more appropriate, that it expresses faith in the resurrection of the flesh, nourishes the piety of the faithful and favors the recollection and prayer of relatives and friends”.
In exceptional cases, the rites normally celebrated at the cemetery chapel or the tomb may be celebrated at the cremation site, and it is recommended that the coffin be accompanied to that site. One particularity important aspect is that “cremation is considered as concluded when the urn is deposited in the cemetery”. This is because,
although the law does allow ashes to be scattered in the open or conserved in places other than a cemetery, “such practices … raise considerable doubts as to their coherence to Christian faith, especially when they conceal pantheist or naturalistic beliefs”.
The new ‘Funeral Rites’ also focuses on the search for the meaning of death. Concluding the presentation, Bishop Alceste Catella, president of the Episcopal Commission for Liturgy, explained that “the book is testament to the faith of believers and to the importance of respect and ‘pietas’ towards the deceased, respect for the human body even when dead. It is testament to the pressing need to cultivate memory and to have a specific place in which to place the body or the ashes, in the profound certainty that this is authentic faith and authentic humanism”.
Here at Cremation Solutions we understand people are going to do what they want and often for disregard for the the rules of their church leaders. In the Jewish faith for example, cremation is strictly forbidden, yet I recent spoke recently to the owner of a Jewish funeral home in Florida who said he is now cremating 35% of the Jews he serves. He does not promote cremation at all, yet people continue to request it. Next thing you know dogs will be living with cats and watching kitty porn!
Christians now can choose to be scattered in the holiest land in all the world. Funeral homes are now working with a company called Holyland Ash Scattering. The company makes it easy to be scattered in their own private memorial scattering garden in Israel. Right along side the Jesus trail, where Jesus lived and taught his followers. People you use this service to return to the holy land are thrilled to be able to lay to rest the earthly remains of their loved ones on such sacred and protected grounds. Survivors can make the pilgrimage in the future and visit the memorial garden and reflect on the life that was, as they gaze out over the sea of Galilee. A popular trend now for people who choose to scatter, is to retain a portion of the ashes. With so many using cremation jewelry to keep and hold their loved one close to their heart and keepsake sized urns. I wonder what the Vatican thinks of people wearing jewelry that holds a portion of ashes. We may have to wait a couple hundred years to find out.
We hear it a lot these days. “Just scatter my ashes and have a big party”.
Well that sounds pretty easy and parties are fun, right? It should be easy, but without some thoughtful planning, survivors are faced with many unanswered questions. Often the scattering is put off because of all the questions and the ashes often end up on the top shelf in the hallway closet indefinitely.
Places of Natural Beauty Are Often Selected
Helping people learn how to have a creative and meaningful scattering ceremony is a large part of the reason that Cremation Solutions exist. Families are grateful to learn that they can create a meaningful event and still follow the persons request to “just scatter me”. Scattering ashes is often the final act of love survivors can participate in. Scattering is nothing less than a committal service, it is an event that should contain ceremony and ritual. It is important for family and friends to experience a meaningful and memorable final tribute. In some cases it is the only tribute, so let’s do our best. People who choose to have their ashes scattered do not consider scattering to be any less respectful or meaningful than any other disposition option. In fact, families that have scattered are experiencing a higher level of satisfaction. They consider scattering to be a more natural way to return to the earth. Scattering also allows families the flexibility of choosing a site that is personable and has special meaning to the deceased and the survivors. Sites with natural beauty are also often selected.
Some Take Turns Scattering a Friends Ashes
The decision to scatter ashes is no longer unique. With more than half of all cremated Americans and Canadians as well choosing the scattering of ashes, scattering is NOW the #1 disposition of cremated remains in the United States and Canada and continues to grow. Funeral professionals are the only ones that aren’t catching on. Most funeral professionals consider scattering a dirty and unprofitable choice of final disposition. They will help you get buried or interred. They will help you create funeral and memorial events, but when the choice is to scatter, they will help you as far as the door! Some of the more progressive funeral homes now offer special urns for families that choose to scatter the ashes, but that’s about as far as it goes. Cremation Solutions was started when our founder, a funeral director for over twenty years noticed how those who choose to scatter have been neglected by the funeral professionals in general. Cremation Solutions has grown to become the #1 resource for those choosing to scatter.
Here are some things to consider when planning a scattering ceremony. Hopefully a funeral or memorial event will take place before the scattering ceremony. Planning these events are what funeral professionals are really good at. Even if you’re not having public viewing and or visitation, you should still give survivors the chance to gather and celebrate the life that was lived. This helps survivors not only with the healing process but also to continue important relationships with each other and to support those who really need it. Now for the scattering ceremony you should consider first if you want a public ceremony or will it just be the family gathering. For a public ceremony, you might want the scattering to follow the memorial event, just like when a procession follows to the cemetery for committal services. Will more than one person scatter the ashes or will there be a chance to share in the scattering of ashes. Will the gathering be at the place of the scattering or somewhere else, either before or after? Will they do more than one scattering if there are relatives or friends in another part of the country? If people know the date and time the scattering will occur, they can then take that time to honor the memory of the deceased in their own way.
