Death -- a religious institution?

[Ryujin]

As much as anything, that's probably explained by the resources available - obviously enough, you need some means for disposing of the body afterwards, and with cremation becoming the norm that tends to mean church funerals are becoming less common.

The funerals I've attended have generally been two-part affairs. There has typically been a public celebration* in the church, which may come before or after and (if before) may or may not have the coffin front and centre. And then there has been the final disposal of the body, which has most often taken place at a crematorium and has typically been family-only (or sometimes close friends).

* Almost without exception the church service has been described as a celebration of the life of the deceased, although quite often they feel like anything but.

I did once play the bagpipes at a funeral. It sucked.

I was at a regimental funeral, some years back, as a friend of the family. They had two bagpipers and I really felt sorry for them because by the end of it, they both looked ready to pass out.