Because of the popularity of scattering ashes, suppliers to the funeral industry have been inventive and prolific in providing ways to remember. Three popular product types that relate specifically to families that desire to scatter are scattering urns, keepsakes, and keepsake jewelry. Scattering style cremation urns can be displayed at services, creating a focal point and sense of reality. They allow the cremated remains to be easily disbursed while adding dignity to the process. The location of the ash scattering sometimes determines the style of scattering urn to be used. The most popular location is over water and there are many water soluble urns that are specifically designed for this purpose. The second most popular location is on the family property. Birdhouse memorial scattering urns are a great option for these families because they are scattering urns that will convert into a memorial birdhouse, providing comfort for the years to come. Some scattering urns can be kept as an art piece or provide a place to keep mementos of the deceased or be used as a vase. Because scattering is irreversible, keeping portions of the ashes is even more important to the family that chooses to scatter. If families relocate, they can be left with feelings of abandonment. Keepsake urns and jewelry help provide the comforting knowledge that part of the earthly remains can always be kept close. They come in many sizes and styles and often match the style of the scattering urn. Keepsakes can be used to contain the ashes as well as jewelry, hair or other mementos of the deceased.
Scattering is nothing new, it has been happening for over a thousand years, but it has lost much of its ritual, most of which never made its way into modern times. Research tells us that today’s families still want meaningful celebrations of life with ceremony and personal memorable tributes. The people of today just won’t settle for the cookie cutter, insert name here funeral service anymore. Many are hiring or consulting with funeral celebrants to help create and a more meaningful and memorable event.
Celebrant Reading For Scattering Ceremony
Funeral celebrants are ceremony specialists who have a sound background in the history of ritual, ceremony and funeral traditions in many cultures and religions. Funeral Celebrants have been drawn to this work by a strong realization that every life has meaning and deserves to be celebrated and celebrated well. Many have experienced grief themselves. All are convinced that funerals can be a valuable source of healing. Nothing can take away the grief, but a genuine, well prepared tribute may ease the pain. Whether your family is secular, religious, spiritual or interfaith, or if you simply wish to express yourself in a manner of your own, choosing a Celebrant can help to create a meaningful, memorable, fitting end of life tribute.
As a response for so many wanting to scatter in the perfect location, a new company has risen from the ashes. You can now hire a professional ash scattering service that will scatter the ashes in the holiest of all locations. In their private memorial scattering garden Holyland Ash Scattering will scatter your ashes on the land where Jesus lived and taught his followers. Now anyone can follow Jesus for all eternity by arranging their final tribute in this very special location. This service is available through any funeral home. Survivors will even receive a video of the actual scattering in Israel. To have final rest where our spiritual roots were set in the beginning is to be truly blessed.
It is estimated that seven percent of the world’s Christians, over 150 million people make the pilgrimage to the Holy Land every year. Since the 1950s, millions of Christians have traveled to the Holy Land to visit the historic sites associated with Jesus’ life and death. The Holy Land is one of the most popular tourist destinations on earth.
Looking Across the Sea of Galilee to Mt Beatitudes
Why do so many visit the Holy Land? The Holy Land has witnessed the origins and early history of three of the world’s great religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. With earth that has been walked by Abraham, Moses, David, Solomon, Jesus, the apostles, and the Prophet Muhammad, the Holy Land has been a sought-after destination from ancient times until today. History stands still here. In Jerusalem, Jews still pray at the Western Wall, Christians still visit the place where Jesus’ body was laid in the tomb, and Muslims still worship at the ancient Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque
Some Christians are spiritual and therefore more place-centered, whereas Catholic pilgrims are more focused on the Bible and a “personal relationship” with Jesus. There are also those whose pilgrimage is initiated by life cycle transitions such as the death of a spouse, retirement and the birth of grandchildren. For all it’s the journey of a lifetime.
Pilgrimage is both ordinary and extra-ordinary, since pilgrims leave home in a dramatic way, often for the first time. Pilgrimage to the Holy Land is the one way Christians travel with the purpose of stabilizing and preserving their faith.
Most pilgrims report that their journey to the Holy Land was a life changing experience. Some feel transformed and at peace with themselves. Still others report a renewed awareness of their spiritual roots. For each traveler, the experience is different. In the words of Martin Buber -“All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.”
Behold the Spectacular Beauty of the Holy Land
For the Christian, a pilgrimage to the Holy Land is the ultimate spiritual journey to the birthplace of Christianity, to the place where “the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us”. Attesting to its’ powerful impact on the visitor; William Johnston, author of the acclaimed handbook on the Holy Land, says: “Here the pilgrim who is open to God’s grace will be deeply enriched in the Faith, for the mind will be filled with the awesome wonder of so many sacred shrines and this will be cemented in the heart never to fade”.
If a pilgrimage to the Holy Land changes lives and is the ultimate spiritual journey for millions of people during their lifetime, returning to this sacred place after our lives are completed would be the ultimate final destination. For those choosing cremation, your final resting place can be the Holy Land. Your ashes can be placed in a private garden overlooking the Sea of Galilee. HolyLand Ash Scattering can place your ashes in the most spiritual place on earth, for all eternity.
Private Memorial Scattering Garden
Holy Land Ash Scattering has a private garden overlooking the Sea of Galilee, near Tabatha, the Mount of Beatitudes. It is the traditional site of Jesus’ delivery of the Sermon on the Mount, probably the most famous sermon of all time. Pilgrims have been drawn to this historic place since the 4th century. After your journey in life is complete, you can choose to return to the birthplace of civilization for all time.
HolyLand Ash Scattering can make your final pilgrimage to the Holy Land possible. Your ashes can only be scattered once. Let HolyLand Ash Scattering perform a sacred ceremony and honor your memory. Complete the circle of life and find your forever home .
Judy had not opened the box the funeral director had handed her almost a year ago. Just holding the bag when he handed it to her had made her knees buckle and she had to sit before falling. The reality was the earthly remains of her husband were inside the box and she just couldn’t face the reality that his glorious body has been reduced to a few pounds of ash. The scattering was to be in a month and the 6 x 6 box had never been opened. It was slowly building on her nerves and she knew she didn’t want the scattering ceremony to be the first time she confronted the reality. She knew she wanted to see , feel and smell the ashes in private before the ash scattering event. One sleepless night she knew it was time, her hand’s shook as cut away the brown tape and opened the box. She removed a twist tie from the plastic bag inside the box and there was John!. Tears fell like rain drops as she ran her finger through the John’s ashes.
Cremation Ashes
She had read that the ashes were heavy and course. They were grayish and white and she imagined johns spirit talking to her as she examined the bits and pieces of bone ash. Her larger than life husband and best friend was now in the palm of her hand. She stroked the ashes and as marveled at the strange reality that seemed so unreal.
As she regained control of her emotions and feelings she realized the remains were still beloved and sacred. Nothing was scary anymore. She had already been devastated by her loss months ago and nothing could compare with the actual loss of her husband. Though she knew he was not in the box, she gained comfort speaking to the ashes and thanking John for the years of love. She could now be comfortable as she walked past the ashes as they rested on the mantel. Her sister had purchased an urn that was made for the scattering of ashes and together they put the ashes inside. Having the ashes in the handsome wood scattering urn made Judy remember his fondness of nature and trees. Her sister told her that after the scattering on Johns favorite hiking trail the urn was specially designed to serve as a memorial birdhouse that they would put in John’s garden.
As a funeral director and crematory operator for over twenty years it is good for me to share Judy’s story as it serves as a reminder that we in the funeral business do not simply handle ashes and urns. Like bodies and caskets we are honored to be entrusted with the care of others loved one’s. Like our physical bodies, ashes are our earthly remains and should be treated as so. The idea that so many in this business still hand over the ashes when a cremation urn is not selected, in the ugliest cardboard or plastic we can find disgust me! At least they should use a fancy gift box or tasteful cardboard urn. The reflection on your funeral business is also questioned. The time I heard a family member telling a friend that the cremation cost $2000.00 and they gave mom back to us in this box. That’s all I needed to hear to know it was wrong.
I was visiting a funeral director in Maine a few years ago and I was impressed when he showed me how his funeral home turned the ashes over to the family. Once the ashes were signed for he would guide the family member or members to a tasteful quite side room. There on a table in the corner of the room stood the urn. The warm glow of a white tapered nice candle flickered beside the urn and a fresh red rose laid at the base of the Cremation urn. Once in the room he would invite them to sit on the couch and take as long as they needed as he left the room. Some would take a minute and some an hour. The important part was they had the time and space for themselves as long as they needed. When they were ready they would let him know and he would then come and place the urn in a tasteful bag and offer to carry it out to the car. I learned from him, how less traumatizing this simple and dignified this thoughtful handover of ashes could be and I never handed another cremation urn over in a funeral home bag again. Remember we are creating an experience for the families we serve, this is just one way to show you care and are sensitive to the needs of the families who have entrusted your services.
The majority of people choosing cremation today will also choosing to scatter the ashes of their loved one. Most do not know where, only that it should be a special and sacred location.
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A new service now allows funeral homes to assist these families by offering scattering in the most sacred location on earth, the holy land. A place of natural beauty where Jesus had lived and taught, overlooking the Sea of Galilee along the Jesus trail in Israel. Funeral homes anywhere can offer ash scattering in a professional and dignified way by partnering with Holyland Ash Scattering. This is just another way to show your funeral home understands the needs of today’s society, while offering new services and standing out in your profession. Learn more at www.holylandashscattering.com or call #888-720-1961
